Hiring the Best Oakland County In-Home Lifestyle Newborn Photographer

why should i hire an in-home lifestyle newborn photographer?

You're pregnant and considering hiring a photographer to capture your little blessing. You have a few doubts so let me tell you why you should hire an in-home lifestyle newborn photographer. The most important reason is because they will never be this little again. Children grow faster than weeds, before long they will be holding their head up, that adorable baby fat, sitting up, crawling and next thing you know they are a toddler. A photo is the best way to stop time and remember this precious season forever. One thing that you can never do is reverse time, but, you can look back at photos and reminisce on how tiny their toes were and their little peach fuzz.

whats a lifestyle newborn photographer?

Now I've convinced you to take the photos, but why should you hire a lifestyle newborn photographer? What does "lifestyle" even mean? Lifestyle simply means authentic, unposed photos. Hiring a lifestyle photographer means that not only will the photos be taken in the comfort of your home, but you will be holding your baby for most of the photos. I will also be able to capture a few portraits of your baby alone, wrapped or in an outfit I provide both). Lifestyle photos are so personal and intimate. Not only are we capturing your baby, surrounded by family but in the house they will be raised in.

What's so special about becks photography?

What is the difference between one photographer and the other? You want to hire the best photographer in Michigan so why should you choose Becks Photography?  As an Oakland County newborn photographer I highly prioritize 4 things: health and safety, comfort, and a quick gallery delivery and experience.

1. The health and safety of your newborn is my number 1 priority. I have taken multiple courses on safe newborn handling in addition to 2 course on newborn wrapping and posing for photography. I promise to reschedule your session if I am feeling under the weather in the slightest. I wash my hands upon arrival of your home, as well as offer to wear a mask. My newborn outfits and wraps are washed in between each client as well.
2. You just had a baby, you should be comfortable. The thought of added stress, responsibly, and discomfort a week or two after giving birth is super unpleasant. That's why I prioritize comfort for my clients. When a newborn photographer comes to your home, you don't have to worry about packing the diaper bag and loading the car. I bring everything to you. This is especially helpful if you have multiple children. Whether you are located in Rochester Hills, Troy, Sterling Heights or Royal Oak, I will travel to you.
3. I know how it feels to wait in anxious expectation for your photos to arrive and I cannot imagine how much that increases when you want to announce your new baby. I promise to deliver your gallery in a timely manner. I work my absolute hardest to get your gallery to you within 2 weeks. In the winter months of January-April, I can often times deliver your gallery in just 1 week.
4. Before taking on photography full time, I spent 7 year as a full time nanny. Over those 7 years, I helped raise 6 newborns. So to say that I have experience with newborns is an understatement. I also come from a large family with 15 nieces and nephews so I thrive in chaos, lol. With my 5 years experience as a photographer, these skills have really shaped me to be the newborn photographer that I am today.

how old should my baby be for newborn photos?

Your child is considered a newborn up to 28 days from birth but I highly recommend taking your newborn photos in the first 3 weeks, 2 if possible. The younger, the better. The older your baby is, the more and more likely they are to be awake and fussy during our session. They also fit best in my newborn wraps and baskets the smaller that they are. Now of course there are exceptions. If your child was born early or needed a little extra time to adjust to the outside world, don't stress the fact that they are over 3 weeks old when booking.

When should we book our NEWBORN photos?

I highly recommend booking your newborn session a few months in advance. My schedule can fill up so try to get on the calendar as soon as you can. Most clients book 2 weeks after their due date and reschedule if their baby arrives early or late. Rescheduling is allowed and even encouraged, we all know that theses things are hard to plan!

Can our other children by in some photos?

I understand that this may not be your first child, whether this is your first or sixth child, they deserve to be captured and your whole family can be included in these photos. I come from a large family myself, 3 siblings and 15 nieces and nephews so large families do not intimate me, in fact, they bring me so much joy! If you have other children, I recommend that you prep them for our session. Talk to them about meeting me, tell I am coming to capture and celebrate their new sibling and prep them to listen well to my instructions. Often times, children have a hard time adjusting to new siblings. This often means that they may "act out" when they normally wouldn't, that's ok. I promise that I will be patient and understanding.

DO WE HAVE TO USE OUR HOME?

No, but I do highly recommend it. The photos be taken in the comfort of your home an we all know how important comfort is after giving birth. In-home photos are so personal and intimate. Not only are we capturing your baby, surrounded by family but in the house they will be raised in. If you have other children, using your home is a safe space for them in a new situation. They can come in and out of photos as they please. If you are not comfortable using your home, the outdoors or renting a studio are both options as well.

PREPPING YOUR HOME FOR PHOTOS

Taking photos in your home involves less prep than you may think. Please understand that you just gave birth so I do not want you to put a lot of pressure and stress on yourself to make your house look perfect. We can use any part of your house that you'd like but my advice is to choose a room or two and only tidy up those rooms. Most families want to use the nursery, some also like to include the living room or the master bedroom. This is completely up to you but I'll help you make the decision... what room in your house do you find the most joy in? What room have you decorated perfectly to fit your style, and you're happy with being in photos? What room is large enough to comfortably fit your family? Choose those rooms and only worried about them. I promise I will not judge your for the state of your home.

