Simple Steps to Prepare Your Home for a Lifestyle Newborn Photography Session

Welcoming a newborn into your home is a special occasion, and capturing those precious early moments through a lifestyle newborn portrait session is a beautiful way to preserve your family’s early days and memories. Newborn sessions shouldn’t be stressful - whether they’re in our studio or at home, and by following a few simple steps, you can quickly prepare your home for your session!

Declutter the main rooms that you’ll be photographing in.

For most families, that’s the nursery, master bedroom, and living room. Keep in mind that the entire room does not need to be clutter-free, because let’s face it, life with a newborn comes with a whole lot of STUFF (burp cloths, bottles, diapers, bouncers, and so. much. laundry.). Simply move any distracting items to a corner behind where the photographer will stand, or shove them in a laundry basket in the bathroom or hidden in a closet for the session. I recommend keeping nightstands clear of clutter, as well as surfaces that you can see when looking into the main part of the room from the doorway.

Turn off all of the lights in your home.

Most lights create a warm yellow glow and can cause uneven color casting in your portraits. Instead, your photographer will use natural light or boost the natural light with a bounced strobe (flash) to create the natural light look. Turn off the overhead lights, lamps, sconces, cabinet lights, etc. Trust me - one light source is the best way to go! 

Keep your favorite and sentimental items on display in the nursery.

Have a favorite blanket that grandma made for the baby? Maybe an ultrasound photo in a frame? Or a drawing that your toddler made for their new sibling? Proudly display those in the background of your photographs!

Open all of the curtains to let the light in.

No explanation necessary on that one! Brighten up the house, and enjoy the sunshine!

Dress comfortably.

Lifestyle newborn sessions are a relaxed peek into your lives at home with your new baby. Dress in soft, light colored neutrals that you can move around in. Decide if you want to be barefoot in photos, and discuss this with your partner so you’re both on the same page (believe it or not, some partners have strong opinions about their feet in photos – trust me!). 

Use soft, light-colored bedding.

Minimize bold patterns and bright colors so that we can keep the focus on the baby and on your family’s sweet moments of connection when everyone is cuddled up on the bed. A solid white comforter or other light colored blanket/bedding will do the trick!

Set the thermostat to at least 75 degrees, warmer if you’re planning on getting unwrapped/bare skin portraits of your little one.

Babies prefer to be warm. When I work in the studio, it’s warm - so I encourage you to do the same at home. It might be toasty, but if bare skin portraits are important to you, then crank up the heat!

Communicate with your photographer ahead of time.

Send your photographer photos of the rooms you’d like to photograph in, trust their expertise, and let them guide you to capture natural, beautiful moments celebrating your new baby’s arrival in your home. Lifestyle newborn photographers work in many homes, in many situations, and with many families. Trust the one you’ve selected to take care of capturing the moments that matter most to you. 

As you reflect on these portraits in the years to come, you’ll cherish the memories of those early days with your baby—the soft, glowing light filling your home, the nursery you carefully designed with love, and the pure joy of welcoming your little one into your arms. When you share these memories with them, you’ll be able to show them their very first room and remind them of the warmth, love, and excitement that surrounded them from day one.

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