atlanta newborn photographers

5 Reasons to Have your Newborn Session at Home

in

If I had to choose a favorite type of photography between a lifestyle newborn session and a lifestyle family session, I would have a really hard time. I love both. Both sessions include multiple family members and both use the same lifestyle approach to show the family’s connection. Most of the families that I’ve photographed have included an on-shoot location, meaning an outdoor location. We go to the park, we go to an urban location, or whatever location is meaningful to the family.

When families book a lifestyle newborn session I find it easiest to have the session at home. There are a few reasons for this and I decided to write a little bit about it.

Thinking about why having a lifestyle newborn session at home is a good idea? I’ll give you 5 reasons to have your newborn session at home!

5 reasons to have newborn session at home.jpg

  1. you don’t need to leave home

Okay so first things first - I come to you and you don’t have to think about leaving home or going anywhere! I find that getting used to a new baby and new family dynamics can be a little challenging to navigate at the beginning, so why add to that? As soon as you decide you want to schedule your newborn session, contact me and we will schedule it and I just have to show up! No planning transitions, getting everyone in the car to go anywhere- I keep it easy and photograph you at home!

2. you waited 9 months to meet your baby

You have been loving your baby for many many months and the day has come and he’s here! It’s the perfect time to schedule that newborn session because you’ll want to remember all of the details and moments you had when your baby was this tiny. It was all you wanted and waited for over the last 9 months. You definitely need to hire a newborn photographer!

3. your home is the perfect backdrop

Newborn sessions allow me to be creative and use the family’s home, which I find makes a great backdrop. Most of the areas in the home that I use during newborn sessions are the nursery, master bedroom, kitchen, and living room. It really all depends on light. I have quite a few photos of me when I was a baby but I can only think of a few where I was a newborn. I don’t know that many of the photos really had a lot of detail about what my bedroom or home looked like. I am honored when families let me into their home for these special newborn sessions. I start off by noticing the light in all of the bedrooms and using color, textures, and angles to add to the photo when I photograph you.

4. your baby is only this little once

Babies grow so fast, especially when they are newborns and I strive to photograph those little moments and body parts that soon you may forget. Those baby hands, toes, and the way they curl their body are all things I want to photograph during your lifestyle newborn session. I pretty much let the baby guide our session, when he’s sleeping we cuddle and photograph him. When he wants to be held, we get those photos when he needs to be soothed. I love using hands to tell the perspective and show the size of baby.

5. you need to be in the photos - for your children

If you leave keeping one of these things in mind about why to schedule a lifestyle newborn session (whether in your home or on location) PLEASE do it for your children. My mom looks back on photos of herself when I was a baby and cringes at her perm, but guess what - I get to see how beautiful she was when she rocked the curly big hair. My dad actually was a hobbyist photographer and I definitely got this interest from him and am glad to carry it on.

Your children will thank you for it.

Never mind that you think you need to lose a few pounds or you don’t feel pretty after having your baby. I will focus on capturing connection and you, your baby, and your family in a way that you will love and cherish.

So thankful you’re here!

Newborn Photography Atlanta | Meet Victoria

in

I’m a little late posting these images from Victoria’s newborn photo shoot, but hopefully you won’t be disappointed because the images from this lifestyle newborn session will make up for it. We got such a variety of images from his lifestyle newborn session. I posted recently in this blog post 3 steps to a relaxed newborn session because I feel like you should know what to expect when you book an atlanta newborn photographer.

Not sure the best time to schedule for lifestyle family or newborn photo shoot? I’ve got some great news. With lifestyle family photography, any time is the perfect time to get updated family photos. It might seem chaotic with a little one because this might be your first child and you might not have a clue what to do. Maybe it’s child number three and big sister and brother need a lot of attention. That’s okay! Don’t stress about your newborn session.

This newborn photo session was laid back and we went with the baby’s pace. Newborn photo shoots tend to be a little slower than family sessions because the baby is the one calling the shots for what will happen. She gets hungry. She cries. She wants to be held by Mom and Dad. And that’s exactly the photos you will get in your newborn gallery. All of those special moments that tell your story.

Blog post: In Home Newborn Photo Ideas

Lifestyle sessions are laid back. They should feel like you are spending quality time with your family, with the exception that I will be photographing your love and experiences.

There are several locations in Atlanta that you can choose to have your newborn photo shoot and I think my favorite place for lifestyle newborn sessions is right in your home. That’s right, your comfortable space. I come right to you and we use your family items, your decor, and your loving home for the newborn session. I think the best time for a newborn shoot is once you’re comfortable and feel like you can welcome the experience. For some families that can be when your child is about a week old, and if you’d rather wait until the baby is 3-4 weeks, that’s okay too.

Lifestyle newborn photography doesn’t focus on getting your baby super sleepy and posed in that perfect position in the prop basket. Those images are beautiful, but that is not my job as your lifestyle family photographer because

I focus on connection, emotion, and closeness.

I am a lifestyle photographer because you deserve to have photos that tell a story of exactly who you are and what your family looks like. I want you to feel something when you see these photos. Maybe you think to yourself “I can’t believe she was so small!” or “I had no idea she would be so good for her session” or maybe something like “wow-that was so easy and I can’t wait to see how the photos turned out”.

It’s my job to get to know your family, learn names of your family members and children and have your children trust me. I want to play with them. I want to sing with them.

My goal is to get your family to interact naturally and show the true beauty of every family member.

I’d love to hear from you if you are welcoming a new baby and want a way to look back at this special time.

atlanta newborn photographers | in home newborn photography

in

Lifestyle newborn photography sessions have my heart! Maybe you became a new parent and you’re still figuring out all the parenting things and trying to get your chaotic schedule in order. Or maybe you are now a family of four and your oldest child is now a big brother. That’s a new role for him and he’s still learning what this is like! Maybe your three year old is still dealing with this change and takes a little while to warm up to new people.

