This year I made a big change with my newborn sessions. I really wanted to separate the classic newborn images with lifestyle newborn/family images. What’s the difference? Classic newborn photography is the baby posed and propped looking all curled up and adorable–accessories galore. I love this type of photography and I probably shoot this most often.

I used to take my whole set up to my clients home, which filled the entire back of my SUV, including space heaters, bean bag, several backdrops and props. It was very difficult to pack this all up, set it up and then re-pack it all back up again. It was also very difficult to control the environment in which the images were to be taken. Things like the natural light, heat and creating a peaceful environment to get the baby sleepy. So I decided it was time to take matters into my own hands and home. I had bucked the idea of a home studio for several years but with the increased demand in newborn photography it was something I needed to do to be able to accommodate this need. At the same time I really missed going into my clients homes and seeing parents in their environment with their new little baby. I missed seeing the baby’s nursery, the family dog and hanging out in the parents bedroom with the older kids jumping on the bed. I missed the photojournalistic images I used to capture in-between the posed newborn shots. That’s when it clicked for me to offer BOTH types of images but separately. It’s been win/win for both me and my clients! Most often on my Facebook page I show the classic studio newborn images but I thought I’d post a collage of my last lifestyle newborn session. It’s something that I really enjoyed shooting and I love the finished product. I think this is the best way to show and display a lifestyle newborn session. It tells a story best in a grouping or college. It’s a peek into my clients lives. A way to capture a candid moment that holds so much meaning. So the next time someone emails me to ask “what’s a lifestyle newborn session”? I’m going to send them to this post. If you want a lifestyle newborn session, you’ll get me and my camera and I’ll be there with bells on:)

©2013 Katherine Chambers