Are you expecting? Do you know someone who is? You should seriously consider booking newborn photos, specifically a lifestyle newborn session. Lifestyle sessions differ from a traditional portrait session in that you will get to capture not only beautiful portraits of your brand new baby, but you will also get photos of you and your partner and any siblings with the baby. So, here are 5 reasons you should book!

1. When I say you'll get photos of everyone together, I'm not talking about everyone looking at me and smiling, though we may grab one or two of those shots. I'm talking the emotive photos, of real connection and adoration. Ones where you're staring at your beautiful little babe and soaking them in, kissing the top of their soft head, their impossibly tiny toes, snuggling them in your arms, rubbing their cheek with your finger to coax a smile, and on and on. The opportunity to capture detail, connection and emotion in images is so big with these types of sessions, and these are the images that you'll look at later on and tear up at how small and how much love you can feel.

2. Newborns do not keep, people. Just a few short weeks after they're born, they look and act completely differently, and it can be so hard to remember through the fog of sleeplessness and rapid changes, all the little details of those first days. Those skinny wrinkled legs, the way they stretch, how they fit so perfectly on your shoulder or in the crook of your arm, they way they grasp your finger and won't let go, the smiles while they sleep. All of those things change so quickly. This is why I feel that it's so important to capture a little bit of those first days or weeks of their lives in photographs.

3. These sessions are held in the comfort of your own home. You don't have to get all ready, think of every last thing you could possibly need for the baby or their siblings, pack it up and lug it into a studio and worry about whether you forgot anything. Everything is already there, at the ready. Siblings can play with their own toys or have a snack while we shoot. They can have a total meltdown, and still be at home where they feel safe and comfortable while they work through their frustration (and trust me, I have 3 kids, I'm familiar with meltdowns and they do not phase me). You can also capture some of the special details of your home, like the nursery, or even photos with a furry member of your family. Lots of people really want their dogs included in these sessions, and I'm always happy to oblige!

4. This one kind of goes along with reason #1, but you will actually have gorgeous images of yourself with your baby. As a mom, how often are you actually in nice photos with your kids? We've all seen that meme comparing photos you WANT your partner to take of you and the ones they actually DO take. It's funny 'cause it's true!

5. You don't necessarily have to have your photos done in the first week after baby is born. It can seem overwhelming to have to be ready for a photo session so soon after birth, so if you'd rather settle in to a routine before having me over to capture you, you can do that and still get amazing photos. It bears mentioning, though, that if you want photos of a sleeping baby in a couple of simple poses, yes, you will need to book within the first 10 days after birth. Like I mentioned above, babies change dramatically in that first month, and even at 2 weeks old, they don't sleep as soundly as they did that first week, which is what allows for those poses to happen. They're just more awake, which can be awesome for lifestyle photos, because it allows for so much more connection.

Still need convincing? Check out some more from these recent newborn sessions!