Wayyyyy back when... a friend asked me if I would photograph her son at his quarterly milestones. She didn't want anything fancy for her sessions - a few photos of her son in their home playing with his favorite toys - just him being him. I immediately said "YES" with no plan or expectation of what I would capture. His gallery included images of how bright his big brown eyes were when he looked at his mom, his round little toes and chunky thigh rolls, his fingers wrapped intertwined in his mom's dark curly hair, the big gummy grin that sprouted white little teeth - I could go on and on. I fell in love with capturing how this sweet soul blossomed throughout his first year and knew I wanted to offer this to other families. Over the years, I have been blessed with incredible clients who welcome me to their home to photograph their littles. My clients become family to me - I celebrate every milestone along with them - from finding their fingers to tasting their first birthday cake or from rolling over to learning to walk - I'm there and it gets sweeter every.single.time.
Today, I'm sharing how to prepare for an in-home milestone session. Below I've listed a few things you can do before I arrive to ensure we spend our time focusing on your little and their big milestone. Interested in learning more about milestone sessions? Read more here or inquire today to get your spot on my calendar. Until next week, cheers friend!
Preparing your Home
The majority of my milestone sessions tend take place in 3 areas of my clients' homes - baby's nursery, living room or master bedroom. So please do not clean your entire house! I have a whole blog post on how to prepare your home, read more here. Below are the key takeaways for prepping your home for a milestone session:
- Only tidy the areas you plan to use for your session - aka, throw everything in the closet, the bathroom or under the bed.
- If there are sentimental items you want me to include (blocks, a lovey, a book, etc) set them to the side in a place you won't forget about them.
- Turn on your babe's favorite playlist - it helps everyone relax and helps bring out super sweet candid moments.
- Before your session starts, turn off the overhead lights, open up the blinds and curtains to let the natural light pour into your home!
Preparing Baby
Typically, littles don't need lots of time with a camera at milestones. Just as you can feel tired after a photo shoot, they can and will too. I can capture so much in a short span of time and my goal is to take advantage of babe's wake window while they are happiest. To do so, here are a few ways you can prepare your babe:
- Choose a time of day when babe is most happy! I recommend staying away from meal time and nap time. I have learned mornings are always a safe bet!
- Limit the number of outfit changes. Make sure you try on their outfits BEFORE your session to ensure they fit. Are you deciding between multiple outfits? Send me a picture before hand and we can narrow down the selections.
- Stay calm and relaxed - littles can sense our emotions and will react similarly if they sense you are nervous or anxious.