Baby Fiona Lifestyle Newborn Session

Welcoming a newborn into your family is a beautiful, emotional time. As a newborn and family photographer, I love when I have the opportunity to document these early days as everyone in the family gets to know its newest member. That’s why it was such a real pleasure to meet up with Molly, Sean and Fiona to welcome baby Fiona with a newborn lifestyle photography session in their home.

Welcome Baby Fiona

Welcoming a new baby sister can sometimes be daunting for older siblings, but not for Kiera! Kiera is SO excited about being a big sister. She was so happy every time Fiona did something cute… or silly… or anything really! Kiera would break out into giggles, which was super cute. Photographing a newborn lifestyle shoot in a family’s home means that we can include all members of the family. So, for this session, they included their dog, Scrappy-doo in the photoshoot. Scrappy-doo is a super excited Great Dane, but he was also so sweet and so gentle with little, tiny Fiona.

In-Home Newborn Lifestyle Photography

Part of why I love in-home newborn sessions is that everyone can be more relaxed and comfortable. Plus, I get a chance to see the beautiful nurseries! I loved the custom-made Fiona decal that Molly had ordered from Etsy! It was so elegant against the rich navy blue of the walls.  

While Molly and Sean opted for an in-home session, we did an add-on to their newborn session with the white studio images. I was able to recreate the studio backdrop and lighting in their home, since they live so far away from the Indy Family Photo Studio. This gave us the perfect way to capture every aspect of the newborn phase, combining candid lifestyle images with gently posed studio newborn photographs. Fiona only slept for a few wrapped photos, and then started giving us some wide-awake photos, which meant we could see her gorgeous eyes! She was such an inquisitive baby. Even though Fiona is tiny, she is already rocking an incredible amount of hair!

Molly and Sean opted for a beautiful photo album with a rich navy colored leather. It will look gorgeous with Fiona’s nursery décor! Everyone in the family will be able to enjoy these photos for years to come. I can already picture the two sisters sitting together and looking through it!

Molly and Sean, thank you for inviting me into your home to document these precious moments with your family. I am so happy I got to meet your beautiful girls.

Sentimental Activities to do Before Baby Comes

Pregnancy is such a beautiful, exciting time in a woman’s life. The weeks and months before baby arrives are filled with exciting milestones. Before you know it, that sweet little bundle will be here, changing your world in all-new adorable ways.

There are so many precious moments during a pregnancy. The moment you find out you’re expecting, the reveal to friends and loved ones, the moment you find out the gender, the very first kicks and flutters as you get to know the tiny human within you… they are all so special, no matter how many children you have. In the work we do at Indy Family Photo, I get to meet a lot of wonderful expecting women. To celebrate the happiness in pregnancy, I wanted to share a few special things you can do before baby comes.

Write a Letter to Baby

One sentimental activity you can do before baby comes is write a letter! All these beautiful feelings that you are feeling, you can write down and share with your little one when they are older. Write a letter to them to share how excited you are to welcome them to the world and to your family. Hold onto it and gift it to your little one on their 10th birthday, or another important milestone! You can even include it in your baby album and it will be a wonderful keepsake for your little one to appreciate.

Celebrate the Siblings

Another special thing to do before baby comes is to throw a "big brother" or "big sister" party for your older child(ren). It’s a nice way to make sure they feel special during this time. Guests can include family members, family friends, and their own friends! Have everyone write advice on "how to be a good older sibling" on scrapbooking paper, and maybe even have them decorate it. After the party, bind the papers into a fun book!

Book a Maternity Photoshoot!

There’s no better way to celebrate your upcoming bundle of joy than scheduling a maternity photoshoot with us at the studio. Our maternity sessions can be customized to you, whether an intimate in-homes maternity session, a studio session, or a maternity session at a place of your choosing. A maternity photoshoot is as unique as you and your pregnancy, so I will work with you to style the photo session of your dreams. The best time to schedule a maternity shoot is around month seven or eight of your pregnancy. That’s the pregnancy sweet spot, when you’re glowing, but not too exhausted.

Have a Date Night

Go out on a date night while it's still just the two of you! Have fun dreaming about the days to come. Write out guesses as to what your life will be like — and what your baby will be doing — when they are 3, 6, 9, and 12 months old. Read the lists when you hit those milestones to see how wrong (or right) you really were! And… maybe grab a laugh at how soon you thought baby would be sleeping through the night ;)

Book a Newborn Session

We have so many options for newborn photography, both lifestyle newborn photography and studio newborn photography. It’s never too early to book a newborn photography session and at Indy Family Photo we make it as easy as possible for you. We know that you and your family are adjusting to a new normal, so we take time and care to make sure that your little one is safe, warm and happy all through the photo session. It’s a common misconception that you need to have a baby before you book your newborn session, so feel free to call to schedule a consultation!

