How do I prepare my home for my newborn photo session?

A question I’m often asked before a newborn session is “How do I prepare my home for my newborn session?” Here are my tips.

Living room, Bedroom & Nursery (or any room we’ll be photographing in)

• Raise up your blinds and/or open up curtains. If there’s too much sun, depending on if it’s a South, West, or Eastern exposure and time of day, I may close a bit but I generally prefer as much natural light as possible.

• Turn off the lights in the rooms we’ll be photographing in! Sounds wrong but trust me. Unless it’s a room with no natural light, or an incredibly dark day, I usually turn off all lights in the room we’re photographing in. They can create color casts or affect the white balance of the photos. It’s usually best to not mix different light sources. And if you don’t have a lot of natural light, no worries. I bring light with me!

• Clear away any clutter from coffee tables and side tables in living rooms and your bedroom, if we’re photographing in them. No judgement here on any messes, you’ve just had a huge life change after all and are keeping a tiny human alive! But you’ll likely not want to see piles of papers or books, phone chargers or tissue boxes in your photos. It also helps to hide any cords, if possible.

• Put the crib sheet on your baby’s crib mattress. I know the chances of them sleeping in there right away are slim, but if you have a nursery & want photos, we’ll document the space you put so much time and thought into. This room is often the most put-together room in the house because you’re so excited! And usually the least used with not a lot of excess stuff in it. Even if the only thing ready in the nursery is the crib, I can still get some adorable photos in there!

• Before I arrive, turn up the heat in winter. Turn the A/C temp up in summer so it doesn’t run as often during the session. Babies like to be warm and cozy!

• Not necessarily a home-prep tip, but if you have pets that shed and you’re wearing darker clothing - grab a lint roller!

• Don’t stress! Even if you do have some dog toys laying around, the toddler’s snack from yesterday afternoon on the coffee table or a pile of laundry hanging out in the dining room, it will all be ok. It’s real life, after all. I can easily move things, or try to place you in spots to hide things. Life is messy, especially when you bring a newborn home!

It’s true what they say - this time goes by so quickly! You’ll want to look back on these photos often so the only thing that truly matters is that you take the photos. And that you’re in some of them. I’m looking at you, mama. Your baby is going to treasure the photos of you with them someday. Make sure you’re in the photos too!

Iconic Chicago Photo Locations

I’ve been updating things on the back end here and finally put together a location guide with some of my clients’ favorite spots to photograph at here in Chicago. This guide is ever-changing and I will try to update a couple times a year when more locations are added. But here we start with Adler Planetarium, Montrose Harbor, Milton Lee Olive Park, Lincoln Park (conservatory, zoo, nature boardwalk, honeycomb structure), West Loop area, North Avenue Beach, Chicago Theatre, Downtown/Loop area (Lyric Opera, Union Station, Michigan Avenue), Humboldt Park and Ping Tom Memorial Park. I ended with a section on fun murals and unique backdrops, which Chicago has oodles of!

If you’re having trouble deciding where you want your session, and are looking for Chicago-esque, here is a start! This is also not an exhaustive list, nor are they required for your session, there are many places to photograph but these are the most common spaces. I always recommend going to a location that has meaning to you!

Some of these places do require permits, which are the client’s responsibility. Some of these places are also closed currently, due to the pandemic.

Great Skyline Views and A Wonderful Spot to Catch the Sunset

A Mix of Both Skyline View AND Nature

Lovely Skyline View With a Fun Perspective

Nothing Says Chicago Like The Chicago Theatre!

Tied with North Ave Beach, my personal favorite view of that gorgeous Chicago skyline

My Number One Tip For Getting Your Child To Smile in a Photo! Hint: It’s not cheese!

Tips for photographing your child

Parents are always telling me that their child either won’t smile for a photo or will make the forced “cheese” smile and it drives them crazy. I hear you! Children have been trained to do that in photos, even when having their photo taken by a professional. I’m here to tell you that the “cheese” just looks forced. Because it is actually forced! Put yourself in their shoes… do you smile when someone tells you to smile?!

If you’ve ever had a session with me, you know that I get silly with kids! I do whatever it takes to get those real smiles. Do this at home too! You know your child better than anyone and know what will make them laugh. Laughing photos are way more genuine than the cheese! My mom used to make us say “Fuzzy Pickles” when we were young because it was silly. Actually, she still does :P I recommend changing it up every so often though. The shock value will eventually wear off!

Number One Tip:

Play with them and get silllllly! Threaten to tickle them. Actually tickle them. Make it a game. If all else fails, make silly animal noises and ask them to repeat. My go-to is the pig who teases and says it’s going to tickle them!

Kids are so used to having phones and cameras in their faces all of the time and when you ask them to smile, or ask them for the cheese, it becomes more of a chore the older they get. And when they start to form their own opinions, watch out! You have to make it fun!

Have multiple littles?! Luck ;) Getting more than one child to look at the camera AND a real smile is tough! Up your improv game!

Tell Jokes or Ask Silly Questions!

Engage their curiosity, then be ready to snap away.

Take Photos of Them Doing What They Do Best

Do they love to dance? Play with trains? Swing on the swings at the park?

Capturing them in the moment, having fun, will give you natural smiles, laughs and playfulness because they’re already doing something they love to do! And with you there to cheer them on, it’s sure to make a great photo for you without the tears flowing.

Get Down To Their Eye-Level

Makes for a much more interesting photo and is better for connecting with them.

Infants can be a bit easier to get to smile because they haven’t received a diploma in the cheese yet and they’re genuinely curious about everything! Get down to their level, capture them crawling and exploring. The hardest part with these kiddos is that you’re engaged with their attention and then a big phone/camera comes up and can ruin the engagement.

Still No Smile? Grab It Anyway!

I LOVE non-smiley photos too! Not every moment in life is all-smiles. Show real-life, even if you have to put aside your original vision for that photo.