The Valim family welcomed little Henry recently and he decided that he was much too sleepy to let our newborn session interrupt his morning nap. How peaceful he remained and what precious images we were able to capture! Everyone, meet Henry!

Curious what to expect at your newborn session?

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I take a relaxed approach to capturing these early days as new parents. After months of anticipation, your little one has finally arrived and it’s game-on! Figuring out those diaper changes, getting the hang of what his noises mean, the feedings, the burpings, the 10x a day outfit changes, and falling into the all that comes with new role of parents. In between are those deep breaths, soaking in the magic of the life that depends solely on you, that your heart now lives outside of your body for all the rest of your years.

It’s my goal to capture the pure love you feel in these moments, while you soak in every little move he makes. What happens within our time together is great opportunity to tell your story. It may be the sleepiest hour of their day, like Henry, or the most active and eventful. Embracing it and going with the flow is where the best images take place.

Images are one of the closest reminders to those experiences we wish we could bottle up and preserve forever.

When shooting your newborn session, it’s important I enter your home as an observer to your sacred space, blending in as an easy, adaptable guest. A soft voice and calm demeanor is what I bring, along with my camera. When I arrive, we take a walk around so that I can see where the light hits the cozy zones best. Often, I gravitate toward a bed, couch, or nursery rocker where you can snuggle up and are likely spending most of your time these days.

If this is your first baby, it’s pretty straight forward. If there are siblings involved, that’s where the most unpredictable moments happen and I eat up every bit of it! Big brothers or sisters often have their own fun ideas and pop in and out of the scene as they please. Check out what I mean with the Burckhards HERE and the Hoffmans HERE .

When baby is hungry, baby drinks. Milk drunk is the not-so-secret formula to a happy baby come shoot time.

There are certain positions that work well for everyone at a newborn session, which is where my experience allows us to use our time efficiently. Yet each family brings their own touch to it, which is where the images become uniquely yours. In the end, I shoot a hybrid of intentional and improvisational.

The combination list in my mind is simple and includes many versions of the following:

1. Baby solo
2. Whole family
3. Baby with each parent
4. Baby with siblings

Once in place, I capture the intentional shots and see how you take my direction and relax into it. Next, It’s the nuances that I’m focusing in on now. That hand touch, the forehead kiss, the sniff of that sweet baby skin, a twitch of his brow as he dreams… all the subtleness within your closeness. You should look back on these, in the years ahead, and still be able to feel what this felt like.

When I enter the nursery, I see where your thoughts were while you expected your baby. For instance, the details that went into a frame, the heirlooms that found their place on the shelves, the gifts from those just as excited to meet this new life and the books you’ll soon be reading together. Each piece all tells a story.

However, the untold stories of the stack of random baby supplies and unopened boxes of Amazon orders shoved in the closets and in the drawers to neaten up the room for the shoot remains to be told another day 🙂

In the end, you’re inviting me into your home to capture one of the greatest gifts you’ll ever be given and that is a task I cherish deeply. It’s my job to put you at ease and allow you to take it all in…. and hopefully forget there was even a camera involved.

If you have any questions about newborn sessions, ask away below.

Congrats to the Valims and to everyone who has welcomed a new addition to their family recently!

Want to see more newborn sessions? CLICK HERE.

Expecting and want to inquire about your own newborn session? CLICK HERE.