I spent so many hours perfecting every detail of my kid’s nurseries that there was never any doubt we’d be doing an in home lifestyle newborn session. It was the perfect backdrop for those sweet baby photos and of course I wanted to document all my hard work! Plus I wanted the photos to reflect our daily life but just a bit dressier, aka real pants vs postpartum yoga pants :).
Not convinced yet? I’m going to cover 5 Reasons to Book an In Home Charlottesville Lifestyle Newborn Session and hopefully win you over today.
Before we jump in I’m giving a shoutout to one of my Blogging Club members Rosa, a Pismo Beach Photographer, who wrote a fantastic post about Extended Family Sessions in Pismo Beach.
Table of Contents
Enjoy the Ease and Comfort of an In-Home Newborn Session
I don’t know about you but I’m just more comfortable at home. I can relax a bit more and feel like myself. I’m not going to feel that way at a studio no matter how beautiful it is. Plus let’s be honest your husband and other kiddos are going to be much happier at home too. No worries about something getting broken and if siblings need a break Dad can take them to another part of the house to have fun.
When you are uncomfortable it shows in your photos so doing your lifestyle newborn session in the place you are most comfortable will actually result in better photos.
Maximum Convenience and Can Fit Your Families Routine
No dealing with traffic, no having to pack like your going on vacation just to take your new baby out of the house for a few hours. Second time around parents know exactly what I’m talking about! Forgot something? No problem just pop into the other room to get it. Do we need to work around someone’s work or nap schedule? Super easy to do when I come to you for your Charlottesville lifestyle newborn session!
Having your session at home is so much more convenient for my clients but I definitely get the question, “Do we have to clean the whole house?”. Heck no!! You just had a baby, I’m not your mother in law, I promise you I don’t inspect and I don’t judge. I do ask that the nursery is straightened up and the master bedroom or living room depending on where we want our second location to be. But feel free to leave that pile of dishes in the sink “to soak” as I like to say when I don’t feel like doing dishes at that moment.
Bonus tip – When people ask what they give you for a baby shower present ask for a deep cleaning for your house. I know it sounds crazy but the last thing you want to do right before or after giving birth is clean your toilets. Plus you get so many visitors who want to see the baby so this way you don’t even have to stress about the house being a mess!
Showcase Your Nursery’s Charm & Details with a Charlottesville Lifestyle Newborn Session
From picking out the perfect wall color, crib, decor and so much more! I spent so many hours on Pinterest as I’m sure you have creating the perfect spot for your baby to grow up in. So why not make it the backdrop for your newborn photos.
Being able to share with my daughter as she gets older the room she was brought home from the hospital to is such a treat. That room was filled with so much love and personal touches, I love documenting all those little details for you to remember in years to come.
Authentic Moments of Your Home & Your Baby in Photos
Charlottesville lifestyle newborn sessions are super easy for parents, all you have to do is gaze adoringly at your new baby. We both know you are already doing that so now you just get to do it in front of someone with a camera. From rocking the baby to sleep in the nursery to standing over the crib staring down in wonder.
These are the everyday moments that typically happen when you are covered in baby spit-up and bleary eyed from only getting 2 hours of sleep. Your newborn session is the chance to capture the good memories of this time of you life and forget the haven’t showered in 2 days facts.
Leave It To a Pro To Get Quality & Creativity in Your Lifestyle Newborn Photos
Let’s get really honest, you could take your newborn photos with your cell phone. You’ve probably taken good photos of your spouse before interacting with your other kids or maybe even your pets. But how often do you as Mom get to be in the photo and it be flattering? Some of you may be married to Instagram husbands who rock at taking good photos of you but you are in a tiny minority.
When you bring in a pro for your lifestyle newborn session you get someone who wants to make sure you look perfect for your photos. Someone who is going to focus on flattering angles and making sure you look radiant as a new mom. Plus they are going to bring a level of creativity to your session that your sleep deprived brain just is not capable of handling. Even as a professional newborn photographer tackling only a tiny part of my daughters newborn photos I was exhausted.
Bonus Reason : Your Pets Can Be In Photos Too
I was a dog mom before I was a human mom so it was a no brainer for me that our dogs would be in our newborn photos. When clients mention to me that they have pets I’m all in on capturing the WHOLE family! I’ve learned some tricks over the years as far as cats vs dogs and how they behave at sessions so I can tell you what we can and can’t get realistically.
But just being able to have them in the room highlighting this moment of your life is so special! Check out Including Pets Into Newborn Photos At Home to see more examples!
5 Reasons to Book an In Home Charlottesville Lifestyle Newborn Session
I hope you enjoyed this article giving you so many reasons why I think an at home Charlottesville lifestyle newborn session is the way to go for your baby’s photoshoot. I know I’m biased as a lifestyle photographer but it is also how we did our sessions for our kids too. So I do practice what I preach!
If you are in the Charlottesville, Richmond or Central Virginia area and having a baby I’d love to chat with you about booking a lifestyle newborn session! Clients typically book in their second trimester so if that is you click the button below!
If you enjoyed this article I think you’ll like:
Grow Your Family With a Top Charlottesville Fertility Clinic!
5 Amazing Options for a Birth Center in Charlottesville, VA!
What to Wear for Lifestyle Newborn Photos
Melissa Arlena is an award winning Charlottesville & Richmond VA Master newborn & maternity photographer. She offers maternity, lifestyle newborn, and family photography in her relaxed, natural, and joyful style. Her clients love that not only do they get digital files from their session but artwork to display in their home. She is happy to design custom wall art galleries to show off your favorite photos! Be sure to check out the Nov 21 issue of Inspired magazine to see a feature on Melissa and her work!
Melissa serves the Richmond and Charlottesville area including: Short Pump | Crozet | Harrisonburg | Staunton | Lynchburg | Palmyra | Fredericksburg | Culpeper | Waynesboro
Melissa Arlena is an award winning lifestyle newborn photographer in Charlottesville and Richmond, Virginia who has earned her Master Photographer Certification from NAPCP in maternity, newborn and family photography. Her natural and simple work has been featured in magazines and online blogs worldwide. She has been named Best Maternity and Newborn Photographer in Richmond and Charlottesville, VA in 2024.
