Every once in a while I have people tell me they are concerned about holding their newborn session in their home for a number of reasons.  It’s messy, it’s not well decorated, it’s bare/we just moved in, we have pets, it’s dark.  The reasons are endless and I can totally relate to all of them!  The truth is – all of this is okay and some of them are even preferred!  Because all of my Atlanta newborn sessions take place in my clients’ homes, I have ample experience at working in all of these situations. Here, I’m going to include a few tips to prepare for your in-home newborn session.

1.  Don’t stress!!  You just had a baby (or you’re about to) and your LAST focus should be the state of your home.  These tips are just a guide and if you don’t get to them, it’s no biggie.  The first thing I’ll do when I get to your home is take a quick tour to find the most desirable light and go from there.  Once I determine that, I can do anything that needs to be done to prep for pictures.

2.  Open all of the blinds in your home.  The first thing I’ll do is pick my favorite light to work in, so having the blinds open enables me to preview each room and it’s potential quickly.  Also, the brightest room isn’t always the best room!  Sometimes rooms that appear to be the darkest actually have the most beautiful slivers of light, and that’s often where I’ll set up the baby shots.

3.  Clear nightstands or prominent counters of clutter or distracting elements.  The counters don’t have to be bare and they certainly don’t have to be lemony fresh…but clearing end tables or nightstands of neon Boppys and those hospital water jugs will make transitions between shots quicker.  However, I usually don’t notice distracting elements until I’m taking the photos and in that case, I will just quickly hide whatever it is and replace it as soon as we’re done!

4.  Less is sometimes more!  If you just moved into your home or the nursery isn’t done, that’s okay!  I love clean backgrounds so bare walls and rooms suits my style just as well as a perfectly appointed room.  The more focus on you and your baby, the better!

5.  Introduce your pets to your baby!  If you want photos of your fur-babies with your human baby, make sure this won’t be the first meeting between the two.  I love animals and I’m completely comfortable walking into a home with barking, jumping dogs so don’t feel you have to hide them away for the duration of the session.  I’m happy to get shots of your pets and baby together if you want, but safety will always be the priority.  If your pet is excitable, just make sure they have time to acclimate.

6.  Warmth!  Newborn babies are still working to regulate their body temperatures and lose heat quickly when stripped naked.  Ever changed a baby’s diaper and they are instantly really mad?  It’s likely that they are just cold 🙂   The majority of our session, baby will be diapered, but there’s nothing sweeter than photographing a new baby in their birthday suit…that perfectly flaky baby skin needs to be documented!  It’s important to me to capture these details, but equally important that your baby is comfortable.  For that reason, I’ll ask you to warm your house to about 85 degrees for the session.  I’ll also bring a space heater for more concentrated heat if it’s needed.  This is why it’s also a good idea to dress in layers!

 If my work resonates with you and you would like more information about booking your natural newborn session, CLICK HERE TO REACH OUT TO ME!

In the meantime,

CLICK HERE TO FIND MORE TIPS ABOUT PREPARING FOR YOUR NEWBORN SESSION!

Then,

GET TO KNOW ME (AND MY CRAZY FAMILY) ON INSTAGRAM!

 “LIKE” MY FACEBOOK PAGE to stay up-to-date on new blog posts.

FOLLOW ME ON PINTEREST!  (You know it’s time for a Pinterest date, anyways.)

FOLLOW ME ON GOOGLE + !  Because apparently that’s where it’s at.

Heather Carraway Photography specializes in newborn, baby, maternity, family, and child photography in Atlanta, GA and surrounding neighborhoods including but not limited to Smyrna, Buckhead, Mableton, Marietta, Vinings, and Brookhaven.  For more information or to book a newborn session, use the contact form above or email her at heather@heathercarrawayphoto.com.