A documentary newborn session captures your baby's first days at home exactly as they are — which means the best preparation is doing very little beyond making the space comfortable and letting the day unfold.
Your home
Your house does not need to be perfect. Clear away obvious clutter from the main areas we'll likely be in : kitchen, living room, nursery — but there is no need to deep clean or do much beyond that. A lived-in home tells a truer story than a staged one.
What to wear
Choose comfortable clothing that feels like you — loungewear, or what you'd actually be wearing at home with a newborn is exactly right. The one thing to watch for: avoid bright, saturated colors and large graphics or logos on clothing, since they draw the eye away from your baby and the moment, and tend to look dated faster than soft, neutral tones do.
What happens during your session
I don't pose your baby or your family. I’ll photograph what's actually happening: feeding, soothing, siblings curious about the new arrival, the general quiet or chaos of a house adjusting to someone new. I'll offer minimal prompts only if genuinely helpful. For example, moving toward better light, or a different setting — but I'm there to observe and capture rather than direct.
What to do during your session
Just go about your day as close to normal as you can. You can feed, snuggle, or play with the baby; hang out with older siblings; go for a walk - whatever feels like you. The less you try to "make something happen" for the camera, the better the images tend to be.