Why have a photographer come to you for your newborn session?

When newborn session clients send me inquiries, they often ask, “Do you have a studio?” Nope, I do not. All of my newborn sessions are done at the clients’ homes. This goes for both my lifestyle and my “studio style” portrait newborn sessions.

Here are the top 5 reasons you might choose an at home newborn session:

You do not feel comfortable taking your newborn out in public so soon after birth. Before 2020 I had heard many personal, cultural and religious reasons that parents have for not wanting to take their newest additions out in public before a certain age. And even before 2020 and the craziness of the pandemic, a lot of new parents preferred to avoid public places because of their newborn’s delicate developing immune system. The greater majority of my fellow newborn photographers who have studios are very careful about disinfecting and washing between clients. But I get it. Newborn parents, especially first-time ones, are on-edge as it is! It often feels like the safest place for your delicate new bundle is at home. And if that is how you feel, stay there! I come to you!
You’re just too tired to leave the house. Newborn. Life. Is. EXHAUSTING. The two times in my life where I was my most tired was in the early first trimester of both of my pregnancies, and in the first few months after my boys were born. I often joke that if my husband and I could get through the exhaustion of the newborn stage without getting divorced, we are good….our marriage is strong! So that tiredness being what it is. Who the heck wants to leave the house?! So stay there! I come to you!
You have to pack HOW much stuff to leave the house?!? Babies require A LOT of stuff! And not just in your home and their nursery. Packing up that diaper bag and checking it fifteen times to make sure you didn’t forget anything is a PAIN. And then when you’re on the road and realize you DID forget something, the panic sets in! It really can make you not want to leave the house. So don’t! Stay there! I come to you!
You will be more comfortable in your everyday surroundings. Being in front of a camera can be intimidating – especially after such a big life change! Being in the comfort of your own home can definitely keep your nerves calm and help you stay relaxed even with the lens pointed right at you. Some people just do better on their turf. So stay there! I come to you!
You like documentary style photography or want some photos of your baby’s nursery. Some people prefer documentary style photography that freezes every day newborn memories in time – taking them right back to those days whenever they flip through their photos. These clients usually opt for a lifestyle session, but some ask for portrait sessions with a few lifestyle shots included at the end. Maybe it’s the décor in the nursery they’d like to remember, or photos of them snuggling with their baby on their master bed. Some even like photos of diaper changes or some every day crying fits that come with newborn territory (the baby is the one crying…not the parents…usually!) And yes, some photographers set up lifestyle shoots in a studio and they are beautiful. But for me there’s something special about it being your space. Your bed. Your home…