The Evolution of an In Home Baltimore Newborn Photographer

Once upon a time, my in home Baltimore newborn sessions tried to replicate the set up and look of a studio session. Can you imagine? I’d bring a newborn posing pillow, a big assortment of props, and a space heater. There was a time when I brought a newborn posing bag, a stock pile of props and hats, and a space heater to my newborn shoots. It took some time and trial and error, but once I realized that this approach to newborn photography wasn’t really aligned with my vision, I immediately felt freer.

Baby Led Posing

Now my in home newborn sessions are much more organic, relaxed, and connected. Instead of spending most of my time 1:1 with a newborn, carefully coaxing them into various positions, I practice “baby led posing.” This means that I don’t ever put a baby in an unnatural pose. I don’t spend countless hours calming or posing my babies. Really, I don’t do much posing at all.

Yes, I do place my newborns for portraits, but I don’t “pose” in the way that more traditional newborn photographers do.

Three Reasons I Don’t Pose Newborns

1. I don’t believe babies should be out of their parents arms for any extended amount of time. As a photographer, once I moved away from posing babies alone, I realized, babies don’t need much settling when they’re in the arms of their parents. As a mom, I learned so much more about the how and why this is – and it makes so much sense! Of course a baby is most secure and settled in the safe, familiar, close proximity of the woman who grew them. It no longer makes sense to me to have a baby on a beanbag or away from their parents for an extended amount of time, even in the name of photography. During my sessions, babies spend most of their time in their parents’ arms, where they belong, in my humble opinion.

2. Babies are beautiful just as they are. The way they curl up when placed on their bellies, or how their little arms and legs unfold when stretching. I’ve come to love the beauty in the simplicity. Those are the moments I want to remember of my own babies, and that’s how I photograph other newborns, too.

3. I’ve found baby led, in home sessions to be way less stressful. When I would recreate a studio look in families’ homes, I’d spend hours setting up, settling babies, perfecting the poses. Now I know what it’s like to have a newborn. And a newborn and a toddler. And a newborn, a toddler, and a preschooler. There are so many factors that can add stress to that vulnerable, ever changing postpartum period. I don’t want our session together to be one of them. Now, I’m in and out of my families’ homes in under two hours, disturbing their postpartum cocoon as little as possible.

The Takeaway: Your Baby is Perfect

It’s really that simple. My top three reasons for baby led posing during your in home newborn photo session. Your baby, in their most natural state, is beautiful and perfect, exactly as is.

Want to see more of my newborn work? Check out my portfolio here.