Where to have your newborn photo session
Have you been struggling with the idea of where to have your newborn session?
There are actually many more options for where to have your newborn photos taken, depending on the style of photography you love, and what you think you and your family will be able to physically handle after the baby comes home.
For lifestyle newborn sessions, the options include at the place of your birth (often called a fresh 48 session), at your home, outdoors, or in a studio. For posed newborn photography there is the option of in studio or at your home.
Here at Hunnicutt Photography I offer in home lifestyle newborn sessions, birth space / fresh 48 sessions, and lifestyle in studio sessions.
How should you know what is best for you and your family? Here are some questions you may be asking with information I hope will help you make this decision.
Should I have an at home or in studio newborn session?
First you need to decide if you are looking for posed or lifestyle photography. I can help answer these questions from the viewpoint of a lifestyle newborn photographer who utilizes the philosophy of baby led sessions.
I’m going to focus on the lifestyle type of sessions for this blog post as that is my style of photography.
Why to have your session at your home:
If the thought of packing up your entire family, with a few extra outfits, getting in the car and driving to a studio sounds like too much for you, then an at home session sounds like a great fit.
When your session is at home you have any extra outfits all near by, you have activities for your other children without needing to pre-plan or pack up toys. All family members are already relaxed being at home, and there are plenty of snacks close at hand that you all enjoy! Bonus, if you have pets then they can also be included in your at home session since your home is a safe space for them.
Also, when your session is at home we can document the babies nursery, family portraits by the front door, and utilize your homes architecture and unique elements to create beautiful images that will be very unique to your family. And, as children grow up the LOVE to see the space where they first came home, and joined your family.
Why to have your session at a studio:
My approach to lifestyle newborn sessions can be done in a modern studio. Here in Portland we have access to many beautiful and modern portrait studios to rent. I have a favorite studio [Studio Northwest] that has big beautiful windows, and lots of accessories and furniture. So, we can utilize a couch, chairs, or even a makeshift bed to create beautiful and true to you lifestyle images.
If the thought of having someone in your home shortly after your baby is born, if the idea of cleaning and getting ready stresses you out, or if you just don’t feel like you are in a home that you’d like photographed, then a lifestyle session in studio may be perfect for you and your family.
Why to have a hospital / fresh 48 session:
In hospital, birth space, or fresh 48 sessions (why do they have so many different names?!) are done before you are discharged from the location of your baby’s birth. They are shorter sessions, typically around 30 minutes and are meant to capture the hospital setting, the baby in it’s hospital bassinet, perhaps the first meeting with older siblings, and the feeling of those very first days before you go home. Many families will have both a fresh 48 session and an at home/studio newborn session as they document different aspects of the newborn experience.
You can read more about my in hospital sessions HERE.
Can my newborn photo session be done outdoors?
Newborn sessions can be done outdoors based on weather. If you don’t want people inside your home (darn Covid), and it’s a warm season when we can be outdoors, a newborn session can take place in a lovely outdoor space. These sessions are definitely limited by the weather and season, so take that into account if you are thinking about an outdoor session. We want to ensure the setting is safe and secure for the newborn and mom.
I hope that this post has helped you to weigh the pro’s and con’s of having your newborn photo session at home, at the hospital, at a studio, or outdoors.
