Baby Summer is here! Mom, Jessica, was just in our Maplewood, NJ studio for her maternity session. This time, I traveled to the family’s Passaic County home for an in-home newborn session. Mom had created a beautiful nursery for baby Summer and wanted it documented. We did the entire session in the nursery, so I got creative with angles and posing. It was a sunny day, but the windows had a bit less light than I would have liked. When that happens I use a bit of flash to fill the room so we have the light and airy photography look many of my newborn clients love. While flash can look a bit out of place, I mix it with the natural ambient light to ensure a soft, flattering effect; in most instances flash is completely unnoticeable and all you’ll see when looking at your images are the love when you welcome your newborn home.

Clients often want their pets included in newborn sessions and we did intend to include their pup, Jeter, but Jeter was having a hard time staying calm around the new baby. (Babies are so exciting!) Dad explained that Jeter has been so excited to get up close to her, and while he is such a gorgeous sweetie, we all agreed we wouldn’t bring him into the nursery for images and perhaps he could be included down the road for Summer's 6 month or first birthday photos when the two had gotten more accustomed to each other. I am always thrilled to include dogs in in-home newborn sessions, as long as the parents are confident their dog will stay calm. Safety first!

Some clients don’t realize that the studio wardrobe is available to them for in-home sessions as well. Jessica wanted me to bring dresses for her, so I chose three that I knew would fit Mom and thought she would feel beautiful in. I bring them to the client's home, steamed and ready for our session. 

After our session, I helped pick the best photos for their album. The gallery was quite large, as I was focused on creating diversity in a relatively small space. Sometimes Mom and Dad have trouble determining the best image because they are all lovely. I was more than happy to provide my expert opinion on which image would fit best in the context of the overall album and the other photos they had already selected. Creating beautiful and cohesive albums is something that I love to do for my clients and they really appreciate my expertise in this area. 

I cannot wait for my next session with Summer’s family. Check back soon for her 6-month portraits!