Toronto at home newborn portraits – 5 reasons why using your home for your newborn session is a great idea!
Having a baby is a huge milestone in your life and probably the second most photographed life event after your wedding. If you are well into your pregnancy you may be thinking of booking a newborn photographer. (Pro Tip: most newborn photographers are booked up months in advance so the sooner you book one the better!). If you are like me, you want to capture every precious moment with your new baby/babies. Choosing a posed newborn session vs a lifestyle in-home newborn session can be difficult and you may not know what is best for you. As an in-home lifestyle newborn photographer, I am of course impartial to these types of sessions, so I thought I would give you my top reasons why a newborn portrait session in your home might be for you.
1. You don’t have to leave your home!
I mean what could be better than that? Childbirth is an extremely tiring and physical process whether you deliver vaginally or by c-section. The thing is you may not know how you are going to feel after your baby is born. Planning for a lifestyle session at home allows you to stay put, should you need to. The early days can be quite hectic and staying home for your session means you don’t need to pack the car and all the gear you need to travel with a newborn. I want you to feel relaxed and enjoy your time with me. By coming to you for your newborn session, I hope I can alleviate some of the stress of the early days.
Bottom line: having your newborn portrait session at home takes the stress out of leaving your house in the early days.
2. Flexibility in Timing
Posed newborn photography sessions generally happen when baby is under 14 days old. With an in-home newborn session, there isn’t the same level of posing so for me, having an older baby doesn’t make a difference. It’s all about you and your baby and what you are comfortable with. Once your baby has arrived, we will touch base and chat about how you are feeling and what time frame makes the most sense for you. I generally like to wait at least a week or two to make sure you have a good feeding schedule and have had time to get acclimated to your new roommate. Most of my clients will book a session around the 14 day mark but I can photograph your newborn up to 4 weeks old.
Bottom line: your baby doesn’t have to be fresh out of the oven to capture perfect newborn images.
3. Everyone is more relaxed
Having a new baby is stressful and who wants to be more stressed out for their newborn session. My goal as a lifestyle photographer is to make your newborn photography session as stress free as possible. I find people are most relaxed in their own element. You have everything you need at your fingertips. Baby puke all over your nice shirt? No problem, you can put a clean on on! Toddler sibling having a complete meltdown? No problem, you can let them chill in front of the tv for a few minutes or give them a snack or cuddle. Forgot to eat breakfast and you’re hangry? No problem, grab a quick bite while I take some solo shots of your baby. You may also have a partner who doesn’t like to be photographed. Being able to sit on your own couch or bed for photos can take a layer of stress out of the equation. Better still, when they are not being photographed they can make themselves useful by tidying up or wrangling your other children!
Bottom line: the more relaxed and calm everyone is, the better session you will have.
4. I can easily include all family members including pets!
Since my sessions are meant to capture your unique family connections, I love including siblings, pets and even grandparents if they are staying with you to help. I love capture the new bond between a newborn and their older sibling(s). Siblings are used to their own home so it’s easy for me to capture natural and organic moments. If you are comfortable with your pet being in a photo or two that’s amazing! If grandma and grandpa want in on the action, perfect! I will focus the majority of my time on your immediate family members but i’m always happy to snap a quick shot or two with the grandparents when we have all the images we want.
Bottom line: the more the merrier!
5. Your house is unique to you – no two sessions will be the same
You don’t need to live in an immaculate palace to enjoy the benefits of a newborn photography session at home. I generally shoot in 3 main areas: the nursery, main bedroom and living room. Of course all of this is dependent on the lighting situation when I arrive but as a rule of thumb I tell my clients to declutter the areas we may shoot in (we will chat about this prior to my arrival). You’ve taken the time to decorate your home with touches that are personal to you so why not use your space as a canvas for your newborn portraits? The beauty is these pictures will tell your unique story and no one else’s. I have photographed newborns in homes with tons of natural light and also homes where we only have access to one window with beautiful light. I have also photographed newborns in immaculate homes and homes that were perfectly lived in. Beautiful connections will be captured no matter what your home looks like.
Bottom line: your images will be perfect no matter what your home looks like.
Have you booked your newborn session yet? Be sure to check out my newborn photography work. You will be able to see what a full session looks like!
Other posts you might be interested in:
6 Ways to Prepare for Your In Home Newborn Session
The Top 5 Parent Approved Pediatricians in Toronto
4 Reasons Why I Always Recommend West End Mamas for Wellness Services
