What is a lifestyle newborn session?

There are two main categories of newborn sessions in the Seattle area (and tons of style differences inside of those two categories): posed newborn sessions and lifestyle newborn sessions.

Posed newborn sessions require baby to be really sleepy and then while they are sleeping they are posed on different backdrops or with/in props or wraps. Older siblings and parents can also incorporated, but the focus is on the beauty of the sleeping baby.

Lifestyle newborn sessions don’t require baby to be sleeping and instead focus on the connection of the baby to their family. Babies can spend the entire session in the arms of their parents if that’s where they are most comfortable, and you see a variety of different settings, most commonly in your home, though lifestyle newborn sessions can also happen in the studio or even outdoors (weather permitting).

Does this mean that lifestyle sessions aren’t posed? Not at all. The amount of posing will depend on your particular photographer’s style. Some photographers lean more to the documentary side and some are more toward the portrait side, but in lifestyle sessions, the baby is not put into specific positions.

For years I would go to people’s homes and do a posed newborn session of baby by themselves and then a lifestyle newborn session that incorporated the rest of the family. Needless to say, those two-in-one sessions would last for FOUR hours and exhausted all involved. Eventually I realized that the images that were my favorite from those sessions were from the lifestyle portion. I just love to see babies being loved by their family. There’s nothing more beautiful.

So now I exclusively shoot lifestyle newborn sessions. Does that mean we don’t get shots of baby on their own? Not at all! I love to get as much of baby by themselves that they’ll allow. Sometimes in their crib or bassinette, sometimes laying on their parents’ bed, sometimes a close up of hands or feet while they’re being held. But the session is focused on baby’s relationship to their whole family whether they are awake or asleep. Not just on trying to get baby to sleep.

A lifestyle newborn session can last up to two hours. We take breaks to feed (I love feeding photos!) and change baby, and we let baby (and siblings!) guide us through that time.

I like to start with images of baby with siblings (pets can be siblings, too!).

Then we move into family shots. Depending on the available light, these often take place on the parents’ bed or on a sofa in the living room.

After that, kids are free to do their own thing and we’ll work on shots with the grownups and shots of baby on their own.

If we are in your home, I look for the great light and we pretty much camp out in those places. Sometimes that means shooting in the kitchen! But wherever we are, the goal is images that capture who you are as a family during this newborn period that disappears so quickly.

My particular style of lifestyle newborn photography is actually pretty posed. I tell you where and how to sit, we adjust how you hold baby so their face is in the light, and I provide lots of direction to make sure everyone looks their best. Once I’ve got you in position, then we let the magic happen. I’ll ask someone to kiss baby’s toes, or touch baby’s head and encourage everyone to just give each other love.

Sometimes my favorite images end up actually being moments in between, like this one of mom and dad feeding baby while big brothers play. I’m always watching for when moments like this materialize.

All of this is not to say that one type of newborn session is better than another, but to let you know what to expect from a lifestyle newborn session with me. If these are the images you know you love and want for your family, then we will be a great fit. Here’s a link to a blog where I talk about how to prepare for your lifestyle newborn session and what to wear.