How to Create an Ideal Environment for Newborn Sessions | Framingham Newborn Session
As a Boston family photographer, the warm (and even cool-but-not-cold) weather months are mostly spent outdoors, which I absolutely love. But there’s something so peaceful about being indoors for a newborn session.
This Framingham family has a gorgeous home, and they did a wonderful job of getting it ready for their newborn session. In addition to their precious son, photographed here at less than a week old, their sweet toddler girl joined in on the photos. We had met during their maternity session, so we were already pals by the time I came over to see her new baby brother!
In addition to following the suggestions I made about preparing for their in-home newborn session, this family did a few extra things to create an ideal environment for their photos, and it shows in how serene these images are.
First, they had a couple of outfits prepared for both their little girl and their baby boy, as well as some extra swaddles handy. Consider the color scheme of your home and work to complement what already exists. Since this home is so bright and airy, pale neutrals were the perfect choice.
They also kept the house at a comfortable temperature for the baby and fed him ahead of time. While he did get a feeding in the middle of the session, he was already relaxed and happy when I arrived. This is especially important when older siblings are present so that we can get those full family shots in right off the bat.
Big sister was happy because they had snacks on hand! Having good treats handy serves two purposes: one, to avoid hangry meltdowns and two, rewards. Becoming an older sibling and having all this attention on the baby can be difficult, which can result in even shorter attention spans. Having something for older kids to look forward to is really important to creating an ideal environment.
Post-feeding, they put on some classical music and we captured these peaceful photos in the bedroom. Music always helps babies to fall asleep, and it also helps the grown-ups to relax. I have Pandora on my phone and am always happy to put on some quiet music during your session.
Lastly, they had an extra set of hands available. Newborn sessions typically last an hour and a half to two hours, so if older siblings are present it’s a good idea to have someone around to entertain them while we get photos of the newborn, or parents and the newborn.
This grandma had flown in from Korea and was so helpful in taking care of the big sister while we got some photos of mom and dad with the baby. As a bonus, we got some beautiful shots of her with the baby!
Thank you to this lovely family for inviting me to photograph them with their new little love!
Are you welcoming a new baby soon? I would love to capture this sweet time in your life. Let’s talk!