Tips for Photographing Your Own Newborn {Seattle Newborn Photographer}

I always, always, always recommend booking a newborn photographer. Whether it’s your first baby or tenth, you will still be tired and sometimes we put so much pressure on ourselves to get the perfect image and then it takes what could have been a fun exercise, and makes it stressful. Not only that, it’s really hard to do self portraits with your baby. It’s so worth having a professional take your newborn pictures. That way you can relax and not stress about getting all the images. However, if you do want to have fun taking your own newborn pictures, here are my top tips, as well as examples of my own newest babe.

1. Don’t try to do it all in one day. You have a newborn for a month. There is no harm in breaking it up over several days.

2. Start with images in the hospital. Focus on details that you’ll only find in the hospital such as the plastic bassinet, the hospital bracelets, the little hat, and the hospital blanket.

3. Set the scene before you get baby to sleep. If you know you want to photograph your baby in the bassinet, set it all up and get your camera ready before baby drifts off to sleep. If you know there’s a certain sheet you want in there, put it in there. Get your camera out and ready to go. Get baby dressed in the outfit/swaddle/hat etc that you want them in. Then you can feed or rock your baby to sleep. Once they drift off, put them in position and snap away.

4. Use swaddle blankets. There are so many beautiful swaddle blankets out there now. Buy one or two favorites and utilize these as much as possible. They look beautiful in images and most babies are calm and sleep well when swaddled.

5. If your baby doesn’t like to sleep when not being held, photograph them in the arms of their other parent, grandparents, siblings etc. You will treasure these images anyway.

6. Hand off your camera to someone else and make sure you are photographed with baby too.

7. Make sure you get the little details such as umbilical cord stump, feet, and lips.

8. Move furniture around if you have to. Our crib sits in a super dark corner with hardly any natural light. I knew I wanted images of my baby in the crip while he was still tiny so I moved the whole crib closer to the window so I could get the image without it being too dark.

9. Turn off overhead lighting. Natural light is your best friend.

10. Ditch the baggy baby clothes. In order to keep the focus on baby, don’t dress them up in fancy outfits. Swaddles and plain color onesies photograph the best.

Good luck and enjoy photographing your own little one.

Welcome Baby Finn {Seattle Newborn Photographer}

If you’ve been following my work, you may recognize this sweet family from just a couple of short months ago. Back in February, their newborn daughter’s session was the last session I did just 5 days before my own baby was born. I was so happy to get their session done in time because from the very first email, I just knew I had to photograph this family. After waiting several years, they were finally parents to their sweet daughter through the gift of adoption. You can check out their first session here. In a beautiful turn of events, they became parents again just 3 months later to their beautiful baby boy, Finn. Here is their love story continued.

Welcome to the World Lois {Seattle Newborn Photographer}

Coming back from maternity leave is always a little stressful. I worry that I’ll be rusty and I’ll forget something or forget how to direct families, but thankfully, this first session back was so easy and relaxed. This sweet family welcomed their first baby over Easter and it was such an honor to be invited into their home as they adjusted to their new roles as parents. They are doing such a beautiful job with sweet Lois and I hope they will cherish these photos for years to come.

Introducing Theo {Seattle Newborn Photographer}

It’s hard to believe little Theo joined us 7 weeks ago. The time has flown by. He still feels so new but it’s like he’s been a part of our family forever. I can’t imagine life without him. I love documenting babies in the hospital. It is such a special, but short time. I always try to keep these “Fresh 48” sessions as authentic as possible. I want my families to always remember what those first couple of days felt like. I try to include details you’ll only see in the hospital - hospital bracelets, hats, blankets. It was no different photographing my own sweet baby. I haven’t been able to do any Fresh 48 sessions due to Covid, so getting to do my own after a year of not doing any felt really special. I can’t wait to start offering these again! For now, here is my own little one, Theodore.

