Why Natural Newborn Photos Are Better

I was put on bedrest for the last trimester of my pregnancy with our twins, so I honestly didn’t even give a thought to newborn photos. At least not until that final (and unplanned) trip to the hospital. True story: I touched up my toenail polish before I would let us leave.  My husband thought I was totally insane. And, then I realized out loud that we hadn’t scheduled a newborn photo session. Priorities, right?

As I was lying there in the labor & delivery ward, happily thinking I’d be sent home again and there was no need to worry, I spent my time Googling local newborn photographers to call. Well, THAT didn’t happen because our babies decided they couldn’t stay put one second longer and I instead spent the following weeks visiting the NICU.

All this is to say that I was lucky enough to find another newborn photographer once our kids were both home. And, she fabulously brought her mobile studio to the house. The images from that day are beautiful, and I smile every time I look at them. But here’s the thing: I wish we’d had more natural newborn photos.

~ I wish we’d foregone the posed shots and instead focused on what was happening in our house at that moment in time. ~

The reason? I remember VERY little of it. I was exhausted (our son quite literally did not sleep), and I spent my days fixated on feeding amounts and eliminations and colic. I don’t remember much else.

I wish we’d paid more attention to how our family had changed overnight. I wish we’d captured what it was like feeding two babies simultaneously. I wish we’d captured them with our dogs, one of whom passed away a few months later. I wish we’d paid attention to what life in their little nursery was like because it was CUTE! I wish I had images of my husband feeding them, or making coffee while he prepared a bottle simultaneously. I wish we’d captured the chaos and nervousness that came along with the wonder and love.

~ I wish we’d kept it real. ~

So, while I’ll be forever grateful for those few images I have. I will always regret not letting go a little bit more and embracing what my life actually looked like then. The images that matter most are the ones that show the honesty of those most special and easily forgotten in-between moments. THOSE are the images that my kids love today – the ones that show the little things we might have forgotten but didn’t want to.

~ Real life is really fun….and it is really beautiful. ~

That newborn period is a once-in-a-lifetime thing. So, instead of being afraid of what your new life together looks like, or worried about the overflowing hamper or dishes in the sink…maybe it’s time we all flip our point of view. Those messy baby clothes in the hamper, and bottles or breast pump parts piled in the sink are there because you made something wonderful.

 

Natural Newborn Photographer

Gina specializes in modern & emotive family imagery. By focusing on the relationships of parents and their children, she is able to go beyond the standard pose and capture the true emotion of her clients’ relationships. Visit the Session Info Page for more details.