What does a newborn session at home look like?
Newborn sessions at home are a really low pressure, comfortable way to make sure you’re documenting your growing family.
If you're expecting a baby and wondering what an in-home newborn photography session actually looks like, I promise it is much easier and more relaxed than you might imagine.
Instead of packing up your newborn, getting everyone dressed and out the door, and trying to arrive somewhere on time with a brand-new baby, I come to you. Your baby can be fed whenever they need to be, your toddler can take a snack break, your dog can wander in and out, and you can stay comfortable in your own home while I document your family settling into this new season together.
As a Nashville newborn photographer, I specialize in natural, relaxed newborn sessions at home for families throughout Nashville, Franklin, Brentwood and the surrounding Middle Tennessee area. Here's what you can expect from a morning together.
Before Your Baby Arrives
The best time to book your newborn session is during your pregnancy. You can see all of the details about my Signature Newborn Session and Baby’s First Year Collection here. After you’ve reviewed the details and pricing, please inquire to confirm availability to reserve your due date on my calendar. Once your baby arrives, we'll choose an actual morning for your session based on your baby's birthday and how everyone is doing.
After you book, I'll send you a newborn prep guide with everything you need to know before our session, including what to wear, what your baby can wear and how to get your home ready. And when I say “get your home ready,” I really don't mean deep clean your house. We'll talk about the few simple things that can help, but your home does not need to be perfectly tidy for photographs.
When Should We Take Newborn Photos?
I love photographing babies in those first few weeks when they're still so tiny and new, but one of the benefits of an in-home lifestyle session is that we have a little more flexibility with timing than you might with a traditional posed newborn session. I recommend either right around 2 weeks old, or in the 5-8 week timeframe.
Your baby doesn't need to be asleep or perfectly curled up for us to create beautiful photographs. Some babies spend most of their session sleeping, while others are wide awake, stretching, looking around or wanting to be held. All of that is completely normal, and all of it can be part of your story.
My goal isn't to recreate a particular version of what a newborn session is supposed to look like. I want to document what this particular stage of your family's life actually looks like.
What Happens When I Arrive?
I'll typically come to your home in the morning, when the light is beautiful and everyone is settling into the day. I'll wash my hands, get comfortable and take a quick look around your home with you so I can see which rooms are most important to telling your story.
We'll usually use a few different spaces throughout the session- a bedroom, living room, nursery or another area that feels natural for your family. I also love to step outside onto the porch or into the backyard if the light and setting make sense.
You don't need to worry about whether your house is “nice enough” for photographs. I photograph families in all kinds of homes, and I'm much more interested in finding the beautiful light and the places where your family naturally connects than whether everything is perfectly styled.
In fact, some of my favorite images are created in the most ordinary spaces.
What Do We Actually Do During the Session?
There isn't a strict schedule or a list of poses that we have to get through. Instead, we'll move naturally through your morning while I photograph all of the different pieces that make up your family right now.
We'll get photographs of your baby on their own, but we'll also spend plenty of time photographing you with your baby, your partner with the baby, the two of you together, and any siblings or pets who are part of your family. If your older child wants to climb onto the bed to see the baby, we'll photograph that. If your baby needs to be fed halfway through, we'll take a break. If your toddler is suddenly interested in something else, we'll let them do their thing and come back to them when they're ready.
I want your gallery to have a mixture of beautiful portraits and genuine moments, so I'll give you gentle direction throughout the session while also leaving plenty of room for things to happen naturally.
Do We Have to Know How to Pose?
Not at all.
Your photographs will have a natural, candid feel, but I won't just show up with a camera and expect you to know what to do. I'll guide you into simple, comfortable positions and give you direction when it's helpful, especially when we're photographing the whole family together.
Then I'll step back and let you interact with your baby.
You don't need to be comfortable in front of a camera or know how to pose. You just need to love your people. I'll take care of the rest.
What If My Baby Cries?
Your baby will probably cry at some point, and that's okay.
Newborns are unpredictable, which is one of the reasons I love an approach that doesn't depend on a baby sleeping through an entire session. If your baby needs to eat, we'll stop and feed them. If they need a diaper change, we'll take care of that. If they need to be held and soothed for a while, that's what we'll do.
There is never any pressure to make your baby cooperate for the camera.
After more than a decade of photographing families, I've learned that some of the most meaningful photographs happen in between the moments you thought you were there to capture. A parent soothing a crying baby, a sibling watching from the edge of the bed or a quiet moment while you're feeding your newborn can end up being some of the photographs you treasure most.
What About Siblings and Pets?
They are absolutely part of the story.
Your new baby is joining a family that already has its own relationships and routines, and I want your photographs to show that. Your toddler getting to know their new sibling, your older child cuddling the baby on the couch or your dog trying to figure out what this new little person is doing in their house are all moments worth remembering.
And if your toddler isn't interested in sitting still for a photograph, that's okay too. We don't need them to perform. I'll work with their personality and let them be themselves.
How Long Is the Session?
Your Signature Session is up to 1.5 hours, which gives us plenty of time to move through your home without feeling rushed.
We aren't spending an hour and a half taking formal family portraits. Instead, we'll have time to photograph your baby, parents, siblings and pets, move between a few rooms, take breaks when your baby needs them and allow the session to unfold at a comfortable pace.
The goal is for the morning to feel like a normal morning at home, not like you're spending 90 minutes trying to make everyone behave for photographs.
What's Included?
My Signature Session is $1,450 and includes your in-home photography session and your full edited gallery of digital images.
I wanted my newborn experience to be simple and straightforward, so you don't have to sit through an ordering appointment or decide which handful of photographs you want to keep after you've already fallen in love with your gallery. Your Signature Session includes the complete collection of images from our time together.
If you'd like to have your photographs printed or turned into an album, I'm also happy to help you choose artwork that you'll be able to enjoy in your home for years to come.
After Your Session
Once our morning together is finished, I'll carefully edit your photographs and prepare your gallery. When you receive it, you'll be able to look back through the entire story of those first days with your baby—not just a handful of perfectly posed portraits, but all of the little pieces that made this season yours.
You'll see how tiny your baby was, the way they fit against your chest, the nursery you spent months preparing, the way your older child looked at their new sibling and all of the little details you might not realize you'll miss someday.
Because that's really what I'm trying to preserve.
Not just what your newborn looked like, but what it felt like to become this version of your family.
Your Home Is Where Your Baby's Story Begins
There is something especially meaningful about photographing a newborn in the place where their story at home actually begins. It's where you'll spend the sleepy mornings, where you'll learn their little sounds, where your older children will get to know their new sibling and where your family will slowly settle into its new rhythm.
Your house doesn't have to be spotless, your baby doesn't have to sleep and your toddler doesn't have to cooperate. You don't have to know how to pose or have everything figured out.
You just need to be together.
I'll take care of the photographs.
If you're looking for a Nashville newborn photographer specializing in relaxed, natural, in-home newborn photography, I'd love to come spend a morning with your family. I serve families throughout Nashville, Franklin, Brentwood and the surrounding Middle Tennessee area.
Ready to save your due date?
Your baby is only a newborn for 8 weeks. While timing for at home sessions is more flexible than traditional posed studio newborn portraits, you want to be sure to beautifully document your baby in those first few months because they truly do grow and change so fast.
