Preparing for your session
Hey, mama! I'm so thrilled to have you and your sweet baby in front of my lens!
I know it can be stressful to be in front of the camera, especially after the whirlwind of bringing a new baby into the world. I'll be guiding you the whole time so it’s as easy and comfortable as possible, and we’re going to really take our time so nothing feels rushed. Read through these tips and take some time a few days before your session to get things ready. It’ll be worth it, I promise!
My intention with this guide is not to be restricting – I want you to feel like YOU. That said, after years and years of in-home newborn sessions, I’ve been able to narrow down what makes for the best photos and what doesn’t. It’s my hope that my work stood out to you because of a distinct style – something that drew you in. I achieve that by approaching each session with intention and following these tips just helps ensure you’ll get that signature style from your photos, too.
All of the photos in this guide are examples of what does work well. Hopefully this gives you some ideas and inspiration! Always feel free to text me if you’re unsure on outfits or anything else about your session! We’ll make sure you look good and feel good.
-Kaitlyn
THE PORTRAIT GUIDE
Selecting Outfits
Styles come and go, but certain types of clothes just look timeless, photograph better and enhance the overall look of your photos. Since we’re just hanging out and soaking up sweet moments at home, you don’t need a super structured look, but we still want to feel put together. Elevated casual and comfortable.
Mamas, I recommend a flowy dress in a light color, a soft, subtle pattern or with some sort of texture to the fabric. This option always looks beautiful in photos, is flattering postpartum, and you don’t have to worry about feeling constricted. If you’d prefer not to do a dress, jeans in a light wash with a linen, gauzy or textured top always looks great.
Dads, opt for a casual untucked button-down, a soft sweater in a pale color, or a nicer light-colored solid tee/polo/henley, paired with jeans or khaki chinos. I recommend keeping shirts untucked as we want to be more casual, less business. Both of you can just be barefoot — again, going for more comfortable than corporate. Just a put-together comfortable!
I keep updated lists of shoppable posts for you to look through if you need inspiration – look under the Collections section HERE or HERE on Amazon (all things that can be delivered quickly) – with ideas for the whole family. Most should be in stock in a variety of sizes. You certainly don’t have to purchase anything from these lists, it's just a starting point for you, but hopefully they can give you some good direction. Neutral, simple, laid-back chic. Nothing Fits But also has beautiful options for pregnant and postpartum mamas!
CLOTHING Do's and don'ts
DO stick to light neutral colors as the base for your outfits. Cream, oatmeal, sage green, chambray, grayish blue, taupe, khaki, light gray, light pink, olive green, tan - light colors and earthy tones. Soft and heathery colors are the name of the game here and truly work best for my style of shooting & editing.
DO coordinate. Not matchy-matchy, but your outfits should complement each other. Neutrals always pair well together. If one of you is wearing something with a simple pattern, the other should wear more muted solids.
DO go for something with texture. Chambray, linen, gauzy materials, tulle, corduroy, suede, wool, chunky knits - these are all great and really help elevate your whole look. Softness is key.
DO iron or steam everything beforehand. It's hard to edit out wrinkles!
DO accessorize, if that’s your thing - jewelry is a great way to add a pop and show your personality, but make sure to take hair ties and Apple watches off for photos.
DON'T wear "busy" clothing. No stripes, plaids, or busy patterns. We want to keep the focus on your baby, so light solid colors, subtle florals, or very small patterns like gingham are best.
DON'T have visible logos. The tiny logos on the chest pocket of guys' button-downs and polos are fine, but nothing with text that will stand out or distract.
DON'T wear golf shirts. Nothing against golfers, but golf shirts just do not photograph well, and polyester has a sheen to it that looks out of place next to other materials. A henley, sweater or button-down in a cotton or chambray material is best.
DON'T wear navy or black. My editing process for indoor photos includes brightening shadows quite a bit, which means every speck of dust, lint and pet hair will show on dark clothing. Light colors are best!
