When I was pregnant with my first born I had a conversation about newborn photography with a friend who had recently welcomed their first baby. I remember saying that I would really like to find a photographer who could come take them at our house. He looked at me funny and said something along the lines of “but that’s not possible - then you wouldn’t get all the props and costumes and sets…”. Rather than hurt his feelings - he had just had photos taken of his baby in a miniature Santa suit after all - I smiled politely and nodded, but inside I was thinking “yes, that’s the point. I don’t want any of that!”
However, when I went online to look for newborn photographers in my area - I was in Toronto at the time, so not exactly a small market- I couldn’t find a single one that specialized in in-home newborn photos. I found a few with somewhat home-like studios, but they still had all-white furniture and flowy sheer curtains, and frankly looked nothing like our actual home at the time. And while they were lovely, that just weren’t what I wanted. I wanted photos that felt like us. Photos that when I looked back at them, took me right back to that hazy newborn stage in the place where we spent nearly all of our time.
Somewhat disheartened, we decided to DIY our newborn photos in home, and the results were, well, ok. They certainly wouldn’t find a spot in my portfolio these days, but at least when I look at them I recognize the room where I rocked my baby to sleep for the first six months of her life. In hindsight that experience played a big role, not only in me wanting to become a photographer myself, but also in shaping what kind of photographer I wanted to become.
A few years later when I started my photography business I was introduced to lifestyle photography and discovered that there was a whole genre of like-minded photographers out there. Photographers who want to capture life candidly and authentically, but still beautifully, artfully and timelessly. Photographers who also think that home is the perfect place to capture a baby’s first photos, surrounded by family, in an environment that is familiar, cozy and safe.
Are all homes perfect? Of course not. I don’t expect many people with children to have white rugs and couches or gauzy curtains covering every wall. But every home is just that: HOME. A place to call your own. A safe space. Your comfort zone. Where your family’s memories are made. That’s why I still advocate for newborn photography in home, and I think I always will.
Need more convincing? Here are my top reasons to choose in home newborn photography: Why You Should Have Your Lifestyle Newborn Session at Home.
