A Boho Lifestyle Newborn Session

Lifestyle newborn sessions are always some of my favorites. I love being invited into a family’s home to enjoy a peek into their first few weeks at home with their baby. The moments we capture are so intimate and cozy, just quiet little moments that unfold as you get to know your little one.

These sessions are especially beautiful when there is a new big brother or sister! Just look at Jack and the sweet curiosity he has around his baby sister Sloane!

This family’s home was an absolute dream to shoot in. This was the father’s childhood home, and the family has completely redone it with new flooring & white paint, adding in their mix of boho & midcentury modern furniture for a light and airy look — perfect for photographs!

These cuddly shots of Sloane in the crib with her big brother were some of my favorites!

The master bedroom is always a favorite spot for family portraits, and this one with the white bedding & high ceilings was just dreamy!

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Lifestyle newborn portraits at home in the South End | Boston Newborn Photographer

Since moving to New York I definitely spend less time in Boston, and I miss it like crazy!

I was so excited when this sweet family reached out to plan their newborn session at their apartment in the South End. I have worked with families all over the city in spacious condos and tiny apartments, with lots of natural light and with teeny tiny windows. Every time I am invited into a family’s home is an adventure, and I always love watching the moments that unfold.

You really don’t need a lot of space to photograph a family welcoming their baby home, and I love finding creative new ways to work with the space in the master bedrooms, living rooms, and nurseries.

We captured the most beautiful portraits of sweet baby Julia and big brother George. He was so excited to hold his little sister, and we definitely got so many cute expressions from him!

Cozy family portraits in front of the windows are my fave!

I love everything about this cozy, close up portrait of miss Julia being showered in love.

This chair has traveled with Julia’s mama from apartment to apartment after she inherited it from a previous owner, and it now sits in a sunny corner of their living room. I love that it has such a rich history, and that the beautiful fabric was the perfect backdrop for their baby girl!

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A Relaxed Family Session at Home

This lifestyle session in the S family’s new home in Saratoga Springs was so perfect! I absolutely loved capturing the four of them together in the space where they are most comfortable — at home!

We started off playing in big brother’s room, and he was so happy to show me his little tent and play peek-a-boo with his baby brother.

My favorite room in the house was the nursery. There was a wall of windows, and it was perfect for lots of family cuddles and kisses! Big brother Henry was so sweet with baby Charlie, and I loved watching these two adorable brothers together!

Like all of our in-home family sessions, we always love cozying up in the master bedroom and capturing the whole family together on the bed.

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A Lifestyle Newborn Session at home with 3 big sisters

Sweet little Shiloh is a lucky baby girl. She was welcomed home by her three big sisters, and her first days at home were filled with love and cuddles.

I was invited into this adorable family’s home for a lifestyle newborn session, and I loved getting to document this intimate peek into their lives at home with their newest addition to the family. They live in a beautiful old home filled with so much charm, and it truly was the perfect backdrop to their story.

One of my favorite parts about our lifestyle sessions is that the fur babies get to join in on our portraits! Do you have a dog you’d love to incorporate into your newborn session? A lifestyle session might be perfect for you!

Welcome Home, Emily Ann! Lifestyle Newborn Portraits in Boston

Walking into this sweet family’s home was a moment of deja vu. I felt like I was just there for Connor’s newborn session, and then I blinked and he became a big brother! I loved meeting his new sister Emily and watching this little family become a family of four. Plus it was so amazing to see Connor now as a toddler & big brother. He was so sweet and gentle with his sister, and I adore all of the amazing sibling shots we were able to capture during their lifestyle newborn session at home.

Checking out those itty bitty baby toes!

Emerson's Lifestyle Newborn Session

Stepping into this family’s home was like stepping into a model home that Chip & Joanna Gaines had styled for Fixer Upper. This beautiful home had Magnolia-style written all over it from the farmhouse accents, scripted and rustic word art on the walls, boxwood wreaths, and black & white accents.

I loved everything about it, and it made their lifestyle newborn session even more special because they will get to show their baby girl one day the house that they moved into right before she was born, and the house that they got ready just in time to snuggle her as a newborn baby.

Sweet little Emerson’s nursery was the softest blush pink with beautiful floral accents, and I loved getting to photograph some adorable family cuddles in there!

We always do a few family portraits on the master bed, and this might have been my favorite space in the whole home. It made for some amazing quiet moments of this whole family together, snuggling up with Emerson and getting to know this sweet baby girl that they just welcomed home a few days ago.

Aren’t baby yawns the cutest?

