Are you looking for a newborn photographer in Wakefield or Chelsea, Quebec?  Are you overwhelmed by all the choices?  This post will clarify one of the newborn photography options - IN-HOME NEWBORN LIFESTYLE.

How would it feel to stay home for your session when your new baby arrives?  How would it feel to have a longer session that is relaxed and leaves space for things like diaper changes and feeding?  Do you want your home to be the backdrop for your images?  Keep reading!

What an In-home Newborn session is not:

• baby in basket or in cute poses like froggy and taco

• everyone posed perfectly and looking at the camera

• using lights and diffusers that the photographer brings to your home

• set up in a studio 

What IS an In-Home Newborn Photography Session?

Relaxed and "Go with the Flow"

When you book a newborn session with Elle Odyn Photography & Film you are signing up for a relaxed session. We will have already chatted so you will know what to expect from your session. I will make suggestions of what to wear (or you can visit Pinterest and be inspired). I will arrive and move through your home (often I have the older siblings take me on a tour) and see where the best locations are for your images. Don't worry if there is clutter here and there - we can move it out of the way if needed.

Organic - Don't worry too much about siblings and behaviour

I will work with the space and how baby and siblings are doing. You can relax while I work with your older child's mood and energy. I have children of my own - so have no worries - I get it. I completely get it. Allow me to connect with your older child/children and don't worry if they choose to sit out of some images. The real-life stuff is the backdrop to your images. If baby needs a break, we will give her one.  As a retired camp director/camp counsellor/camp person - I have many tricks up my sleeve to include everyone.  Allow things to unfold organically and that is how we will capture real moments and beautiful connections. If a sibling needs a break for a bit - just like in real life - let him go to his room and have a minute with Dad to read a book - no problem.

Not perfect - but authentic

The images I aim for are moments of connection - how you look at each other when baby makes a new sound, how your finger follows the edge of your baby's cheek while you smile at him. Those natural moments are the ones I love to capture. The lego on the floor? That is what you will see in 20 years in your images and they will bring you right back to the time your daughter played them for hours on end. 

This photo happened right as I was moving away and as soon as I spotted it coming, I just took the shot because I knew it was fleeting.  Is it perfectly composed? No. Is it a moment that Mom and Dad will treasure? Yes - and that is what matters.

Some of your images may have someone looking off to the side laughing because Dad said something funny - that is authentic. Baby might be having a rough morning and might need a walk around the hall - no problem, we can photograph those true to life moments too!

Somewhat directed, somewhat posed - but not really

I will likely ask you to stand in certain locations and move a certain way so we can maximize the light in your home.  I am likely to put the whole family on the bed and I will be sure I can capture everyone's face - and I will ask you to connect with each other, connect with baby, sing baby a song while I take photos.  I will still be sure to get one or two images with every one looking at the camera (because someone always wants that photo!), but the focus of lifestyle photography is the connections and moments between family members.

Includes the little details

I will capture some of the little fleeting baby details like toes and fingers, eyelashes and the way your baby holds your finger if those moments come about. I will capture hairlines and if baby is awake I will photograph his eyes. I will know before I arrive if these details are really important to you.  

Includes family heirlooms and special items

If there is something that is really special like a blanket, booties or sweater that Grandma knit - please let me know so we can incorporate it into the images.  If you have a favourite bracelet or necklace you'd like to wear, please do!  This is what makes your images timeless and unique to your family.

About the moments and the connections

Emotions, moments and connections can't be replicated or copied - this is what makes lifestyle photography so special.  I will be focused on capturing those things that make your family yours. I hope that someday you will look back on your images and have stories to tell your children - "Oh yes, you used to always hold my finger like that when you were feeding." "Daddy always held you like that - it never failed to soothe you when you were tired."  

About looking at and being with each other, not the camera

I will ask you to focus on each other and to look at each other. If I ask, of course, please do look at the camera - but I will only ask you once or twice. Otherwise - the images are the story of the hour that I'm at your home. The agenda for your session is for you to be together, take an hour and just be together and I will take the photos.

In Your Home

Most of the newborn sessions I do are in-home. I have done many shots with newborns outside too - but for the purpose of this post - most are in-home. It is a good idea to have your home tidy and free of clutter. Some families will set up a home cleaning service before their session (I have someone I can recommend who does a GREAT job!) because having a newborn is busy and cleaning might seem like too much - I get it! Open all your blinds and window coverings. I will arrive and take a tour so we can figure out where best to take photos.  

Are you considering a newborn session for your new baby?  

Keep reading about In-Home Newborn Lifestyle Sessions in Ottawa Gatineau

Frequently Asked Questions about In-Home Newborn Sessions

Pricing and Packages for In-Home Newborn Photography

*This post is edited and re-published in 2025 from a post written in 2017 to reflect name change.