In-Home Newborn Session | Nashville Newborn Photographer
3 Simple Ways to Approach Your In-Home Newborn Session
I get it, you have an end goal in mind for this session and I want you to be thrilled with it! How do we do it? Read below, I have a few good tips for you to get you started for your next session.
In-Home Newborn Session in Clarksville by Five Pence Photography
1.
Communication
When you book or even before, we’ll have a phone call or a lot of email. In those exchanges, communicate with me what is truly your desire for this session. Maybe you love all the laughs and toddler giggles, but you really want something more documentary! Maybe, you really want the closeness and cuddles. We will likely get a mix of all of it, but it helps me to know what is really on your heart.
In-Home Newborn Session in Nashville by Five Pence Photography
Newborn Session in Clarksville by Five Pence Photography
2.
Prep Work - it’s a bit of a 2-part’er, but bear with me.
Wardrobe
Home
I’ve talked a lot about how to prep your wardrobe and house for an in-home session in other blogs, but let’s start with the family’s wardrobe. First, everyone be barefoot! You’re in-home, you’re gonna be on your bed or couch and it is very cohesive for ALL to be barefoot. I also suggest starting with what Mom is going to wear. Whether you decide to wear a dress, leggings, or jeans, it’s more important for you to feel like you in your session. So, don’t wear a dress if you’re really a jeans girl, because you don’t have to! I think jeans and a textured blouse or sweater photographs amazingly. Dad is fine in a good quality solid tee! Feel free for him to wear a button-down shirt, just keep in mind as there is a lot of sitting in an in-home session, sometimes the buttons on those shirts stretch and it’s….. not always a tidy look. Neutrals, no logos, no words on clothes, nothing bright or neon, are things to keep in mind, too.
LIfestyle Newborn Session in Clarksville by Five Pence Photography
Prepping your home is not a deep clean! Grab a laundry basket, and put everything you don’t want photographed (think lotions and chargers on nightstands, if there are too many toys in the living room, kinda thing) and put it all in the basket and just put the basket in a closet, that way all the “stuff'“ is in one place and you didn’t lose anything. We’ll likely be in your kitchen, so load up the dishwasher, and tidy up the counters. Run the vacuum in rooms we’re likely to be in, have your bed made. Simples!
Newborn Session in Nashville by Five Pence Photography
LIfestyle Newborn Session in Clarksville by Five Pence Photography
3.
RELAX
Relax and bribe - Bribes can look like champagne before the session for mom (and photographer - wink wink) and goldfish for toddlers! I really try to keep these sessions low pressure and go with the flow of your children. They are the ultimate boss, aren't they? I don’t recommend holding the bribes for after the session, keep them available during the session so the toddlers can have a small reprieve here and there. Do keep in mind that the snacks should be on the less messy side so she can jump right back into a session without sucker juice or chocolate ice-cream all over her. That could be the last treat.
I spoke a lot about the bribes. The biggest, most helpful, tip is to stay relaxed. And I don’t want this to be misconstrued, but, hear me out, don’t have high expectations! Not because I have no confidence in your session, but because it will not serve you to be so focused on what you want that you get tense IN YOUR SESSION and then, really, it’s downhill. Being able to stay calm, not getting anyone in trouble (unless something truly naughty happened) and just asking for more airplane rides, cuddles, and jokes really steers the session in your favor. Fortunately, I don’t have this happen often anymore. Babies and kids’ moods are unpredictable and we need to roll with it! I have little ways of photographing fussy babies and shy toddlers that will deliver a session you hold close to your heart!