What to expect from your family and newborn photography at home

My newborn and family photo shoots capture a mix of unfiltered real moments done in a stylised way. These sessions are a personal favourite of mine, especially if you have younger children as they feel more relaxed and the images look more authentic being in your own space. It also means I travel to you rather than traveling to a location or studio.

HOW TO PREPARE YOUR SPACE FOR FAMILY PHOTOS

A home is made to be lived in and no one is expecting every room in your house to be clean or tidy, especially if you have younger kiddies! There is absolutely no pressure to prepare your entire house for photos but having one or two spaces ready to use is key. Often your bedroom, living area, or children’s bedroom/nursery is a great space to use for this style of session. You may want to put away some toys or hide clutter but you definitely won’t need to clear everything out of the space, you still want it to look like your home and not something out of a flashy magazine.

WHAT TO WEAR FOR YOUR FAMILY PHOTOS

You’re at home so you want to be comfortable but pick outfits that make you feel good. My style isn’t over-the-top swaddled baby poses but if you want to you can wrap your baby in a special blanket and have a one-piece underneath so we can do a mix of outfits for baby, some with hands and feet out because there is something about seeing a baby’s little toes and fingers!

Coordinate your outfits with each other and with your space, think of using similar tones and complementary colours. I personally love earthy and light tones, whites and creams are particularly great for a newborn session. Avoid busy patterns and text on shirts.

WHAT TO EXPECT ON THE DAY OF YOUR FAMILY PHOTOSHOOT

It’s ok if your newborn isn’t settled when I arrive. These sessions are usually 1 hour long which is always plenty of time to feed, nappy change etc in between shots. While parents finish getting ready I normally ease into the session by sitting down and building trust with toddlers/younger children, rather than jumping straight into taking photos which can be a little intimidating. I might ask your children to show me around the house or show me something that interests them which helps everyone relax while I scope out the best spots and the best lighting. You can also prepare other children by telling them you have a friend coming to take photos.

EXPECTATIONS

If you go into your photoshoot feeling stressed and nervous about how your toddler or baby is going to do, the chances are they are going to pick up on this tension. Your toddler might not want to sit still, look at the camera and smile for every photo, which is completely normal. While your newborn may need some settling, take your time and do what you need to do in order to help soothe your little one. I’m not in a rush during these sessions and 1 hour is usually plenty of time to get the photos we need.

My best piece of advice is to go with the flow so we can capture natural moments together, these are often the best photos. You might need to make it fun and let your child play! I’ll also provide some guidance and suggestions for getting moments of everyone looking happy and interacting.

Tips for Photo Sessions with Children and Toddlers

My latest adventure with Becci and my three favourite tiny humans! Lifestyle photography captures children in their element. I love these real and unfiltered moments of playing in the mud, gathering wood for the fire and bushwalking. Some parents feel anxiety leading up to their photo session as they want the day to go smoothly and hope their children will behave for photos. Spending some time with Becci and her three kiddies reminded me of what really goes into making great photos.

PREPARE YOUR CHILDREN

Start talking to your children about your photoshoot a few days prior to get them familiar with the idea. Talk about it with excitement but also make it sound normal and fun, you don’t want to overwhelm them with expectations of how you think it will go. Tell them what to expect from your photographer. You can tell your children that your photographer is a friend, so they don’t seem like a stranger.

EXPECTATIONS

If you go into your photoshoot feeling stressed and nervous about how your toddler is going to behave, the chances are they are going to pick up on this tension. They might not want to sit still, look at the camera and smile. My first evening with Becci one of her twin boys didn’t want to come outside for photos and she didn’t force him which I really respected. If you put pressure on them it might make it harder and we knew there would be another opportunity to get photos on the following day (this situation is a little different to my normal 1-hour session as I spent the night with them).

My best piece of advice is to go with the flow and work with your photographer to capture natural moments together, these are often the best photos! You might need to make it fun and let your child play, be convincing that its fun!

LISTEN AND GO WITH THE FLOW

Children will go through different stages and phases. They may only want one parent to hold them and getting them on their own isn’t going to happen without tears. The best way to work with toddlers is to not force them but to comfort them, they might be nervous! Work with what you can. Sometimes bribes can work, or perhaps they just need their favourite toy.

Becci is definitely the most ‘go with the flow’ parent I’ve ever met, this mud puddle was so much fun and she didn’t care about the aftermath or clean up. Totally worth it!

LIFESTYLE FAMILY PHOTO SESSIONS

My family photo sessions are fun, relaxed and easy going. I’ve photographed families with children of different ages and every session will be slightly different. I use all of the tips mentioned above in order to capture the best moments of your family.