Baby’s First Photo Session!

Happy Friday, y’all! I hope you’ve had a wonderful week and have some fun plans to look forward to this weekend. I am writing to you today from vacation (just kidding! I wrote this post two weeks ago. But I am on vacation as you’re reading this!) in Canada! I have been looking forward to this trip for so long and I am so happy it’s finally here! Vacation Bree is my favorite Bree to be. Say that five times fast. And don’t worry, I will have full travel journal recaps on the blog soon (you can always keep up with my personal adventure blog posts here!). 

Anyways. Today’s blog post is so so so special to me and I am so excited to share these photos with you! My friends S and B have finally welcomed their baby girl into this world, and I am so honored to have gotten to photograph their whole maternity journey – from the pregnancy announcement to the maternity session and now to their newborn session. Baby R is finally in the picture (get it? Because … photos?) and we couldn’t love her more. And by “we” I mean, S and B plus their three dogs and one cat (who you’ll finally get to meet today), and me! 

Before the Session

When S told me that she wanted to do a series of sessions, we talked about the different aspects and limitations for each session. If you’ve been following along on the blog, you may remember that their pregnancy announcement session was an adventure session at Devil’s Den State Park. I had told her that if she wanted to do a hiking session, that would be the one to do it for since she was still able to be more active during the early pregnancy. Then their maternity session was on the beach at Beaver Lake, which was still outdoors but definitely not as strenuous. And now the in-home newborn session, because newborns are for snuggling and wearing pajamas and wrapping in quilts. Plus I love getting photos of the new baby stage – diaper changes and feedings and naps on dad. 

In-home newborn sessions are so special because even if it’s not your dream home, even if it isn’t “instagram-worthy”, even if it’s a little messy, it’s your home. It’s where you live your life. It’s where you laugh and cry and cook and kiss and where you brought your baby home to … and you’ll want to remember it. They’ll want to see it, even if they don’t actually remember it. Check out my in-home photo session guide for how to prep your house for photos!

So I told S and B what I tell everyone before their in-home session. “We’ll have lots of cuddles and puppy kisses and be wearing soft, comfy clothes.” And this session did not disappoint. 

During the Session

I usually block off a few hours for newborn sessions, because I want to capture it all. Nap time, awake time, and feeding time are the main things, but I am down for whatever. Diaper changes, bath time, cry time, I’m here for it babe. For this session I arrived right around feeding time. So we headed upstairs to mom and dad’s bed for some breastfeeding photos, and you know the dogs had to be included in that. I am actually obsessed with the bond between mother and baby, and looking through these photos again brings a few tears to my eyes. 

Next we went to the nursery and got some portraits with mama. The closeups of the tiny features are so perfect. 

Heading downstairs, we attempted to get some photos with a quilt that S’s mom had made for baby R, but she had other plans. So after her diaper change and some cuddles, we finally got back to the quilt. And of course we had to get a few shots with the whole family in it!

And then finally we went outside into the warm summer evening air for some more family photos. I actually got the inspiration for these wide-angle shots the very first time I visited S and B’s home (we’re good friends and hang out at each other’s houses), and it was so fun to be able to bring my vision to life for them. And how sweet are the portraits of baby R with her dad? I’m a total daddy’s girl myself, and the father-daughter bond is always one of my favorite things to photograph. 

After the Session

As usual, I carefully go through each session and choose all the best photos to be included in the gallery. For this session, I took over 1400 photos! Narrowing it down was tough, but I am so proud of the final gallery, and I know S and B (and baby R) will love these photos for years to come! 

Final Thoughts

You may be wondering why I don’t do the super posed and staged newborn photos that a lot of other photographers do. And listen, those photos are beautiful. But for me, I love the authenticity that comes from photographing a new family in their own home. It’s a time that, for some, can go by in a blur. And I love that I get to give my clients these memories that you can go back to and look at over and over again, forever. 

So if you’re searching for an experienced photographer for your maternity and/or newborn session, I would love to chat!

*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 portraits/elopements/branding 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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