Take a breath. Every mum I speak to about newborn photos (when I tell them they ARE PART of their baby’s newborn photos!) tells me, usually with a sigh of regret, that they are not in a place to be photographed. We never feel ready, don’t feel comfortable in our bodies yet. I felt this too but… now switch this around and imagine you never had any photos of your mum holding you as a newborn. You never got to see her smile at your first sounds. She was always self conscious but if only she saw herself as you saw her! Looking at her photograph, would you care about the bags under her eyes and the one pair of leggings she could still fit into?? Or would it be part of the story, a richer story. I am so lucky my dad loved photography, and I have these photos of my mum when she became my mother. So even though I’m sure you’ll end up loving your photos, what I usually say to people is this: these photos are not for you. They are for them.

For a photo session in your home, focus is on the connection between your family and the atmosphere of your house. Your home will set the tone for your session. If you have a dimly lit romantic Cotswolds cottage, your photos will look different from a house with large floor-to-ceiling crittall windows and high vaulted ceilings. Because of that, the best choice of outfits are the ones that complement your home’s colour tones and stay true to how you really live. If you’re unsure and you want your images to feel special and elevated, choose something you’d happily wear everyday at home and you would feel equally comfortable leaving the house in.

A few examples that always work well are a simple pair of wide legged trousers and a plain t-shirt, chic co-ord lounge sets, a loose fitting casual dress, or layering outfits with cozy knitwear.

Keep your outfits simple and clean. It’s best not to overthink it. If you love wearing it, wear it! You don’t have to match every person’s outfits, but it helps if the colours are coordinated from the same colour palette. Choose something that is easy to move around in and feed your baby in like you normally would.

From a photographer’s point of view, it’s best to avoid logos and any lettering or characters on clothing. Patterns can be great if they are complemented by plain backgrounds and worn by only one person in the family, to complement the colour palette.

The colour palettes that are easiest on the eye are muted and soft. Avoid neon or overly bright colours, as they often clash or can leave a colour cast on the skin.

Other things to keep in mind are comfort and movability. We will be moving around a little bit and it’s important that you feel comfortable in what you’re wearing, or it will show in the photos. That’s why I prefer loose fitted clothing over skin tight clothing and soft flowy fabrics over stiff clothing like denim.

Please don’t worry about a frantic deep clean. When your children look at these photos in twenty years, they won’t be checking the bookshelves for dust or judging the pile of mail on the sideboard. In fact, leave the character.

Looking at these images years later, it’s the background details that become anchors for the memory. They trigger the “oh, I remember that” moments that a sterile studio could never provide.

I use a combination of techniques and angles to ensure your home and your family are captured at their absolute best, so move the laundry basket if you must, but let the house breathe. A home that is perfectly sterile is a home that hasn’t been lived in, and newborn days are nothing if not lived-in.

Are you ready to book an in-home newborn photo session? You can find more information here.