It takes two. Newborn with baby sister.

A newborn at home family session in Blackrock, Dublin

Two babies. Double the love!

A 6 week old nearly-new newborn & her one year old baby sister

Making the most of moments as they arose on this session.

Authentic, messy moments. As well as moments of peace

This family really wanted a family portrait of all four of them in the frame looking at the camera. Not so easy at these ages. I mainly specialize in natural newborn at home portraits. That's documentary photography where you capture the first days & weeks at home naturally & authentically. But I do make room for more classic family portraits too, especially if you want them

See my Fly On The Wall page for more details about capturing life as it is

It can be a challenge to get two babies in the same frame looking contented. Older sister was getting used to having a new baby in her life & still needing lots of attention herself

I had to create compositions in ways other than having the two perfectly in the frame.

Baby in the foreground & baby in soft focus in the background. Playing with depth of field on the camera.

Noticing moments of gesture & movement.

I am a big fan of details in newborn at home photography. Tiny curled up hands & feet are great to capture

Here are some tips & tricks I've prepared for all newborn at home photography sessions. This is what I give to my families to help them prepare

PREPARING FOR YOUR NEWBORN SESSION AT HOME

Congratulations on your newborn! Just a few tips for preparing for your newborn at home session. None of these are set in stone, but rather some things to think about if you’d like

Wardrobe

There is no need to dress up for your newborn photo shoot. You can keep things as natural and fuss free as you’d like

Tips:

It is fine to wear casual clothes & even pyjamas or nightwear/robe/dressing gown. Pyjamas can be very authentic around the house with a newborn! Particularly if we use the master bed as a place for family portraits

Remember with any bright color your eye will be drawn to that color first. If baby is in pastels and you’re wearing bright orange that will take focus off baby, so you might want to wear something that compliments your baby & other children.

No need for matching, just something that works as a whole. If you love bright colors, you can always spread those colors across you all, even with a small pop here & there.

Master Bedroom

Bedrooms are a great place to take pictures as beds tend to be by windows, a source of natural light. Doing up the bed in your bedroom can be helpful (if you have time). Baby on the bed. The whole family! Bed linen presents a nice soft backdrop with no harsh lines.

Window light

I will scope your house for the best natural light sources, but windows are a great option. Throw open the curtains, wind up the blinds! Bring in the light!

I love light filled newborn at home photography. I also like to use low light & shadow, especially for dramatic black & white baby photography - but I still need a natural light source, such as through a window

Baby Blankets

If you have favorite blanket, they can be a good backdrop wherever baby is lying, or draped across the sofa.

Mirrors

You & your family holding baby in the mirror. Mirrors can be great places to photograph reflections. Also a great source of light bouncing off the mirror

Natural Environment

Finally I like to make the most of the natural environment of your home. Often in the first weeks & days after birth, there is mess & chaos. That's natural as baby takes up sp much time. Usually when I come for a natural newborn at home session, there is baby stuff everywhere - clothes, bottles, toys, blankets, unwashed clothes.

These items can look great as part of an environmental family portrait showing real life as it is at home with your baby

AND FINALLY...

After your newborn at home photo shoot, I will download all the pictures on to my computer and select all the best moments

It takes about a week to get the best pictures from your session in your professional online viewing gallery with a personalized cover

Depending on the photography package you choose, you can choose a digital package or one which includes printed products

I always suggest you PRINT PRINT PRINT. I use professional printers here in Dublin for exceptional print quality & very popular mat printing

I also have a range of handcrafted albums & mounted print boxes. These are available as part of your family package or else available after the photo shoot a la carte

I really look forward to meeting you, your family, & your newborn!

Cara Hodge Photographer, family photographer & natural at home newborn photographer Dublin

Contact me for more info about my family packages or to book your newborn session with me

Cara x