Northwest Arkansas In-Home Newborn Photos

Happy Friday y’all! It’s official: the Christmas decorations are up, I have been listening to Christmas music, and I may even start wrapping Christmas presents this weekend. And actually, this weekend we are going glamping with my husband’s family to kick off the holiday celebrations. I talked a little bit about this in last week’s post, but my theme for the holidays this year (and every year, let’s be honest!) is sustainability. I am only gifting (high quality and washable) thrifted items, consumables, and experiences. The glamping trip is our main gift to my husband’s family, along with a few stocking stuffers. And don’t worry, next week I’ll tell you all about how the trip went! 

Today’s blog post is all about an in-home newborn photo session I shot last Spring. You may remember the prequel to this session that I posted about a few weeks ago, “Natural Falls State Park Maternity Photos”. I am so excited to finally be sharing these sweet photos!

Before the Session

It was so fun getting to do two back-to-back sessions for this family. A lot of the time my clients will have to choose between a couple of different session location options, but with C and H we got to do one session in a beautiful outdoor location and the other session in their cozy home. 

C already knew when she reached out to me that she wanted one of her sessions to be an in-home session. I suggested that we choose that option for the newborn session so that we could control as many variables as possible. She also knew she wanted lifestyle newborn photos instead of super posed ones, so before the session we talked about different activities we could do during the session, such as breastfeeding, bath time, swaddling, cuddling, etc.

Knowing that newborn sessions are, by nature, unpredictable, we also discussed ahead of time the fact that we would have a plan for the session but would also be flexible. C gave me a general time frame to plan, but then on the day of the session she texted me how their day was going and a more specific time for me to show up. 

One other thing that I always tell clients who are considering an in-home session is that a full deep clean is totally unnecessary. I know this can sometimes be a deterrent for clients who may like the idea of an in-home session, but are overwhelmed by the thought of deep-cleaning their home and getting “photoshoot ready”. But I am here to tell you that a quick straightening up of the specific room(s) where the session will take place is all that is required. No deep clean is needed. By using creative angles and sometimes even climbing on top of clutter, I can get the shot. Check out my in-home photo session guide for more tips on how to prep your house for photos!

One of the reasons I love photographing in-home sessions is that even if it isn’t your dream home, even if it isn’t super aesthetic, even if it doesn’t look like the homes you see on social media … it’s your home. It’s where you and your family share meals, it’s where you brought your baby home from the hospital, it’s where you cozy up when it’s cold outside, it’s where your dog leaves muddy paw prints when it rains, and it’s where you and your family love each other the most. And in ten, twenty, or thirty years, you will look at these photos with such fondness because they will bring back so many happy memories. 

During the Session

When I arrived to C and H’s home, it was just about time for a feeding. I can say quite honestly that there is nothing as special to me as photographing a mother breastfeeding her child. It’s intimate, it’s vulnerable, and it’s so powerful all at the same time. Meeting and holding a perfect, tiny baby that is totally and completely dependent on its parents for survival is so humbling. And I am so grateful for the opportunity to provide C and H with photos of them protecting and nourishing their tiny, perfect baby. It was really special. 

After feeding, it was time for a snuggle sesh on mom and dad’s bed. This quickly turned into nap time on mom and dad’s bed (is there anything cuter in this world than babies yawning?!), which was the perfect time for me to photograph tiny hands and tiny feet. A few more shots in the nursery (and by “a few” I actually mean about 300. The total number of photos I took during this session is insane), and our session came to an end. 

After the Session

It usually takes me about two weeks to edit and deliver session galleries. After sorting through the photos and choosing the absolute best ones, editing them to perfection, and then uploading and delivering them I can finally relax knowing that I delivered the best gallery possible, one that I am proud of and hope that my clients love as much as I do. 

Final Thoughts

Newborn sessions are so so so special. Your baby will grow so fast, and trust me you will want to have these photos to look back on and show your child when they are older. I hope you’ve enjoyed these photos and reading about C and H’s session. And if you are searching for a newborn photographer, I would love to be considered! Just send me an inquiry, and we’ll get it scheduled! 

*All my blog posts contain a selection of images that I’ve taken. If you are interested in booking a wedding or session with me, I am more than happy to send you a full gallery upon request!

I’m a wife, a dog mom, a foodie, a wanderer, a registered nurse, and a couples/intimate wedding/elopement photographer … and this blog will cover it all! If you enjoyed this post, first of all thank you, and second of all please follow me on Instagram + Facebook and sign up for my monthly newsletter to get exclusive wedding planning advice and access to all of my new (and old) freebies! If you have any questions about elopement photography, my journey from nursing to photography, or my time spent as a full-time RVer, drop a comment and I just might write a blog post answering your question (but I definitely will)!

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