WHAT baby should wear
Dressing your little one is the easiest part! Here’s what to prep for baby:
2 blankets for swaddling. Go for pale solid colors or a soft, simple pattern. Muslin is a great material for photos, but a stretchier material is perfect too. I always bring a few freshly washed neutral swaddle options, so if you don’t have any, that’s ok!
1 light solid-colored or simple-patterned knotted gown or onesie (optional)
1-2 headbands/bows/caps (optional)
1 sentimental/heirloom outfit (optional)
To help keep baby calm, we’ll stick to 2-3 swaddles/outfits total. Don’t stress too much about clothes for baby - truly, blankets and swaddles are easiest. You don’t have to worry about them being too big or small and they photograph so well. If you have an outfit, great, but if not, blankets will work beautifully. I always bring neutral swaddles and wraps with me too!
Prepping your home
Ample light is so important for indoor photos. Things vary depending on which direction your house faces and your windows, but most homes have great light during the midday hours. We’ll want to turn off all lamps and overhead lights and open the blinds all the way, only using natural light from the windows to make sure we get the best skin tones and no harsh shadows in our photos.
Babies require a lot of stuff! The key for in-home photo sessions is to de-clutter (temporarily) as much as possible. I’m happy to help with this when I arrive, if you don’t mind! I typically move things out of the nursery like diaper pails, mesh crib bumpers, bouncy seats, monitors/noise machines, and changing table clutter. If your baby’s room has a distinct theme or color scheme and something doesn’t really go, it’s best to move it for the time being so it’s not distracting in photos.
If the nursery just doesn’t get a whole lot of light, I recommend having another room ready - the master bedroom, a guest room, or even the living room! Whichever’s the brightest. Just keep the same de-cluttering tips in mind. We want the backdrop to be as simple and light as possible to keep the focus on baby.
It helps to turn up your thermostat a few degrees right before your session. This will help keep baby more comfortable and calm during outfit/swaddle changes and can help keep their skin from looking splotchy.
THE DETAILS
Little things: Haircut for dad, nail touch-ups for mom - but skip the bright mani - they can be distracting in photos! Pale pink nails never fail. Your rings will show quite a bit, so give them a good cleaning if they’re looking dull. Test your makeup in natural light (by a window), don’t be afraid to go a little heavier than normal on eye makeup and blush, and opt for a light shade of lipstick or plain chapstick vs. gloss.
Taking our time: breaks are inevitable. It’s really okay! Nobody’s newborn is a perfect sleepy angel the entire time. Crying, feeding, diaper changes - they're all to be expected, so no worries.
What About Our Pets?
Pets can absolutely be included if you’d like them to be. They’re family!
The Takeaways: Light colors. Soft textures. Simple. De-clutter as much as you can. Embrace the imperfect. Take a deep breath and soak it all in!
After your session
You’ve already waited long enough for your little one’s arrival - I try not to make you wait too long for your photos! Most of the time, I can have your whole session edited and back to you within just a few days. Expect to wait a couple of weeks at most. Quick turnarounds are important to me! I’ll email you a link to your online gallery, where you can view everything, select favorites, and download any or all of your photos to your desktop or to a mobile device. I do ask that you download, and not screenshot, before sharing any photos, to retain image quality. You can expect to receive about 75 images - some of baby alone, baby with mom, baby with dad, baby with siblings + the whole family. I try to deliver a good selection of images with mom and dad looking at the camera smiling, as well as several with more indirect poses like the examples above. I do include a few black and white images, but if you’d like any color photos converted to black and white, please let me know.
I highly recommend downloading your entire session at least once and uploading to your personal cloud account like Google Photos, Amazon Photos, etc., for safekeeping, as your gallery link will expire after a few months. And equally important as safeguarding your images digitally – enjoying them in print! I strongly encourage ordering prints right away. Don’t put it off! Life will happen and months will go by with your photos sitting on your computer. Don’t let that happen. Your gallery makes it so easy to order prints in a variety of sizes with just a few clicks. Order a few of your favorites and create a gallery wall in a hallway, add a few to frames on your nightstand, and save a few for aunts, uncles and grandparents.
I can’t wait to capture this special time for you!