Double The Love. Newborn with Baby Sister.

As promised, a full selection of favorites from my at home newborn session a few weeks ago

Two babies! Double the love! A 6 week old nearly-new newborn & her charming one year old, gorgeous baby sister

Making the most of moments as they arose. Newborn photography focused on moments of stillness & lots of going with the flow. Making the most of authentic, messy moments of chaos & confusion. As well as moments of bliss & delight!

It can be a challenge to get two babies in the same frame looking contented. Therefore, it is about creating pleasing compositions in other ways. Baby in the foreground & baby in soft focus in the background. Playing with depth of field. Letting go of perfect poses & noticing moments of gesture & movement instead. Also I am a big fan of details in newborn photography, tiny curled up hands & feet.

Here are some tips & tricks I've prepared for all newborn at home sessions.

PREPARING FOR YOUR NEWBORN SESSION AT HOME

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

Clothes

There is no need to dress up for your photoshoot. You can keep things as natural and fuss free as you’d like, particularly with a newborn.

Tips: Remember with any bright colour your eye will be drawn to that colour 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 or a set palette, just something that works as a whole. If you love bright colours, you can always spread those colours across you all, even with a small pop here & there.

It is fine to wear casual clothes & even pyjamas or nightwear/robe/dressing gown, in fact pyjamas can be very authentic around the house with a newborn! And especially if there are pictures in the bedrooms. This can create a natural relaxed scene

Master Bedroom

Bedrooms can be a great place to take pictures as beds tend to be by windows, a source of natural light. If you have time, doing up the bed in your bedroom could be a great place to take pictures. Baby on the bed. You and baby & siblings - the whole family! - comfortable on the bed. 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. If you have a kitchen chair, armchair or stool, think about if one can be placed by a window. They can be places to do natural portraits

Baby Blankets

If you have favourite blankets, they can often be a good backdrop wherever baby is lying, and even on any beds. Big ones are very useful, but any of your favourites are very handy

Baby bed or crib

A perfect place for pictures of your newborn. So any favourite blankets also can be used

Sofa

You might have a favourite sofa. You can always accessorise with any cushions & baby blankets that are easily at hand

Mirrors

You & your family holding baby in the mirror. Mirrors can be great places to photograph reflections, so think about places where you might have a mirror

I really look forward to meeting you, your family, & your newborn! Cara Hodge Photographer, newborn & baby portraits, Dublin. Classic family & baby, emotive, natural photography

Cara x