What does an in home Newborn Photoshoot look like?
When you have a brand new baby that you have just brought home from the hospital or Birthcare (or had at home!), it can feel a bit overwhelming having visitors, let alone having me come into your home to capture your newborn photos, so let’s do a walk through of a typical Auckland newborn photoshoot with Hannah Webb Photography, and how it will flow on the day:
Booking your Auckland Newborn Photography Session
Bookings are best made before baby arrives, when you are in your second or third trimester. Because we never know exactly when baby will turn up, we pencil in a photoshoot date within 2 weeks of your due date to start with, and then you keep me posted on when bubs makes their arrival, and we shimmy the photoshoot around if needed. Newborn photos are best taken within the first 5-15 days after birth, when they are nice and sleepy and curly. But don’t stress if you are having your newborn photoshoot later than this, it’s still definitely possible up to 6 weeks, and then I would recommend a Family Photoshoot past that date :)
Getting Ready for your Newborn Photography Session
You will receive a Newborn Session Guide before your photo shoot, which gives you all the details of how to get ready. If need be, I can help on the morning too, as it can sometimes feel overwhelming! There are usually only 2-3 spots that we will shoot in, like your bedroom, the couch, and beside a window, so you can always do what I do and shovel the mess into another room :). You also will have a link to my client wardrobe, and I will bring along 2-3 options if you would like something flowY, breastfeeding friendly and classic to wear on the day. The most important tip for getting ready is to have the house nice and warm for baby!
When I arrive
When I arrive to you home, I’ll bring in the following:
- My large posing bean bag (this will be set up beside a window, and is nice and comfy for those curly sleeping shots
- A lot of blankets - these go over the top of the bean bag to create a comfortable smooth backdrop for baby to lie on
- A sheer curtain - this will go up beside the beanbag to create nice soft light
- Wraps and baby blankets - these are used for soft neutral textures and to help baby settle when we pop them down on the beanbag
- Nature Baby Onesies/Bloomers/bonnets/headbands - you are welcome to borrow these for your newborn photoshoot
What I set up for our Newborn Photoshoot
When I arrive, ideally you will be halfway through a feed, and you can finish up while I set up my bean bag area, which will take 5-10 mins. Of course, we can’t plan out any newborn schedules, so things might not be tracking to this - if you think baby will be asleep by the time I arrive, then please do your best to dress baby in some neutral and simple so that we can start photos with them not needing to be changed immediately.
Babies will do, what babies will do!
The whole photoshoot ( /your life hahah!) will be dictated by your Newborn, and that’s totally fine. We have up to 3 hours for your baby’s photoshoot for this reason :). So if baby is hungry, please feed, if they need changing, that’s fine, if they are unsettled, then you can keep them on you. I’ve been through the newborn stage twice myself, so I understand the stress that it can bring, and having 3 hours up our sleeve means we can keep things nice and relaxed, and there isn’t the pressure on you to try and keep baby “happy”.
The flow of your in home Newborn Photoshoot
We will be aiming to do the following workflow throughout our session, and this can go in whichever order best works for baby: Baby only photos on the bean bag, Baby with one parent, Baby with other parent, Baby with sibling/fur sibling (if relevant), the whole family together. We won’t be shooting for 3 hours at all, usually the actual photos only take up to one hour, and the rest is there for baby related activities! If you have an older child too, they don’t need to be present for the whole session, they can pop in and out when they are interested, and then one parent can keep them entertained while the other parent is with baby.
What if baby won't settle?
I find that within the 3 hour photography session time, there will be enough time to capture what we need, even if it’s a bit of an unsettled day for bubs. Here are some things we do to keep baby settled:
- Make sure your home is nice and warm (you should be warm and comfy in a t shirt)
- Fed and burped - make sure baby is topped up throughout the shoot
- Keep baby on you - there are lots of beautiful photos we can take with baby cuddled into your chest, and it’s a great way to get them to settle
- Change them as needed
- Dummy/Pacifier - if you can have one on hand that is suitable for a newborn - doesn't need to be photogenic!
- White Noise
After the Newborn Photography Session
Once we have finished up for the photoshoot, I’ll pack up my things and leave you to it. You will receive your initial online gallery within 3 weeks from your newborn photography session. You can then go through your photos and create a favourites list, or choose the full album - and this is when you pay for your package also. Once you have told me that you have made your choices, I will do the final edits on your photos. This stage is where I will usually do some minor/natural retouching on baby if they have any scratches or baby acne etc - feel free to discuss this with me during our shoot if you have any special requests. You then receive a download link to download your digital images, and can select your prints if relevant.
If you have any concerns about your newborn photoshoot, please reach out and let me know, so I can help you leading up to and on the day. My aim for the session is to help you feel relaxed and supported, as we capture some beautiful photos of your first days home with your baby :)
