As with many things in life, failing to prepare - is preparing to fail...... well maybe not fail in this case, but preparation definitely does guarantee more success.
I am going to touch a little on what to wear, as i have before and also how to prepare your home for a newborn lifestyle session.
I have a few tips for a successful newborn lifestyle session, as I will be demonstrating throughout this post with this beautiful family (pictured above) that absolutely nailed their session, and were super prepared.
LIGHT, CAMERA.... MORE LIGHT!
The main suggestion I have, and if we get this right, the rest is bonus honestly, is choose the lightest and brightest room in the house. Best options for these would be the baby's nursery, master bedroom, living rooms. If all have good light I will try to shoot a little in each.
It's important to know also this is the best natural light that we are looking for. I will generally turn off any room lights and lamps in most cases as they can throw weird shadows, and mess with the white balance of the photos. They also don't really help achieve lighter photos anyway.
Shooting low light makes it much harder for the photographer to achieve photos without grain/noise, so we also need to shoot at the brightest time of the day. This is generally between 10am and 1pm most times of the year.
SOME LIKE IT HOT.....
During any newborn session, the aim of the game is to keep baby as comfortable, happy and relaxed as possible to allow us to capture some super gorgeous photos. One way many photographers suggest, including myself, is to ensure the temperature is a nice warm comfortable temperature.
During a session, we wrap, unwrap, change outfits, and do cute nudie shots of bub, so it's only fair to ensure a nice warm environment.
HAPPINESS IS THE PLACE BETWEEN TOO LITTLE, & TOO MUCH...
Raising a baby means a LOT of stuff. I mean, honestly I never knew HOW much stuff until I had babies of my own. For the purpose of your shoot though, its best to de-clutter the rooms you have discussed with your photographer, prior to the shoot. Your big basic items are really the only things that are necessary in those rooms. This helps keep the focus on baby and family in the photos and also assists with the rooms appearing lighter.
Nursery - Only really need the cot, change table (without clutter on the shelves) a nursing chair, a floor rug if you have one, any special artwork you already have if subtle should stay too, otherwise any other clutter, (prams, nappy bags, excess toys etc) would be best moved out just for the session.
Master Bedroom and Living areas - Clear off any night stands, side/end tables.
THE BEST COLOUR IN THE WORLD IS THE ONE THAT LOOKS GOOD ON YOU!
With all my family sessions I suggest to my clients to coordinate your outfits so that it forms a connection between you. It can be done subtly or obviously, but some form of cohesion tends to work best.
With lifestyle sessions shot in your home, you want to look comfortable, but well dressed. For the dads, untucked button up shirts finds this balance and layers always work well. For the mums, nice flowy maxi dresses are a good option, and try to incorporate some texture - ooh nice. With colours my recommendation would be to use soft, gentle colours, or an organic colour pallete. Whites also work nice if that's the look you like. Whichever way you prefer, choose a colour palette for you and your family, and ensure before your session that it works well, and you are comfortable in what you choose.
I hope these tips can help you prepare for a peaceful, newborn lifestyle experience. xx
- Bec.