Preparing for your In Home Newborn Shoot

So you've had your baby! When you were pregnant you had all these amazing ideas of having a shoot two days after birth and all the beautiful and angelic photos you'd get. The baby would just lay there asleep letting the photographer pose him or her and there would be no crying or feeding or sick or poop, right....wrong.

Newborn shoots can be pretty stressful for the parents who had the idea that the way the photos are captured would be as beautiful as the photos themselves. The reality of newborn shoots is that they're photos of newborns and newborns are unpredictable and messy and often covered in poop!

So here's my guide to getting the best possible results from your in home newborn shoot:

Don'ts:

1. Don't worry that you didn't get that shoot booked in for two days after the birth, I feel like most people are super ambitious and want the baby to be as tiny as possible, when really a newborn shoot is typically classed as anything from birth to two weeks. Having said that don't let a stay of hospital or a traumatic birth with long healing stop you from getting your photo shoot, even if that baby is older than two weeks, they'll look beautiful no matter what age right?!

2. Don't freak out that your house is small, most photographers don't need loads of space to get lovely images, I myself almost always use one small spot on the sofa.

3. Don't worry if your baby cries during the shoot, that's what babies do! When I'm doing a newborn shoot I tell the parents that we can stop and start as many times as we need to.

4. Don't be worried that about needing to feed your baby during the shoot, babies get hungry in a split second and not feeding them can mean it's game over for the photos and that's so not what you want.

5. Don't be worried that we're not getting any photos. So many beautiful moments are being captured in the in between moments of a shoot, it's easy to think you're not getting enough but most photographers are adept at capturing images on the go.

Do's:

1. Do tidy up the lounge and sofa area before your photographer arrives as that's the space that usually has the best light and the one they'll use, it's definitely where I'd be taking the pictures if I was doing the shoot. Also remember to pull blinds and net curtains open to help save time too. I've been to lots of shoots where I've asked to open the curtains or blinds (I'm a natural light photographer) and the clients realise they can't get them open! Sorting this before hand will save you stress and time.

2. Do get outfits you'd like your baby to wear out and ready so they can be wiped off and on quickly, also minimise changing time by having nappies, wipes and muslin's near by for any unexpected spills (lol) which can end up wasting valuable time at your shoot.

3. Do gather keepsakes people have given you for your baby and hospital mementos, photographers can features these in your photos and it gives it such a personal and meaningful touch.

4. Do remember that your baby is super attuned to you as a human and that if you're worried that the shoot isn't going well or you're not getting the photos you'd expected that your baby is totally going to feel that and that's when the tears start...for all of you!

5. Do remember to enjoy your newborn shoot, your baby will never be this young again, they'll never be this small or smell this good or be that beautiful baby colour all over, so remember to be present in the moment with your baby and enjoy it.

So there you have it! My RoxPix Cheat Sheet for getting the best newborn photos with the least amount of stress, but I'm afraid I can't control the amount of poop and sick you get, that's just life!

Below are some of my favourites from the last year or so from my in home newborn shoots.