I tried taking my own newborn photos with Rowan. They were okay and I’m glad I took the photos I did with Rowan. But with Piper joining our family and being our last planned baby, I wanted some photos to treasure. Helene from Grace by Two photography came over to our house when Piper was just over 2 weeks old.
Tips for Taking Newborn Photos in Your Home
My number one tip is to just get the photos done. We moved into our current house two years ago and our home decor is still a work in process. Some of it has to do with finding the perfect items for the space and some of it has to do with budget. I wish we had a few more things set up for photos, but I didn’t let the state of our home decor hold us back. I didn’t even have her nursery done and honestly, I still don’t. Maybe we can take some of Piper’s one year old photos in there.
Remember that when you are getting these newborn photos done within the walls of your house, these photos are meant to capture a moment in time. The photos will be part of your family history and someday, it will be nice to see how the space evolved. Which brings me to the next point…
Low expectations, Mama, you just gave birth.
Going into this shoot, I had no vision of how I wanted the images to look. All I knew is that I wanted some sweet moments of us loving on our new sweet babe.
I struggled to find outfits for us and waited until the last minute. But that’s okay, I was able to use what we already had hanging in our closet.
At two weeks postpartum, I was still getting used to waking up in the middle of the night again. I tired to do my hair, but I probably could have used some help.
Rowan was in a crappy mood that no amount of bribes could change. Brady and I smiled through it. At least we’ll always remember how much drama the second year of life was for Rowan.
Keep Outfits Simple
You do you, but for me newborn photos isn’t so much about the outfits that we are wearing. The focus is on the new baby. I see a lot of moms in newborn photos wear long flowy dresses. I chose to wear jeans and a button down for a couple of reasons:
- I already owned a pair of (maternity) jeans that fit me and plenty of button down shirts. And I didn’t feel like shopping for a new outfit for my 2 week old postpartum body.
- I may wear flowy dresses for our other family photos, but having the photos take place at home felt different to me. Also, I wanted to wear something I would normally wear.
- Did I mention I was 2 weeks postpartum? I didn’t think anything was going to fit nicely. My body after giving birth is weird. I would have been so uncomfortable in a dress. Wear whatever you are comfortable in. Hey, if you want to wear pajamas, wear pajamas! Be you!
We also kept colors simple and neutral. Our house has a lot of grays, blues, and whites and I wanted to compliment our setting and not standout too much. Unlike other family photos that we have done, I used the clothes we already had in our closet. Don’t feel pressure to buy anyone a new outfit. Picking outfits for a family shoot is always stressful. You do not need to have that kind of stress in your life with a newborn in tow.
Newborn photos are a good time to take nursing photos
If you are nursing and want to capture that moment, newborn photos are a great time to do so. Cover or do cover. Just do what feels natural to you.
Don’t be afraid to go outside
Just because you are doing an in-home lifestyle photo shoot that doesn’t mean you have to stay home. Head outside. Take a walk. Mix it up a little bit.
My other tips
Over the years, I have written a few other blog posts with tips for taking photos with a photographer. Those posts can be found here and here
If you are in the Fresno, California area and want to work with Helene check out her Instagram!
