Today, I’m sharing a complete guide to lifestyle newborn photography, so you have all the information you need to take beautiful, natural and creative photos of newborns - whether that be your own or someone else’s!

In this bumper step by step tutorial, I’m going to break down everything you need to consider, including:

What’s the best age for newborn photography
What lifestyle newborn photography is
What lenses to use for lifestyle photos
How to use window light (and the lighting challenges you might face)
The shots & poses you’ll want to ensure you get!
How to best plan your newborn photo session for amazing results

That’s a lot to get through!!! So without further ado, let’s dive in…

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What is a lifestyle newborn session?!

Before we dig into the actual “how-to” of taking your newborn photos, it’s probably a good idea to briefly go over what is considered lifestyle photography, and what the differences are between lifestyle and posed portrait sessions, specifically as it relates to photographing newborns.

A posed newborn photography session is often (but not always) held in a studio, and involved the baby either being naked, or in cute little outfits, or swaddled in blankets. The baby is usually asleep, and then “posed” in a certain way.

Quite often - although this does depend on the photographer - there will be infant photography props used; things like baskets, soft blankets, prams, or baskets that the baby is arranged in.

Here’s an example of a newborn in a “posed” newborn session.

With lifestyle newborn photography, this takes place in the home rather than in a studio, and rather than the baby being posed, you are taking images that focus on the connection between the parents (and siblings if there any!) or the baby in his or her new surroundings.

It’s much more natural and relaxed, and although there is some direction going on (in other words, you will set up certain shots, and ask the family to do certain things) the child isn’t posed in anyway.

Here’s an example of a photo of a newborn taken during a lifestyle photography session:

OK, so now that we are on the same page about what a lifestyle session actually entails, let’s move onto how to take those gorgeous newborn photos!

(If you are interested in tips for a “posed” newborn session too, be sure to check out this guide on Practical Tips for Newborn Photography which has lots of great advice! You might some of the tips helpful for lifestyle photos too.)

What is the best age for newborn photography?

For posed newborn photos, it’s best to arrange these to be taken pretty early - between 7 and 14 days is optimal.

This is because they still need to be in that “sleepy” phase to get them into those cute poses!

For lifestyle photos of a newborn, you have more wiggle room because you aren’t going to pose them, so you take these up to a month or so after birth (even longer if the parents don’t mind that they aren’t technically a “newborn”) The baby will be more awake and alert the later you take them.

Best locations for newborn photos at home

The first thing we are going to look at is the locations in and around the home for the session.

As we said, with lifestyle photos, these are taken at home, with the newborn in their “natural” surroundings.

Although you can set up in any room of the house, the prime locations are:

#1 - PARENTS BEDROOM

The bed on the master bedroom is usually always a fantastic place for photos - you have lots of room on the bed, so you can “pose” the child there on it’s own, and it’s also a great place for shots of the newborn with it’s siblings or parents, and indeed the whole family!

#2 - NURSERY

The nursery is also a great place!

Due to the smaller size, this might be best kept to photos of the little one on it’s own, for example in the crib, or getting changed.

It’s also the perfect place for breastfeeding images, or just photographs of dad or mum cuddling their newborn.

And of course, if there’s enough room, you can take environmental shots of the parents with the newborn in the nursery too.

#3 - LIVING ROOM

If there is a nice comfy sofa in the living room, this can also be a great place for photos of the newborn interacting with the family.

The shot list for lifestyle newborn photos

Although the baby isn’t “posed” with lifestyle images, you’ll still need to guide the interaction.

So it’s a really good idea to have a list of images that you want to take, so that you are not left scrambling to think what photo to take next.

You should aim to get photographs of the baby…

On his or her own (this may or not include macro shots of the newborn, such as teeny tiny toes or eyelashes!)
With any siblings
With Dad
With Mum
With both parents together
And his or her everyday moments (being fed, being changed, being cuddled, sleeping etc)
Plus the smaller details of the nursery - any prints, cuddly toys or items that help set the scene or will hold emotional value.

You do want to try to take variations of each set up.

