I absolutely love my studio sessions, but in-home newborn sessions have a completely different feel to them. They’re relaxed, personal, and a little more like documenting what life actually looks like during those first few weeks with your baby.
And one of the things I hear all the time is, “But my house isn’t photo-ready.”
It doesn’t need to be. I promise.
You don’t need a perfectly decorated nursery, a huge house, white walls, or rooms that look like they belong in a magazine. And there’s definitely no need to clean your entire house before I arrive (because honestly, who wants to do that with a newborn?). I’m simply looking for pretty light and little pockets of your home that photograph well. Sometimes that’s the nursery, but it might also be your bedroom, the living room, or even one little corner near a window.
It’s amazing what I can create in a very small space.
Everyone Gets to Relax a Little
One of my favorite things about an in-home newborn session is how easy it can feel for the whole family.
There’s no packing a diaper bag, loading everyone into the car, worrying about forgetting the pacifier, or trying to get out the door at a certain time. I come to you.
Older siblings can wander off and play when they need a break. Mom and Dad can sit on their own couch. If baby needs to eat, we stop. If we need a diaper change, we change a diaper. There’s really no rush.
And babies often seem to feel that difference too. They’re surrounded by familiar smells, sounds, and voices, and we can follow their lead rather than expecting them to fit into a strict schedule.
Some of my favorite photographs happen during those little breaks when nobody is trying quite so hard.
Your Home Becomes Part of Their Story
There’s another reason I love photographing newborns at home: these rooms won’t always look the way they do right now.
That nursery you spent months putting together will change. The rocking chair where you spend what feels like half your life feeding your baby won’t always be there. Your baby will eventually outgrow that tiny bassinet next to your bed.
Right now, those things can feel like ordinary parts of your day. Years from now, they may be some of the details you miss the most.
Having photographs of your baby in the place where you actually brought them home makes the images feel especially personal.
It Doesn’t Have to Be Perfect
Newborn life isn’t perfect, and your house doesn’t have to be either.
There may be bottles on the counter, burp cloths everywhere, a basket of laundry that needs to be moved out of the frame. That’s okay.
I’ve been photographing newborns and babies for many years, and part of my job is knowing what will photograph beautifully. I’ll help you figure out where we have the best light, move things around if we need to, and guide you through the entire session.
You don’t need to know where we should take the pictures before I arrive.
You just get to be with your baby.
In-Home Newborn Photography in the East Bay
I offer in-home newborn sessions for families throughout Moraga, Lafayette, Orinda, Walnut Creek, Oakland, Berkeley, and the surrounding East Bay.
These sessions are especially wonderful for families who love natural, connected images and want their newborn photos to feel relaxed and personal. We can include parents, siblings, pets, the nursery, and all those little everyday moments that make this particular season of your life yours.
And if you’re looking around your house right now thinking, Mine could never look like the homes I see in newborn photos — please don’t let that stop you.
You might be surprised by how little space we actually need.
Your home doesn’t have to be perfect.
It just has to be yours.
See here for more information about in-home sessions!
Those early newborn weeks are all about adjusting to life together, and HealthyChildren.org has some great resources for parents navigating the newborn stage.