newborn photography, family of 3 snuggles on their front stoop in Boston with their newborn baby and pup

Preparing for Your Boston Newborn Photography Session

If you have a Boston newborn photography session coming up and you’re feeling a little anxious about it, this post is for you (even if the session isn’t with me!). I’ve been in your shoes twice after the birth of both of my boys, and despite the fact that I totally trusted my newborn photographer friends I had hired and I knew the drill, I still found myself a little bit anxious. So here’s what you can do to prepare so that your session goes as smoothly as possible.

Work With Your Photographer to Pick an Ideal Time of Day

The majority of the time, my newborn sessions are done some time between late morning and early afternoon. This is generally when natural light is best indoors, but this can vary from house to house and even room to room. When my clients and I discuss the time of day that we’ll be shooting, I always ask them if that time of day will work for the nursery and master bedroom (the two rooms I shoot in most often), AND if it will work with big sibling’s nap schedule if there’s an older child.

Tidy Up (But Don’t Go Crazy!)

Reducing the amount of visible clutter in your home is certainly ideal for a photo session, BUT I also know that clutter is pretty much inevitable with newborns. Add an older child or two to the mix and it’s basically damn impossible to keep a home clutter-free. My suggestion is to just focus on tidying up the rooms we plan to take pictures in, and simply shoving things in closets is totally acceptable in my book! I don’t want the daunting task of cleaning your house to be something hanging over your head prior to our session, so really, just shove it all away. Worst case scenario- I’ll do it for you when I arrive ;).

Have a Few Outfit Options

This goes for both the parent(s), sibling (s), and the baby themselves! Your photographer will know which colors work best, and which styles will look flattering from multiple angles. Having a back-up option for baby is especially important in case they throw up :). It’s also nice to give your gallery a little variety!

WELCOME

Oh hey! I’m Melissa, a Boston family & newborn photographer, but I like to refer to myself as a toddler-whispering, child-taming, photographic ninja.