Let me tell you something - I’ve seen it all and don’t worry at all!!

The great thing about having a newborn session at home is we can capitalize on all of these new moments and details!

in home newborn photography photo ideas tabitha maegan photography.jpg

I can tell you why it would be helpful to have a lifestyle newborn session in my blog post 10 ways to tell a story during your in-home newborn session because there are so many everyday moments that you’ll want to remember from this special time! Things may be a little crazy for a while with your new addition but during your newborn session,

relax and let me do the work of slowing you down a little bit and making sure you have some photos to tell this time of your life.

We took our time during this in home newborn session and I am glad I got to photograph this family of three. I made sure to get some shots of her time with both parents and wanted to include the family’s home environment. I was absolutely drawn to their colorful bookshelf as well as their amazing sunroom. They also had a collection of Dad’s hats in the bedroom and I definitely thought it added to the story of the uniqueness of their family. Baby girl did so well for her session and the times that she was a little fussy and hungry I made sure to photograph this intimate time with Mom.

Be sure to check out the blog post 3 steps to a relaxed newborn session for some helpful ideas of how to relax and remember - you just had a baby.

We don’t need perfection, we just want photos to capture your right now.

Interested to book a lifestyle newborn session?

Send me an e-mail or leave me your info and we can talk about the best time to schedule your session!

3 Steps to a Relaxed Newborn Session | Atlanta Family Photographers

in

When you book me for your lifestyle newborn session, the last thing I want to happen is to add stress. I actually want the opposite and want you to have a relaxed newborn session!

You’ve just had a baby that has maybe been home for a week or two. You might have a toddler sibling that is still getting used to the routine and that there is this crying baby that doesn’t know how to control their voice or emotions. Maybe it’s your first child and you want to have this special time documented and want to be in the photos too. I am excited to share with you a few things we can do for a relaxed newborn session.

3-steps-relaxed-lifestyle-newborn-session.jpg

3 Steps to a Relaxed Newborn Session

  1. capture the details

    When you are preparing to have your new baby, you are also preparing the baby’s nursery. I’ve come across so many really amazing nurseries that have had so much time and energy put into them to look special. This can include special toys or handmade items from family members and friends, it can include a special theme, and it can also include special photos of family. With the wide range of what can be included in a nursery, I think it’s really important to make sure to capture the details, and I can’t leave the nursery details off the list.

    Capturing the details also means making sure you know how small your child is in his or her nursery, or the way they stretch when they are getting out of the swaddle.

    And of course, getting detail shots of the baby’s hands, feet, and their head of hair.

  2. Don’t Rush

    We know during our lifestyle newborn session we want photos. We want a photo of your new baby in her new dress or his new outfit. We know we want family members, and we know we want to document this special time. One thing that holds us back a little bit with our agenda is that

    the baby will do what he or she wants to do, when they want to do it. We can’t rush! We have to be able to go with the flow.

    Newborn babies need to be fed, they need to be changed, and they get cold. They are still figuring out this world and how to communicate. That is totally fine! We don’t want to rush these newborn sessions because they are lifestyle in nature. I like to allocate about two hours for newborn shoots which gives us enough time for the breaks. When these things naturally happen, I am there to photograph them!

  3. Be Flexible

    I am kind of already saying this as I’m thinking about how to be relaxed for your newborn session, we also have to be flexible. We might think that we are going to change the baby into his new outfit and realize he had another idea and needs to be soothed and settled before trying to put him into this outfit that he doesn’t really care about. What I like to do at this time is continue chatting with the family. If there are siblings, I like to spend time with them and get them engaged in an activity. Maybe big sister wants to show me her new bedspread in her room. I’m going to follow her and take some photos while I’m in there!

    We definitely have a plan to have this lifestyle newborn session but sometimes things happen and being flexible will definitely help to be more relaxed at what can be this crazy time of your life!

    Think you might be interested in booking a lifestyle newborn session? Check out my newborn portfolio and then send me a message on my contact form and we will get your session scheduled!

{schmidt family} | big brother little brother | atlanta lifestyle photographer

in

From the two year old's that I've come across, what I notice is that they are either suuuuper outgoing or just a little shy. The way I got this little guy to interact with me was to allow him to talk about his car and we hit it off! I love the ability to add in toys, homes and hobbies into lifestyle sessions because it's a nice natural way to capture those family moments. This little guy became a big brother two weeks ago to his new baby brother and you can tell by these photos that he is already in so much love! 

Aren't they just the cutest? I'd love to meet you family and capture some special moments in your life so if you're interested in a lifestyle family session, head on over to my contact page to say hello! Soon this little guy will be a Six Month Sitter and he will have many more moments for outside playtime! 

{krishan} | three weeks new | atlanta newborn photographer

in

A friend of mine mentioned she had a friend that was interested in a newborn session. I was so happy when she reached out to me and I was able to photograph their 3-week-old newborn. I was happy that we got to spend a lot of time in Krishan's nursery, where Mom and Dad put some special touches to things that were important to them. This baby is so loved already. 

This little guy stayed awake for most of the session, but it was great to document his adorable eyes! He was wide awake and it seemed like he really didn't want to miss out on the fun. 

With Mom and Dad being first time parents, it's not hard to believe that it takes lots of work and patience to comfort and soothe a new baby, that does not yet know what's going on in the world!

I couldn't help but to get some closeup shots of this adorable little munchkin. He has grown so much since being just a wee-bit 3-week-old newborn! 

These lifestyle newborn sessions are the best! If you are interested in booking a session, please say hello! If you want to keep browsing some more adorable babies and loving families, head on over to the blog here!