A Lifestyle Newborn Session in Jamaica Plain, Boston Lifestyle Photographer

Lifestyle sessions will always have my heart. These newborn sessions are such a special time in a new family’s life, and I love being invited into a family’s home to celebrate their baby’s arrival with them.

These first few days pass by in a blur. They are some of the hardest days you’ll ever experience, and oddly enough, they are also the days that you’ll barely be able to remember. These first days are filled with quiet moments that happen in between the chaos and exhaustion — the long nights, trying to figure out their cries, working on getting them eating enough, so many diapers, and wondering how in the world a tiny little baby can go through SO. MUCH. LAUNDRY.

But the quiet moments in between all of that are where the magic happens. Watching your little one’s chest rise & fall. Feeling their tiny fingers wrap around and grip your own. Tracing their perfect little hairline. Watching their sleepy eyes flutter open and a little half smile cross their lips. Those are the moments that you won’t ever want to forget.

Lia’s newborn session was filled with so many magical moments. Tiny sleepy stretches. Wide eyed stares. The most amazing whirls of hair on her perfect little head. Lots of cuddles in the nursery that her mommy & daddy spent months putting together for her arrival. Everything was just perfect!

A Lifestyle Newborn Session in a Dreamy Nursery in Rexford, NY

Oh my goodness!  Can I just live in this beautiful nursery?  I fell in love with the great big windows and the sunlight streaming in, plus everything was decorated so beautifully and serene.  

Little Luciano's newborn session was an absolute dream.  This tiny little sweetheart was wide-eyed and curious, checking out everything going on around him, resulting in some beautiful awake portraits.  

These backlit family portraits are always my favorites during our newborn sessions, and Luciano seemed to know this and decided to give amazing eye contact during his family portraits.  Just look at how alert he is!

He enjoyed all of the snuggles with mom and dad, and their two dogs (Romeo & Juliet) even joined in for a few portraits!

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Did you love this session? 

Check out Baby Harry's lifestyle newborn session with his two dogs, too!

Saratoga Springs Lifestyle Newborn Session with Big Sisters

Baby Harry was welcomed home by the cutest big sisters, and I love the excitement that they brought to our lifestyle newborn session in Saratoga Springs!  

This very special family moved into their new home just in time to welcome home a tiny little brother.  It was all blank walls and huge windows with lots of natural light streaming through, perfect for capturing these moments and newborn cuddles on camera!

Little Sister Ruthie took a little convincing to get in the photos (it's tough becoming a big sister and realizing you're not the baby anymore!), but once she did, she had the BIGGEST smile on her face and was so excited to love on her baby brother!

Big sister Havah was such a little mother, and she melted all of our hearts when she cuddled up to Harry to tell him how much she loved him.  

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Did you love this lifestyle newborn session?
Check out Ronan's session with his adorable big brother here!

A lifestyle newborn session at home with Andres James | Saratoga Springs NY Lifestyle Newborn Photographer

Our lifestyle newborn sessions steal my heart every single time.  It's always such an honor to be invited into a family's home to capture their new baby, and I love watching all of the love unfold within those walls. 

These sessions are simple and sweet, without too much formal "posing" and really with just a little bit of guidance to cuddle up closer, lean in, and soak in the moment with their little ones. 

Plus, I love getting to photograph all of the different nurseries!  This nursery for Baby Andres is elegant, classic, and clean without any frills to distract from this beautiful family loving on their new baby boy.  (P.S.  Look at that chandelier!!!!!)

Big sister wasn't so sure about this new little baby, just like most toddlers are, but she got nice and close and loved looking at him through his crib.

I adore this parent portrait -- don't they look so well-rested with two under 2?!?!  And I love how tiny Andres is all curled up in their arms.

A close-up of this sweet baby boy with his head full of hair and those perfect little lips...

Toddlers always make these sessions so much fun!  We laugh, play games, share lots of tickles, and really get them giggling.  With a new baby at home that needs so much attention, they love getting to be the star of the show for a little bit during their portrait session, and sweet little Aria was full of so much personality and really enjoyed getting playful with us!

Did you love this session?  Check out these gorgeous nurseries:

A Rustic Woodland Nursery

A Floral Nursery Inspired by Little  Unicorn Designs

Product feature - Welcome Home Baby Blair | A Lifestyle Session in Our Linen Storybook Album

Now that we have a little one of our own, our keepsake albums are even more special to me.  I truly love being able to hold all of our favorite memories in my hands, flipping through the pages of a beautifully bound book and feeling the linen cover beneath my fingers as I trace the debossed words on the cover.

These are such beautiful keepsakes, and our albums stole my heart long ago.  Today we're showcasing this beautiful lifestyle newborn session in our Sand linen storybook album.

