New Life Session Workflow with DC and Maryland Newborn Lifestyle Photographer 

Capturing new life (or newborn) sessions is so special to me. Families are welcoming a new life to their home, and there’s so many beautiful things happening. My job as a DC and Maryland newborn lifestyle photographer is to capture those special, once-in-a-lifetime moments as your family grows. While every family is different, I aim to have the same new life session workflow for every family to ensure I don’t miss a single thing! If you’re wondering what it’s like to have a newborn session with me, read on! 

When I arrive for your New Life Session… 

1. I arrive with my KN95 mask on with newborns. With older infants, I ask clients what their comfort level is. Anything is fine with me, but I want you to be comfortable with your baby’s health! 
2. I take off my shoes and put on new socks. I usually wear obnoxiously bright colored socks. The reason I wear bright colored socks is so that when I am photographing downward, I will notice my feet and move myself! It’s a great way to make sure I’m thinking about how I capture your family. 
3. Immediately after, I wash my hands. Health and safety first! 
4. If there are siblings, I have them give me a tour of the house. I start to build a rapport with them and check out the light at the same time. This gives me inspiration of where our session will begin. If one part of the home will gain light towards the end of the session, I will plan out so that we end at that location of your home.

During our New Life Session… 

1. I aim to knock out the traditional smile and look at the camera moment – especially with toddlers right at the beginning. These take the most focus of anything and it’s important to get those done out of the way. 
2. Here is where flow goes out the window, if I’m being honest! Babies and toddlers lead the show. If a big sibling is willing, I like to get a moment with the children together. I have my own little tricks to make this happen, but I want to capture them as soon as I can in the session.
3. If the baby is asleep, I will get a few images of them solo, especially some close up images. This is not always promised because sometimes babies just need to be in their parent’s arms, so we do what we can to capture them. Every baby is different – so we’ll follow their lead. 
4. The rest of the session is focused on lots of cuddling and combinations of family members. I always aim to capture interactions between every member – the baby and their parents, individual moments with the parents, individual moments with siblings, and then moments of the parents together, the big sibling on their own, and so on. If other family members, like grandparents are here, we make sure to follow the process! 
5. If the baby is eating/nursing, I get details of the nursery. If the nursing parent wants photos of them nursing, I love getting to document that! It’s such a special bond. 
6. We wrap up our time together – with any final photos and moments left to capture. 

After the session, my normal process applies to deliver the final gallery to the families! New life sessions are special to my heart and I hope that my families continue to see the love and care I put into every session for them. 

Ready to book your family’s photos for 2024? Let’s talk!