Chicago, Illinois

As a lifestyle newborn photographer based out of Northern, IL and serving Lake and Cook County. At home newborn sessions are my favorite type of sessions because not only do I capture the beautiful moments for my clients, but it is captured at their homes which shows a familiar background and adds more to these memories and shows their personality.

I always tell my clients to plan ahead and book their newborn session few months in advance to make sure they get on my calendar and to not have to worry about finding a newborn photographer last minute.

I recommend choosing your booking date a week or two after your newborn is due when the baby is still sleepy ( but can still be awake for session) and to avoid the dry skin and acne stage. (I still book newborn sessions up to 3 months old because they are still babies and tiny! )

My newborn sessions are typically booked during morning hours between 9am to 11am. I find that the lighting indoors is always best around these times. Babies tend to do great around that time too.

If there is a sibling/s that will be part of the session. I will work on scheduling the session around their naptime. We can start the session an hour later so we can include the sibling after they wake up from their nap, or we can start early and that will give us time to take all the important shots of the baby and the baby with the parents first.

I love using natural light and I love to embrace shadows and light coming from windows. That’s why I don’t bring any lights or flash with me. I ask my clients to open the blinds and turn off the lights at their home so it doesn’t cast yellow lights on them while shooting the session. I ask my clients to take pictures of the rooms we will shoot in to see how much light comes in and to plan their session ahead of time.

I do recommend to feed the baby shortly before the session. This ensures baby has a full belly and will cooperate better. If you want feeding/nursing pictures, I would be more than happy to capture those for you …so hold off feeding your baby until I get there and we’ll get some feeding/nursing pictures done first!

What to wear? This is totally up to you! I tell moms to pick their outfit first and build others outfits around that.

I do encourage moms to wear something comfortable and flowy so as not constricting on their postpartum body. Having a light sweater or cardigan to go over your outfit works well too for pictures.

When it comes to colors, I always tell my clients to wear neutrals and solid colors but you can have one person wear a print on a dress, or a cardigan to add some interest or adding a sweater to add texture.

Since this is a lifestyle, very heavy on the candid and documentary nature of a session, I don’t bring any props with me.

If you have a special blanket, outfit or a Moses basket you want to include in the session, we can do that! Outfit/blanket changes are absolutely okay and I love when we get some a variety of pictures of baby in different outfits and blankets!

I also love capturing siblings in this stage of life. I make sure to capture them in their own rooms, playing with their favorite toys. These are special memories to also look back on and remember how your first kid/s when you had your new baby.

I get questions about what’s best to put babies in outfit wise. I recommend solid color onesies that matches your home or nursery or a simple swaddle blanket and we can have them swaddled majority of the session if they love to be swaddled. Keep it simple.

I know life can be hectic at this stage of life, that’s why I wont ask you to have a tidy and clean house for the session, trust me I don’t expect it and wont judge you!

I have two kids and I know how it goes. I am always scouting the rooms and moving things and furniture around. If I see things on a side table or a diaper pail, I will ask if I can move things around to make sure there are no distractions in your pictures.

I want to make sure you focus on yourself Mama, on your baby and your family to capture these new memories and the connection. I don’t want you to worry about anything but be present in these couple of hours and capture this big milestone in life, of growing your family.

Behind the scenes of a newborn session

Check out my amazing photographer friend Stephanie Saujo on what to wear for your boudoir session What to wear for a boudoir shoot