Album details:
8x8 Storybook Album
Linen color: Sand
Font color: Rose Gold

One of my favorite behind-the-scenes tasks as a business owner is album design.  I truly enjoy weaving together all of your favorite photos across the pages of a book to tell your story, trying different combinations and layouts to get it just right while showcasing your beautiful family.

These albums are perfect for our lifestyle sessions because the sessions are true STORYTELLING sessions.  You might not hang every portrait on the wall, and that's okay!  But the moments are ones that you're not going to want to forget, and it's so special to be able to preserve them and relive them through the pages of your family's album.

There are 5 beautiful linen cover options to choose from so you'll be able to find the perfect shade to suit your style.  A few of the most classic ones are Tundra (a smooth dark gray), Sand (the beachy beige shown here), and Tusk (a creamy white). 

Plus we can deboss your baby's name & birthdate on the cover, or your family name & the year for a family session!  The debossing options are silver, gold, and rose gold -- the album in this blog post is done in rose gold, which is one of my favorite combinations with the sand linen.

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Curious about our other keepsake products?  We truly believe that you'll enjoy your memories more when they are printed -- check out a few of our options here!

The Wooden Keepsake Box
Heirloom Wooden Wall Art
Accordion Albums
Birth Announcements
Thank You Cards
The Storybook Album

Best of 2017 Lifestyle Newborns | Saratoga Springs NY and Boston MA Newborn Photographer

If you’ve ever talked with me about our newborn sessions, you know that our lifestyle newborn sessions steal my heart every. single. time. 

I am always so honored when parents invite me into their home to capture their little one’s first days at home with their family.  Magic unfolds as they cuddle up with their brand new baby in a space that is filled with their family’s personality, a space that tells the beginning of this next chapter in their family’s story.

We typically shoot these sessions in the nursery, master bedroom, and living room.  But I’ve been known to be a chaser of light, and if I see an amazing pocket of light in your hallway, dining room, or even a corner of your bathroom, you can bet we’ll go there for some great shots!

My favorite product to showcase these sessions at home is definitely our fine art album.  These gorgeous linen-covered books are keepsakes that you will enjoy looking through with your children for the next 30 years, passing down to your kids one day when they have babies of their own.  These books take all of your images and weave them together to tell a story, YOUR STORY.  And there’s nothing better than the story of your family at home, in the place where every story begins.  

Every year I love going back through our sessions and sharing a few favorites on the blog.  Enjoy a peek at a few of our most memorable newborn photos at home from 2017, and be sure to check out our other “BEST OF 2017” blog posts!

Best of 2017 Cake Smash Sessions
Best of 2017 Family Sessions
Best of 2017 Studio Newborn Sessions
Best of 2017 Maternity Sessions
Best of 2017 Fresh 48 Sessions
Best of 2017 Brothers & Sisters: Candid and Fun Sibling Portraits
Best of 2017 Beach Sessions on Cape Cod
 

Welcome Home, Vivian Jane: A Lifestyle Newborn Session with Saratoga Springs Newborn Photographer

Lifestyle sessions always steal my heart.  There is something so magical about being invited into a family's home to capture their quiet moments together as they welcome their brand new baby into the family, and I love visiting them in their space and documenting these moments for them to show their children one day that THIS is the space we brought you home to when you were born. 

Even if they change houses and move states, there is something so amazing about that first home that holds so many newborn memories for them.  The first cuddles, the first smiles.  So many late night feedings, and quiet moments just watching your baby breathe in and out when they're (finally!) asleep.  The walls are filled with stories, and it's always an honor to be invited into their space to capture the beginning of this new love story for their family.

Vivian Jane's house was filled with natural light, and we started off in the bedroom with a simple wrap and a knit blanket that I brought from the studio.  Her mom bought a few headbands before the session for a sweet girly touch.  

Family portraits are always my favorite during our lifestyle newborn sessions at home.  Tina & Curtis cuddled up on the bed with their baby girl, and we captured some quiet moments of the three of them together.  

Are you wondering where in your house we might capture a few portraits?  If you have a sliding door, there's a pretty good chance we'll go there for lots of natural light to flood your portraits!  I love these moments we captured in their living room that show their beautiful bond with their new daughter, and a hint at their style with their furniture and decor showing in the background. 

Check out a few recent lifestyle sessions for some at-home newborn inspiration!

