I have a whole list of reasons why I am passionate about documenting newborns and their families in their homes here in Las Vegas.

As much work as it is, I truly love blogging, especially if it can help someone else! Hopefully, this post will be helpful to anyone trying to decide whether an in-home newborn session is for them.

One of my favorite things about in-home newborn sessions is that they have so much more of a relaxed feel for me. I photographed newborns in my studio for 6 years, and absolutely loved it. There is absolutely nothing wrong with posed newborn photography. The reason I moved away from my studio work into the homes of families, and from posed to lifestyle is that I really developed a love for filmmaking, and for really digging into the stories of each family. Birth stories have become my true passion. To be able to work cohesively with the families I serve, I really felt drawn away from the studio, and into the homes of families, where their memories are made, and where they feel the most comfortable.

Not having to take your baby out of the house during those first weeks is a good reason to consider an in-home session! I know that there are still appointments and places you have to go in those weeks, but the safest place is almost always home. You can control who interacts with your baby and know exactly how clean the items are that we use.

This family is such a good example of why I feel like in-home newborn sessions are so wonderful. Although they had posed newborn images of their older two, they were really interested in capturing beautiful images without the worry and work of getting everyone out of the house and managing them in a strange environment.

In the weeks before their due date, we communicated often and I checked in to see how things were going. Mom had delivered at different gestations with her previous two, so it was hard to know which way she would go. As luck would have it, she went over her due date! When their baby finally arrived, things got even crazier. Poor dad got really sick. Thank goodness the time crunch is not as vital for in-home newborn sessions. For posed newborn sessions I really tried to get my clients in within the first 10-14 days while the baby was still sleepy and easily settled in those adorable posed images you see. In contrast, lifestyle newborn images really focus on connections and a more natural feel to images. Your baby doesn’t necessarily have to be asleep. I do work to capture images of your baby alone, and focus on those little details you don’t want to forget, but at a much more relaxed pace, and really follows the cues of your baby.

We were past the three-week mark when dad finally felt well enough for us to move forward with their session. Because time restrictions aren’t so stiff with in-home newborn sessions, we were able to be sure that dad could be present and feel well enough to participate.

Another thing I love about in-home newborn sessions is that siblings feel so much more at home, and are able to move in and out of the spaces we work in comfortably. Big brother and sister were able to go upstairs and play with their toys with their babysitter while I focused on mom and dad, helping everything to stay relaxed and everyone at ease, and it shows in images!

Another thing I love about in-home newborn sessions is that we use the spaces that hold the most meaning to you. The spaces your baby will grow in, where all those memories will unfold. I just love that you and your children will look back on images we have captured together and have the sentimental feelings associated with them.

While mom was feeding baby brother, we were able to just play and relax and capture some images of dad with big brother and sister.

We were then able to move to little E’s room to capture some of the details there. This is another space I love to use during newborn sessions.

No matter where you document your newborn, whether it be by hiring a posed studio newborn photographer, or a lifestyle photographer in your own home, I encourage you to do so! The newborn stage of life is one of life’s most fleeting periods between sleepless nights, diaper changes, and feedings. It passes quickly and they change even quicker!