What to Expect at a Newborn Lifestyle Shoot

We have two great options for newborn and baby photography: in-studio and lifestyle. Today, I wanted to share more about what a newborn lifestyle shoot is like. There are some meaningful differences between a newborn photoshoot in a studio and a newborn lifestyle shoot. While both photography sessions yield beautiful images of you and your newest arrival, there are some differences in what the photo session will be like and the resulting photographs. Here is what to expect with a newborn lifestyle photography session.

Newborn Lifestyle Photography

Lifestyle photography is in-home, relaxed, and focused on you bonding with your child in your home. Rather than bringing your little one out to the studio, we basically bring the studio to you. While in your home, we’ll capture important details of your life like the nursery, and important moments like you holding your baby, rocking your baby, or snuggling together. Lifestyle newborn photography is all about capturing candid moments of you living your life. That means we can photograph you doing pretty much anything… bathing, nursing/feeding, or playing with your child. It’s all up to you, and of course, what little one needs!

A newborn lifestyle photography session is a very low-stress session. That makes it a great photography option for very young babies; from two to six weeks of age. One of the great things about having an in-home photography session is that you can include all members of your family, no matter how many legs they have! Brothers and sisters, cats and dogs—all can get involved with the photos.

One of the differences that you’ll see when we move from a studio session to an in-home lifestyle newborn session is that there are fewer posed shots. Those sleepy, smushed baby poses that you see on Pinterest? We wouldn’t do those in a lifestyle session. There will be few formal posed shots and no backdrops. The portraits will mainly be of you holding the baby, getting to know this new addition to your family.

Frequently Asked Questions About Newborn Lifestyle Sessions

How long will it take?

A lifestyle session will typically last 45 minutes, but it can last as long as 2 hours if we stop frequently for nursing and diaper breaks. It’s intentionally an unhurried session. I won’t have anyone scheduled right after you. So, there’s no worry about us not getting shots because baby is unhappy. These sessions are laid back and relaxed. We’ll work around your needs.

Is my house okay for a photo session?

You don’t need to have a designer home or super bright rooms for one of our sessions. All you need is one nice window and we are all set!

I just had a baby. Do I have to clean?

No, mama. There’s no need to clean the whole house. Just declutter one or two areas and you’re done! We can even do this during the photoshoot by just moving things out of the shot. You’re busy with a newborn and don’t need to worry about cleaning! I get that!

Do I need to move furniture?

Don’t worry about this ahead of time. We might move some furniture a bit on the day of, just to make sure the lighting is gorgeous.

When will I get my pictures?

About 2-3 weeks after the session, you’ll come back to the Indy Family Photo studio to select your finished images for artwork. Most of our lifestyle clients opt for albums or several wall pieces rather than one huge image for the wall, because of the story-telling feeling that these images have.

Are you expecting a new arrival? Contact me now! It’s  never too early to talk about scheduling a newborn photography session—whether at the Indy Family Photo Studio or a relaxed, in-home lifestyle portrait session. I would love to tell your story with beautiful images.

Baby William | In-Home Lifestyle Newborn Session

Introducing Baby William! I got to meet this baby boy for a newborn session in the family’s home. I am so happy Mom and Dad invited me into their home and into their lives to photograph this precious little boy.

In-Home Lifestyle Newborn Photography

I loved getting to know Matt, Talia and William. Matt, who has now been promoted to ‘Dad,’ is a surgeon and private pilot. He and Talia (Mom) decided to take a baby moon. When he was flying them off to their vacation location, the turbulence sent Talia into labor! So, baby William made his appearance pretty early! They had to spend some time in the NICU, but William is beautiful, perfect, and healthy. This newborn photography shoot took place in their home, in William’s nursery, soon after coming home from the hospital.

I was so impressed with this little guy during his newborn session! He was so alert! His big bright eyes were so expressive. William kept looking up into the camera lens as if to ask, “What IS this thing?” I photographed him with Mom and Dad, too. There was so much love in this little nursery.

The cats are not allowed in the nursery… and in some of the photos, you can see one of them sticking his paw under the door! His name is Spitz, and he loves being the center of attention. Clearly, he was feeling left out! I’m sure he’ll get used to his new role as ‘big brother’ soon!

Matt and Talia, thank you for inviting me into your home and into your lives so I could photograph your precious new addition. I’m so happy with how these beautiful photos of your brand-new family of three turned out.

Are you an expecting mother in the Indianapolis area? My photos capture the magic and joy of childhood. Whether you are looking for artistic newborn images or an in-home lifestyle session like this one, I would love to be your photographer! Please reach out for more information. If you can dream it, I can do it!