Oftentimes my clients have parents or in-laws who are more than willing to help. Do not hesitate to ask them to come over the day of your session to help you tidy up the room(s) that you choose. Often, a quick vacuum, picking up toys and fluffing pillows is all that it takes to get your home ready for photos. If you don't have anyone to help you tidy up and it's overwhelming for you, please reach out to me I am more than willing to arrive 15 minutes early and help you tidy up. A great newborn photographer will leave your home better than when they arrived. Once I clean up and clear out my gear, I help put your house back together. Not only will your home be just as beautiful as when I arrived, but it will be filled with love and joy from all of the cuddles and love you just shared.

WHAT IF MY BABY WON'T STOP CRYING?

I know what you're thinking: this all sounds great, but what if my baby won't stop crying? First and foremost, don't stress. Believe it or not, your babies can sense stress and have a hard time relaxing if you are not relaxed. I promise to be patient with your family. If you need to take a half hour and feed them, that's ok, I can sit and chat or give you some privacy. If you need to change a blowout, don't stress it, I'll grab the extra outfit and diaper. I'm here to help you and I promise you that I'm not worried about how long it takes. Take the time to love on your baby and calm them down, I'm not in a rush.

choosing outfits for your newborn

When it comes to choosing an outfit for your newborn, don't stress! I do have a variety of newborn outfits that we can use for your session. If you have an outfit that you'd like your little one to be in, we can use it by all means, but if you don't have anything prepared, I've got you covered! I have multiple unisex outfits in grey, beige, and cream from an adorable boutique called Luna + Luca. Using the outfits and wraps that I provide are optional but I do highly recommend letting me wrap your newborn for a few photos. If you have booked a full in-home session, we will have time for 1 wrap and 1 outfits for your newborn. If you have booked an extended in-home session, we have time for 2 wraps and 1 outfit for you newborn.

What about wrapping my newborn?

Wrapping your newborn is similar to swaddling them, they will feel nice and comfortable and typically fall asleep or are very calm for the remainder of our newborn photo session. The newborn wrap colors that I have are: beige, cream, grey, brown, orange, green, blue, purple and pink. All of the colors are pastels/muted tones. I have been professionally trained to safely wrap and pose newborns in 3 popular wraps: huck finn, toes peeking, and potato. I also provide all equipment needed to safely pose your newborn for wrapped portraits, not table poses. <--( Please click this link so you are aware of what I do NOT provide) These wraps and poses that I provide can be done in the comfort of your home with a newborn under 21 days old. If your baby arrives early or late, please reschedule your session free of cost.

What if my baby is already over 21 days old?

If you would like strictly lifestyle family newborn photos, these can be taken at any age or time but the newborn will not be swaddled/wrapped by me as this can only be done when they are under 21 days old. What would a lifestyle newborn session look like? Documenting your new family member being held and cuddled from afar, the majority of the session. Very little newborn portraits will happen in a lifestyle newborn session as I will focus more on the whole family but I will try my best to capture a few, unwrapped photos of baby.

CHOOSING OUTFITS for your family

When it comes to choosing outfits for your in-home photos, don't stress! Once you have booked your session I provide you with an extensive style guide to help you choose outfits. Generally speaking, it is best not to match the tones in your home but to choose muted earth tones that compliment your decor. You do NOT want to choose the same tones as your walls or couch but you could wear a darker or lighter tone of the same color. Solid colors in muted earth tones are best, and try to avoid patterns and incorporate textures and layers. We can talk about that more later!

WHEN WILL WE GET OUR PHOTOS BACK?

Once our session is over I will begin editing your photos. When I'm done editing them I will deliver them to you in an online gallery from which you can download your photos in high resolution and keep them forever. I work my hardest to get your photos back to you as soon as possible. It can take me anywhere from 5-21 days to edit your photos. I know how excited you are to announce your new little one so I try to prioritize editing newborn photos as quickly as possible.

WHAT CAN WE DO WITH OUR PHOTOS?

Anything you wish! I highly recommend downloading your photos and then storing them on an external hard drive so that you can keep these images forever. You can easily share these photos on social media or with friends and family. You can also print them as many times is you'd like! The best thing about an in-home newborn photoshoot is that you are able to share the love, joy, and emotion of your new arrival with friends and family around the entire globe. Once you receive your photos, you can simply forward the email to anyone you wish to share the photos with and they too can download and print the images.

PRINTING YOUR NEWBORN PHOTOS

I have found that printing photos from your newborn photoshoot is something that is so easy to procrastinate. As a newborn photographer I want more than anything for you to fill your home with photos from our session. That is why I have made it so easy for you to print your photos. I have an online print lab attached to your album. It's simple and quick for you to choose your favorite photos and have them delivered to your home. It's not easy to get out of the house with a newborn which is why I have made it so that you don't have to. If you'd like to print your photos somewhere local, I recommend Woodward Camera in Birmingham, Michigan.

Please reach out if you have any questions, I hope to see you soon!

Becks

↓wrapping techniques I provide for newborn portraits ↓

oakland county michigan newborn photoshoot pricing

Please view my newborn portfolio to ensure that my style is the style that you want!