You've had your precious baby! Well done! What an amazing achievement. You should feel so proud that you brought this gorgeous little baby earthside. And now is the time to capture and honour that specialness. 

This is where I come in! You may have heard the term 'lifestyle Photography" thrown around a bit. And you're wondering what exactly IS it? Well... lifestyle photography is a more natural, relaxed and documentary style of photography. It is less 'posed' and more like telling a story. This is perfect for a newborn, because it captures all the details that somehow blur into one as they grow! 

Lifestyle photography is often done in your home. Surrounded by all yours and baby's special bits and pieces. 

Why is this so important for a newborn? Because we want to capture all these moments, in your environment. With your things. Capture the real connection, emotions and interaction. Where you, and baby, feel most comfortable.

In saying that, if you don't have a space that is suitable, I do have a 'lifestyle space' that you can come to for your photographs. Just bring all your sentimental items and away we go! BUT this space is limited to one room, where as your home has the main bedroom, nursery (if you have one) and lounge areas... as well as all the other 'every day' rooms. It is amazing what we can capture during real life. 

Lifestyle in your home is great for so many reasons. 

~ Firstly... you've just had a baby! You might not want to pack up the troop, grab all the stuff and trek to our studio. In your home, everything is already there and available. 

~ It helps capture the connection to your everyday life. You tend to be more relaxed in your own space, so will therefore feel more natural during the session. 

~ You can do the things that you do everyday, like bathing or baby sleeping in the spaces that you actually use... every day. 

You may think 'Oh god, our house is not a great place to photograph!' But you'd be surprised what we can capture with every day things. As long as the room isn't totally dark, and there is some beautiful natural light coming in... we are all good to go!

Leading up to the session, keep an eye on the rooms throughout the day. This will determine the best time of day for your session. When the light is brightest. We want bright light... but not direct sun!

The most common rooms I will shoot in will be the master bedroom , nursery and lounge areas. But if you have any other special spaces like a playroom or library that you'd like to work in, let me know and we can definitely make this happen! 

When I first arrive, after saying hello and gushing over that newborns gorgeousness... I'll get you to give me a tour of your home. That way I can work out all the est areas, and shots to capture from the beginning. It'll get my creative mind working!

And don't worry... I am NOT there to see how clean your home is! I understand that you have a new baby and life gets busy.. I don't care if you haven't had a chance to tidy like there is no tomorrow! The only thing I need, is the spaces we'll be shooting in the be tidy and clutter free. Getting rid of cups, hiding cords etc.

The session will generally take around 1-2 hours. This is to allow time to stop and feed if bub gets upset... and to just take a breather every now and then to help keep you all relaxed. If breastfeeding, be aware of what you eat leading up to the session. Avoid spicy foods or gas creating foods... we want bub to be happy and settled. 

Preparing for the Session:

Keep baby up for as long as possible before the session. That way we can ensure bub is tired and ready to sleep. If you can, try to time feeds so that baby is ready to feed just before the session. A full tummy is usually a happy baby!

Make sure you have things handy to use during the session. Things like blankets (cotton / muslin wraps are ideal), throw blankets (to use as 'backgrounds'), bubs fav toys & comforters, bonnets or beanies, heirlooms & a dummy (if bub will take one!). I don't bring props with me for lifestyle sessions, so having everything handy and ready to go is important! 

What to wear:

For bub ~ onesies. Depending on the time of year, pick a few cute outfits that will keep bub happy and warm or summer in Queensland, comfy and cool! We can do changes if it doesn't upset bub too much to get nudie! But even then... sometimes the crying shots are the cutest! Not to mention, we can include some gorgeous bath shots between changes!

For mum & dad ~ comfy. that's it. we want it to be natural... so something that makes you feel good and relaxed. Loose fitting dresses or tops are great for mum... because lets face it, you JUST had a baby! The last thing you want to feel is self conscious! Rock that gorgeousness that you're throwing out there! 

Siblings ~ comfy, every day clothes. Simple!

Pets ~ general rule is they don't WEAR clothes (haha) but if you have a bow tie or something... LOL

Try to avoid anything with brand names, logos or neon writing. Not only do they age badly (current trends and fads change over the years) but they can throw nasty hues to your skin tones... and we don't want that! 

All in all, this is about comfort. First and foremost. Don't be matchy matchy... but similar colour tones is great. Avoid patterns or only put one person in a subtle pattern. 

Hair & Makeup ~ just make sure that its soft and natural. Not too heavy or harsh colours. This is all about capturing the beauty in your little family <3

Lastly... What I'm going to capture!

Not only am I going to get all  the combos, like... whole family, mum & bub, dad & bub, siblings & bub, bub by themselves, the nursery and all the bits n bobs... but I'm going to get all those gorgeous baby details that we love to love. The cute little nose. The tiny hands or toes... those BEAUTIFUL eyelashes.. and those oh so perfect baby lips. These are the things that we don't want to forget. 

I usually ask parents to do one beautiful thing that is part of every day life too. Whether that is feeding, bathing or some other special part of your routine. This helps capture the real. And there is nothing quite like real! 

I am looking forward so much to capturing your newest addition and can't wait to meet your family (or see you all again if we've had previous sessions!)

~ Claire <3