To do this, I would give a prompt - let’s say by asking the parents to lie on the bed and just cuddle and kiss their little bambino. (Remember, with lifestyle, we’re not asking them to pose, more just giving them some guidance on what to do!)

First I’d start by taking a photo of the larger scene, including some of the environment, so you see the master bedroom too.

Then I’d get closer so I’m just photographing the 3 subjects (no environment) and then go in tight for a smaller detail - maybe the ways the baby is holding onto Dad’s thumb.

I then move around the subject where possible, so I’m shooting from the front, the side, and sometimes from above looking down.

By doing this, you will always get a nice variety of images without having to remember specific poses or images you want to take. (Which for me is the best thing about lifestyle - it’s more natural and organic!)

(In our Auto to Awesome program we have two shooting “frameworks” that help with both posed and lifestyle shots, our RIPPLE and I.M.P.A.C.T.S frameworks - these are a great way to make sure you get a variety of shots, or tell a story with your images)

Newborn Photo Ideas

As we said at the beginning, with lifestyle type pictures, we’re not posing the child, but the adults are going to need some direction!

Here’s some ideas for “prompts” you can give that will help you get some great pictures:

Tell the parents to sit close together on the bed and kiss and cuddle their bundle of joy!
Ask parents to lie down with their newborn between them and shoot down on them, and from each side.
Put the baby down in their crib or in the middle of their parents bed and take full body, half body and face only shots.
Ask a parent to feed the newborn (breast or bottle, whatever they are doing and what they are fine with) and take a picture of parent looking down on baby, baby’s face close up, baby’s hand on breast or bottle, over parent’s shoulder looking down on baby, parents smiling at each other.
Ask a parent to burp the baby, and get child’s face by shooting from behind the parent’s back.
Ask the parents to bath the baby and get angles from looking down on baby, and the parent’s faces.
Remember to get detail shots each time too!

If you need more ideas, you can pick up newborn posing prompts from a variety of places, like these Inspire Me Cards: Newborn Posing from Design Aglow.

Lighting for at home newborn photos

The good news is, every home usually has an amazing array of lighting options available to you: windows!

Pretty much every single room will have a window, which is all you need for a successful newborn lifestyle shoot.

Have a look around the main locations we mentioned earlier (the living room, master bedroom and nursery), find the window and set up some of your photographs there.

Ideally you want a large window, because that’s going to let in lots of lovely soft light, but if you are only photographing the child, you can get away with a smaller window - just move the baby closer to it if you can.

You also want to make sure there is no direct sunlight coming in through the window - that will give you a hard light which is not ideal for photographing newborns! If that is the case, then you can put up some diffuser fabric in front of the window to soften the light.

The type of shots you will get in any location might depend on where the best light is for photography - if the master bedroom has the best light, then you can set up most of your shots in that room.

You also might need to move things around a little bit to get the best light, moving the nursing chair closer to the window for example, or pulling back the drapes to get more light in.

But don’t be afraid to shoot in other locations too! Have a tour of the house and see if there are any rooms with great light and work some lifestyle shots in there.

(For example, if the kitchen has fantastic light (and it’s comfortable to do so!) why not take some pictures of little one getting a bath there?

Light and Angles in Newborn Photography

Also remember to switch up how you light your subject for more variation; so shoot with the light at the front, side and even back!

Images lit from the front tend to look quite flat and one-dimensional, so I would recommend shooting with the window at the side or at a 45 or 60 degree angle. This will add some soft shadowing to your subjects, which will give the image more depth and dimension.

Worried about low light?

One of the issues with shooting at home rather than at a photography studio can be working with lower light conditions, but try not to worry too much about grain in your pictures - it can add to the natural look and feel of lifestyle photos anyway!

(But always try to keep grain to a minimum, if you need help, you can check out this article on reducing grain in your photos for my top tips for reducing noise in your images!)

I definitely recommend shooting in manual mode, so you can get the right aperture, shutter speed and ISO number for the scene in front of you! (You can download a free manual settings cheat sheet here if you need help with that!)

We also have more on choosing the right aperture in our free photography class (among many other things!!!) so be sure to give that a watch:

Best lenses for newborn photography

You can pack quite light for a newborn session, since all the pictures are likely to be taken indoors, so you won’t need a telephoto lens or anything like that!