John Aldrich
Connor James
How to Know if a Lifestyle Session is Right for You

 

A Lifestyle Newborn Session in Downtown Boston | Boston Newborn Photographer

Of course there is nothing I love more than being invited into the homes of new parents to celebrate their baby's arrival with them.  As a Boston newborn photographer, these lifestyle sessions always steal my heart and I love watching a family that just grew +1 as they welcome their baby into their lives.

I was lucky enough to join Baby John's family at the hospital for a Fresh 48 session soon after his arrival, and just a few weeks after that I was invited to their beautiful light-filled home in Boston overlooking the Boston Common for a lifestyle newborn portrait session with mom, dad, and grandma.

John, of course, wanted to see what all the fuss was about and he was alert & curious the entire time!

I always encourage grandparents to join us for our lifestyle sessions, and we were so fortunate that John's grandma was able to visit from NY in time for his newborn session!  Three generation portraits are so magical, and a great keepsake to look back on to showcase your family's legacy.

Every lifestyle session we try to create your family portraits in three main areas of your home -- the living room, the nursery, and the master bedroom.  Of course, depending on the lighting and the space, we may not be able to do all of those spaces and we'll instead choose another area of your home with great light and that shows character in the decor. 

Nursery portraits are always some of my favorite lifestyle shots because we get to focus on all of the little details that you so lovingly selected during your pregnancy -- the crib, the mobile, the artwork, the rocking chair that you're going to spend hundreds of hours in with your baby.  This particular nursery had no windows, but you wouldn't know it with how light & airy we were able to make it for the baby's first photoshoot!

My job is a photographer is to seek out amazing pockets of light in your home.  I immediately fell in love with the light and architectural details in this hallway, so of course it was the perfect spot for a few family portraits.  Don't you just love how the archway frames them so beautifully?

Our lifestyle newborn sessions have become incredibly popular, and the calendar is filling up for the winter months!  We're now booking through March 2018, and I would love to celebrate your baby's arrival with you as your bring your baby home.  Let's chat about documenting your family's legacy today!
 

Bringing Home Evelyn - A Lifestyle Newborn Session with Saratoga Springs Newborn Photographer - Saratoga Springs NY Newborn Photographer

I love going into a family's home for their lifestyle newborn session, and visiting sweet Evelyn's family was no exception.  It's always magical to be invited into a family's space to watch those beautiful moments unfold as they get to know their brand new baby.

We spent an hour together with the most alert baby girl who wanted to observe everything that was going on around her.  Most newborns tire out after a short while, especially with so much activity going on around them, but Evelyn was determined to show off her sparkling eyes in all of her newborn portraits.  I'm so glad she did -- look at how beautiful she is!!

One of the things that ALL families worry about before a lifestyle newborn session is -- what if my house is a mess????

Many times before their session, I reassure the new moms and dads that I 100% expect to see laundry, clutter, dozens of baby items, food, and other evidence of their life around the house.  Honestly, that's what life at home with a new baby looks like! 

But I understand that you might not want to always remember the laundry, so I have a few tricks up my sleeve to make every single home look magazine-worthy.

While our lifestyle sessions looks so perfectly clean and organized, you have to remember that just what's in the frame is magazine-worthy.  There are always mountains of laundry, bulky bassinets and diaper genies, and a couple of pairs of shoes in the corner behind me.  And what's in the frame is pure perfection.

You don't need a lot of space or great big windows to capture beautiful lifestyle images at home with your newborn.  All you need is a tidy little corner of your home, a little bit of good light, and an outlet nearby for me to plug in my studio light -- that's all it takes!  As long as you don't mind when we rearrange a couple of things to pull them out of the camera's frame to keep the focus on YOU & YOUR BABY, we're going to have gorgeous images of your little family together.

Want to see my FAVORITE blog post about seeing a home through a photographer's eyes?  Check it out here, and see how a crowded lime green bedroom became a gorgeous neutral space for this family's session.

How to Know if a Lifestyle Newborn Session is the Right Fit for You - Saratoga Springs Newborn Photographer

Are you thinking you'd love to celebrate your newborn baby's arrival with some family portraits at home?  Then a lifestyle session might be the right fit for you!  If you've been wondering which style of newborn session is best for your family, read on to learn more about our lifestyle sessions to see if this one feels like it was designed with you in mind!

I offer three types of newborn sessions -- studio sessions, lifestyle sessions in your home, and Fresh 48 sessions at the hospital.  Each one tells a different story, and gives you a different style of images.  Some families choose to do just one session, others do a combination of two (typically Fresh 48 and then either lifestyle or studio), and still others do all three!