Welcoming a Special Little Girl {Seattle Newborn Photograper}

Sometimes someone contacts me and I know right away that I want to play a part in documenting their story. That’s exactly how I felt when this sweet mama contacted me for a newborn session. I was getting close to my own due date and had told myself that I was done taking on sessions until after my baby arrived, but her story spoke to me and I had a strong desire to do this session for them. This family went through many trials and waited many years to meet this sweet baby. The love in their home was palbable. Here is their love story.

A New Family of Three {Everett Newborn Photographer}

This session ranks up there as one of my very favorites. I love watching a couple become parents and these two seemed like they were made for the task. I hope to see their little family as it grows given that they live right in my neighborhood.

Welcome to the world baby Ellis!

A Peaceful Morning at Home with a Family of Four {Everett Newborn Photographer}

This has been a year for the newborns! While most of the world has stopped, babies are still arriving and they still deserved to be documented. Despite not being able to work for four months, this has been my busiest year for newborns to date. Some families had to wait and push their newborn sessions out a few weeks, meaning their newborns were more like 6 or 7 weeks before we could do their session, but that is the beauty of a lifestyle photo session. It doesn’t really matter how old the baby is as we don’t have to get them sleeping and curling up in unnatural poses. I can’t wait to see all the new babies in 2021!

Now onto this session! Little Ford was still one of those tiny newborns at only 11 days for his session. He was such a chill, easy baby and fits right in with his family. His big sister, Sloan was so adorable with him. I always try to start with family and sibling images so that the other kids can take off after that. Sloan was a champ and was so loving with her baby brother. The rest of the session went so smoothly. He hardly made a peep and was just content being in his parents’ arms. I love to focus on the mama and baby during all family and newborn sessions. Often the mom is the photographer in the family, even if she isn’t a photographer herself. Mamas deserve to be in the picture too, so I think it’s so important that I photograph those bonds as much as possible. It is so beautiful to witness the love between a growing family. This family was no exception. The love between them was so beautiful.

Little Ford, welcome to the world. You are so loved!

Holiday Traditions Sessions {Seattle Family Photographer}

I’m so excited to offer a limited number of holiday tradition sessions this November and December. How they work - think of your favorite holiday traditions. It may be you baking cookies with your family or decorating your house, or simply snuggling together and enjoying the season. Pick an activity or two and I will come and spend half an hour photographing your chosen activity (or activities if time allows). You will receive 15 images. Perfect for those holiday cards that you need to send out anyway! Sessions are $300 and you will be able to choose the 15 images that you want easily from my online gallery. Once you have chosen your images, you are welcome to print as you wish. You will also receive a discount code from my preferred holiday card vendor. Click here to book. Please write “Holiday Traditions Session” in the subject line and include your preferred date. Dates are as follows:

November 7th

November 8th

November 14th

November 21st

November 22nd

December 5th

December 6th

December 12th

December 13th

A Quarantine Picture Journal {Seattle Family Photographer}

This has been a year unlike any other. I have found it somewhat therapeutic to photograph my boys as we navigate 2020. Being at home has really made me aware of how important our living space is to me. I love our 110 year old home, even with its quirks, and there’s no other place I’d rather be than here. It’s made me realize how important in home photography is. Your home is the back drop for your lives. It’s where so many important things happen and it should be celebrated and photographed as it helps tell your story. I hope you enjoy seeing our journey through quarantine.

A Beautiful Golden Hour Family Session {Seattle Family Photographer}

The vast majority of my sessions take place at home, but every now and then, I get outdoors and do a family session. This session was part two of a newborn session. We did the first part at home, and the second part at a family farm. Everything came together perfectly and the results were magical. Washington, along with the rest of the west coast has been battling wildfires and the air had been too hazardous to be outside. Luckily, some rain cleared the smoke out and then the sun came out in time for our session. It really couldn’t have gone better and I’m thrilled with the results. I hope to do more outdoor newborn sessions next year when it warms up again. Welcome to the world sweet girl!