Newborn Home Lifestyle Session | Ballard, Seattle

I like to joke during newborn sessions that their baby “didn’t get a say in being a model today.” It helps to take the pressure off the parents, and reminds us all to go with the flow. Sometimes that means a longer feed than planned, or that we stick to specific positions and types of photos. The newborn in this photoshoot was only one week old, and still finding a schedule with breastfeeding, so we made sure to take lots of breaks for that. His mom felt a little bad, but I reassured her it is totally ok and to be expected! First priority is baby’s health and comfort. It also gave me some nice time to connect with the family. One of the many parts of my job that i really love. :) Scroll below to see the photos from our session, you’ll see at the bottom that grandma and grandpa even got to join in some!

Newborn Home Lifestyle Session | Seattle Family Photographer

Newborn sessions make my heart so very happy. The pace of them is quite a bit slower than other sessions - we’re at the whim of a new baby and the feeling of a rushed schedule can completely slip away. It’s easy to connect with the parents because they’re in the middle of such a wild and special time. Often exhausted, but hearts unimaginable full.

The whole “photographing a happy baby” part can be a challenge, but over the years I’ve picked up some helpful tricks for calming newborns down. Scroll below for some precious newborn and family photos, and bonus points if you spot my favorite moment - when big sister paused the photoshoot to go get a nectarine to pose with.

Newborn Home Lifestyle Session | North Seattle Family Photographer

Reconnecting with a college friend is even more magical when you get to meet her husband and her sweet newborn. So happy for these two, and excited to see what their first summer as a mom and dad brings. :)

Best Portrait Photographers of the Year | LOOKSLIKEFILM

I was thrilled to hear that one of my images made it in the Lookslikefilm portraits of the year selection. My favorite part about this photo is that it wasn’t planned. That said, can you ever plan how kids will act/react? I was taking newborn photos of this little one’s new sister, and her mom asked for a feeding break. I decided to go hang out with big sister in her bedroom and she jumped up on the bench right as the sun was shining through the clouds. I asked her if I could put “Big Bunny” on the bench with her and she yelled “of course!” and then snuggled him close. Within seconds, the sun was covered and she was all the way on the other side of the room. If there’s anything I’ve learned from family photography, it’s that Kids move quickly! Almost as quickly as the sun in Seattle ;) .

Grab some tea and scroll through the article, there are so many beautiful portraits in here: http://bit.ly/lookslikefilm

Seattle Newborn Lifestyle Session

Newborn home sessions are one of my favorite things to photograph. The transition of having a new baby in the house isn't easy- parents are often sleep deprived, covered in spit up, and anxious about getting everything "right." But despite all of this, capturing a new baby in his home is so beautiful. Everything is new. The dog is still getting used to his scent. The parents are learning what keeps him calm and how to swaddle. The baby is learning what this crazy thing called life is. And I love that I get to stand back and capture it.

How to Get Your Baby to Stop Crying for Pictures

Tips and Tricks for Photographing a Fussy Newborn

Whether you're a new mom or a budding newborn photographer, you're probably wondering how on earth you take good photos without the baby fussing the whole time. This is a good question! Newborns are tiny unpredictable subjects, but with these tips, you can gain a lot more control over the situation.

1. Hunger: Has the baby been fed recently? If not, you might notice he or she is rooting (turning the head towards anything that touches the cheek,) or opening the mouth repeatedly. If the baby has been recently fed, he or she may be uncomfortable and need to be held upright and burped. 

2. Swaddle: I almost always start by swaddling the baby. This way, you can get some guaranteed happy shots and proceed to slowly un-swaddle parts of the baby for pictures of arms, toes, etc. 

3. Sway/Shhh: Sometimes you'll have a fussy baby and its hard to identify why. If you've fed and swaddled him/her, try carefully swaying and shhhh-ing into the baby's ear. Do this loudly and it should work like a charm! Rumor has it, shhh-ing reminds them of the sounds in the womb.

4. Temperature: If you're trying to get sleeping shots, make sure the space is warm! Sometimes I bring a little space heater to my shoots, this is a great tool as the white noise also calms the baby.

Hope these pointers helped! Have some tips and tricks of your own? Answer in comments!