Fresh 48 sessions are natural, raw, and filled with emotion.  They are a peek into your first hours meeting your newborn baby, and they are filled with some of the most magical moments I ever have the pleasure of photographing.  Sure, the hospital decorating choices might leave a little to be desired, and you're going to be exhausted because you just delivered a baby the day before, but these are moments you will never get back and you will always cherish.  Check out our blog post about why you might want to consider hiring a Fresh 48 photographer.

Studio sessions are a bit more posed, and we'll capture family portraits on a clean background, positioning the baby so that we can perfectly see everyone's face.  We do a few setups on the beanbag with blankets and wraps, and also use simple bowls, baskets, and crates to tuck your baby into for some classic shots.  If you're looking for "froggy pose" or "taco pose", this type of session is probably the best fit for you!  Check out our blog post about studio sessions to see if this might be the right fit for you!

But today is all about LIFESTYLE newborn sessions in your home!

1.  You have lots of natural light in your home.

Photographs are made with light -- you need light to create an image, and it's incredibly hard to do that in a home with tiny windows and dark rooms.  I always bring my flash to supplement the light if necessary, but if your home has a room or two that receives good natural light, we'll shoot there!  We typically look at the master bedroom, nursery, and living room, though I've been known to shoot in the hallway, on the porch, and in the kitchen if there's a great bit of light coming through!

2.  You prefer a more relaxed, natural, unposed style of family images.

Lifestyle sessions are a relaxed and intimate peek into your lives with a new baby at home.  I won't pose you, but I will guide you -- sit together on the bed, move in close, look down at your baby girl.  I will ask you questions to loosen you up, and I will encourage you to relax and feel comfortable in front of the camera.  I won't tell you how to hold the baby in your arms -- you'll do that however is naturally comfortable for you!  I may tell you to lean in close, bring the baby closer to your face, or to look over at your husband for a quick second -- but that's it in terms of "posing"!

3.  You're not looking for "froggy pose" or a baby in a bucket.

At home, a swaddle is our best friend and most of the images of your baby will be wrapped up snugly so that they sleep.  We may capture a few portraits of the baby in just a diaper on the master bed, or in a classic white onesie in the family portraits.  But we won't be positioning them into any particular poses, and we'll really treat it as very natural and unposed.

4.  You may not be in your forever home yet, but it’s important to you that your baby see where they came home from the hospital.

Many young families are in apartments or condos, and they're not in the home yet that their child will grow up in and remember for the rest of their life.  Still, how amazing to be able to one day show your child beautifully captured images of the first home that they came home to?  Let them see the apartment that you were in as newlyweds and as new parents, let them see what your life looked like when you went from 2 to 3.  

5.  You love portraits filled with emotion.

Photographs are a moment frozen in time, a moment that you will never get back but that you can always relive by looking through your favorite images.  That look that a new dad has when holding his newborn son?  It truly is priceless.  

6.  You want your pets to be involved in the portrait session.

Your fur-baby was your first baby, and so many families would love to capture their ENTIRE family together, including their pets.  Lifestyle sessions are the perfect way to include your dogs or cats in your session, and I am always up for the challenge of dog-wrangling to capture a shot of your baby with your favorite animal.

7.  You’re just as comfortable cuddling up on the sofa as you are on the master bed.

Your home is a living & breathing space filled with personality.  It tells your family's story, and it tells your story as a couple and the adventures you've enjoyed together.  It makes sense to tell the beginning of the next chapter of your story in your home, and that means we'll do your photographs in the rooms that you spend the most time -- the master bedroom, the living room, and the nursery.  You're going to spend so much time rocking your baby to sleep and getting to know your little one on the master bed, and I love capturing a family cuddling in close on the bed for some unposed shots together.  

8.  You put lots of thought & care into decorating the nursery.  You’d love to remember it exactly as it is, and share it with your baby years from now so that they can see their first bedroom.

You spent weeks looking at bedding, mobiles, and curtains.  You spent days pulling everything together, arranging the trinkets on the shelves, and placing each book lovingly on the bookshelf.  You rocked in the rocker and imagined what it would be like holding your baby in your arms in that very room.  You counted down to your baby's arrival in that room, and you'll bring your baby home and into that room the day they come home from the hospital.  Your nursery is the most special place in your home, and it's truly the best possible spot to enjoy your newborn portraits.

Some families don't have a nursery -- it's a corner of the office, or another crib in their toddler's room.  That's okay!  We'll capture some of the details you lovingly put together, and of course your baby in their crib.  In this blog post, some of the nurseries in the photos were shared office spaces or off the living room in little Boston apartments, but at just the right angle you'll have nothing to distract you from your baby and the space you prepared for them!

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So, does a lifestyle session feel like it could be the right fit for you?  Let's chat and find out!