Finding the Perfect Light for in-home Newborn Photos

Emotive Light at an In-home Newborn Session

Every home has different windows and doors in various directions which create unique lighting in the home. This presents a challenge for newborn lifestyle photographers, who often don't see the home until the day and time of the shoot.

A home does not have to be bright in order for a in-home newborn session to take place. I've found that homes with moodier lighting provide a gorgeous backdrop for newborn photos, as well, if the newborn photographer knows how to use light to their advantage. Here are some tips for using lighting to create emotion for any in-home newborn session:

1) In brighter homes, go for a more "joyful" photo vibe and take advantage of the variety in spaces and backdrops

Brighter homes are a bit easier to use for in-home newborn sessions. When a room is truly filled with natural light, there are many more places to place your newborn and family. Take advantage of this and find fun backdrops in the home since lighting should be easy to adjust in editing regardless of where the subject/s sit or stand. The brighter light will give off a more joyful vibe, so take advantage of this and use fun, playful prompts to get the family smiling and laughing as they interact.

2) In dimmer homes, go for a "moodier" photo vibe and use the window as if it were the sun.

Dimmer homes can be trickier to navigate for in-home newborn sessions, but the key is to pretend the window is the sun. In very dark homes, you may have to place the baby and the family very near to the window in order to illuminate them. Sometimes they may even need to be turned toward the window in all circumstances. This provides less options for backdrops, so bring the backdrop to the window, if you can! For example, you may need to move the crib or the bassinet. A simple a blank wall near the window may be a better option in a dimmer home, than a more interesting backdrop that is far from a window. Use emotive prompts that will create emotional images to match the lighting.