Welcome to my blog post all about Orlando lifestyle newborn photos! Congratulations on your newest little addition (or addition to be!). Having a baby is such a life changing event and there are SO many things to do in preparation. One of the things you’ve probably thought about is getting pictures of your newborn before they’ve grown out of that, well… newborn stage! I’d love to explain all about lifestyle newborn photos with you, anticipating and answering all your questions and share why I’m so passionate about this particular style of newborn/family photography!

What is a Lifestyle Newborn Photography Session?

There are a couple of different styles of newborn photography. One style is what I call the “Anne Geddes” style where the photos are of just the baby in cute settings using lots of props and poses.

The other is called lifestyle newborn photography and it’s very much what it sounds like. This session has a more “true to life” feel (thus it is called lifestyle), is typically about 1 to 1 1/2 hours long and photographed in your own house where you and your family are relaxed and feel at home.

This session will includes your whole family (think mom, dad, siblings if you have other kiddos and the baby of course) and highlights the relationship and interactions of all the family members together including your newest addition. I’ll be honest in saying that I personally didn’t do “Anne Geddes” sessions with any of my four kids because what was important to me was capturing them WITH the rest of the family (even with our first baby when it was just my husband and I). What we DID do were lifestyle newborn photos and those pictures are all over our walls, backgrounds on our phones, computer wallpaper, etc.! With that in mind, this style of session is free of crazy poses and props for the baby but will include a handful of “real life” photos of the baby in mom, dad’s (or sibling’s) arms, swaddled in their crib or laying snuggly on mom and dad’s bed. We will definitely get photos of just baby, they’ll just be a little more “true to life”!

Speaking of true to life, one of the things lifestyle newborn photos captures are the aesthetics of your family’s home, the little details of baby’s nursery and theme and decor of their room that you’ve been curating for months or given to you by an excited grandma. Now before you get overwhelmed with the thought of having to make your house spotless for this session, let’s dispel that right now!

What About Cleaning and Prepping my House?

There’s really nothing like being postpartum and trying to nurse your baby, recover from delivery and be sleep deprived all at once. First of all, only two rooms need to be ready for the session, we aren’t going to photograph in every room of the house! Just the nursery and one other room like the master bedroom or living room. This will be dependent on which room has the best natural light and neutral colors. When we did our lifestyle newborn photos at home my husband and I honestly moved items we didn’t want in the picture to the room next door. Our photographer even helped us when she got there to make that section of the room look spotless. And if I notice a spot in your house that would be perfect for photos, I am more than happy to help move stuff out of the way! If possible, I’d suggest enlisting the help of your husband, kids or even mom to pick up these two rooms ahead of time! Please don’t sweat this part!

What To Wear for the Session?

Timeless, classic outfits are always a great way to go for your lifestyle newborn session. Think light or pastel colors such as white, cream, light pinks, blues, greens and greys. Mom, I’d suggest you pick an outfit that you’ll be feel comfortable and confident in. You could wear jeans and a cute flowy or loose shirt that is forgiving in the midsection. Maxi dresses are also amazing way to go for a really adorable and feminine look! I’d suggest basing everyone else’s outfit off what mom is wearing. You probably don’t want everyone to be “matchy matchy” but rather be wearing “coordinating outfits”. So if mom is wearing a light pink top, maybe dad is in a cream colored Henley and jeans while your son is also in jeans and a light blue button up and your daughter is in a white dress while baby is also wearing white or a coordinating pastel color! I would also avoid mixing styles such as having one kiddo wearing a tee shirt while the other is in a button up shirt. Remember, classic styles will stand the test of time rather than graphic tee shirts of Paw Patrol or Disney Princesses.

Prepping Mom, Family and Baby for the Session

Mom, you are the lynchpin of the family. If you’re stressed everyone will feel it. Give yourself at least an extra hour to get a good breakfast and coffee, do your hair and makeup and feed the baby.

Dad, I’ll need you for the full 1 1/2 hours though you’ll likely only be in front of the camera about 20-30 minutes. If you have other kiddos, mom and I will so appreciate your help in keeping them occupied while we finish photographing!

For siblings, tell them someone fun is coming to take pictures of them and their new baby brother or sister! We will truly have so much fun!

The only prep baby really needs is to be fed about half an hour before I show up and to be in a solid white, short sleeved onesie. I also suggest having the baby in white diapers without patterns (something like these) so the colors don’t show through the oneside. Half way through the session we can switch the baby to a cute swaddle, knotted gown or special outfit. Have any accessories like bows for baby girls or hats ready the night before!

Ready to Book?

I hope you’ve found this blog post helpful as you consider how you want to document this fleeting moment in your family’s lives. Shoot me an email here to book (don’t be concerned by the wedding related questions on the contact form, just answer NA if the question doesn’t apply to your situation!), inquire or ask any questions you may have! I can’t wait to hear from you!