The three lenses you might want to have to hand are:

A Wide Angle Lens (such as a 35mm)

These are perfect for tight spaces, and can also be used for the shots for the whole family, or newborn with siblings. You can also use this for environmental shots, for example, when you want to include some of the surroundings, like in the nursery.

The lens I personally love is the Sigma 35mm Art Lens - it’s such a beautiful lens, and perfect for lifestyle photography generally.

A 50mm all rounder Lens

A 50mm is a camera bag staple, since it gives you approximately the same view as the naked eye. This is often perfect for shots of the newborn on it’s own, or with one of the parents. Depending on the room available, you might even be able to use this for shots of the whole family!

It’s also a good lens for shots of the details of the nursery.

A good starter lens is the Canon 50mm F1.8.

(Not sure whether to get a 35mm or 50mm lens? You can see some more examples of 35mm vs 50mm lens here!)

Macro for smaller details

If you plan on taking close-up photographs of the baby - for example, little babe yawns or eyelashes, then a macro lens can be a good idea, but definitely not essential.

For more information, you can check out this post on the best lenses for newborn photography which has more details on when you might want to use each lens.

What other gear to bring

In addition to your lenses, you might want to bring a small foldable stool - this helps when you want to get a different perspective and shoot DOWN on the baby.

Also bring a pair of grippy socks (to stop you sliding about if you need to stand on the stool!) and definitely a camera strap for safety.

Top tips for a happy & relaxed session!

#1 - Chat with your client about what they would like to capture

One of the best ways to come up with a game plan for your newborn photography lifestyle session is to chat with your client about what they would love to remember about this time (alternatively have them fill out a questionnaire)

Maybe they have certain things they would love to have photographed - for example, breastfeeding or their precious bundle enjoying a bath.

This way you can incorporate their ideas and desires into your plan for the session.

#2 - Request a tour ahead of the session (or at least at the start)

If you meet with your clients in their home ahead of the session, request a tour around the house so you can determine which rooms have the best windows. (Remember to consider the time of day you are going to be photographing too!)

Again, this just helps you be prepared when you arrive!

If you don’t have an in-person consultation before the session, then simply take 5 minutes when you arrive to go around the house and look for the best locations.

#3 - Arrive early and allow plenty of time

You’ll need at least a solid hour for a newborn photography session, but I would recommend that you allow longer than that - 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Young babies often need changed, or will be crying their heart out for a good 30 minutes for no good reason, all of which you might not want to capture (and if you do, just one or two images would suffice!)

Allow that wiggle room in your schedule so that you aren’t rushed - babies can pick up on your tension!

#4 - Dress for comfort & take your shoes off!

You are going to be there a while, so don’t wear anything restrictive! Plus, you’ll often find yourself standing on the bed or on a piece of furniture to get a shot from above, so be sure to take your shoes off at the doors and wear socks!

#5 - Have a shot list with ideas, or use our shooting frameworks

Have a “flow” to your shots to get variation in a small amount of time.

You won’t always be able to get the shot exactly as you envisaged, especially in a lifestyle session, but having an idea of what you want to capture will help you feel less stressed.

If you are an Auto to Awesome student, use the RIPPLE and IMPACTS shooting frameworks, and print out the cheat sheets to take with you.

#6 - Set up the shot, then capture the interactions

You can set up the activity (let’s say parents holding their newborn) in the best location, and in good light, and then tell the parents to interact with their little one as they would normally!

You may need to prompt them a little bit if they feel stiff and awkward, for example, telling them to cuddle the baby, or to kiss the baby’s forehead, or look at one another, or just keep chatting to them as you snap away!

Then just move around, capturing the infant and the interaction from wide to close, and all around.

#6 - Capture the details too

A nice idea is to capture some of the details too - either of the infant itself (those little smooshy cheeks or teeny tiny toes!!!!!) or details in the nursery or around the home.

I love looking back at photos of my son’s nursery (it’s had many changes in just a few years to accommodate different obsessions!) and his clown mobile, and little sun & moon prints. It reminds me a lot of that time, so I think it’s really important to capture those details too. (you do forget!)