Center City Family Photographer – At Home with Baby

We live in a place that has four seasons, and depending on when your session takes place, we might be able to take advantage of the beautiful weather that comes along with it. But no matter the time of year, I always love it when clients book a session that takes place at home. 

Not only is it a great option to create new memories but also an opportunity to commemorate the time you all spend together in a place that’s more reflective of your day-to-day life. Your home is the backdrop of your life, so even if it’s a little messy or not perfectly decorated, it’s where you live and love. 

When I first arrive at your home for your session, I always like to do a quick walkthrough of the house to see what our best options might be. I usually like to capture your family in its natural setting- where you all spend most of your time. For a lot of families, this means using the kid’s room/ playroom, your bedroom, and the living room/areas. The most important thing I consider when choosing which rooms to photograph is the lighting in each room. I always prefer the magic of natural light but bring a flash with me just in case there is a space that you really want to use that might not have optimal lighting.

Often, we’ll start in the baby’s room, allowing them to ease up and just be themselves in front of the camera. We’ll do a combination of the baby with each family member individually, portraits of the whole family together, baby/kids with any pets, pets by themselves (if they are up for it), and some of the baby alone. With outdoor sessions, we’re always aiming for ideal golden hour lighting- which may not cater to your child’s personal golden hour. With at-home sessions, we can plan around any sleep or school schedules that may pop up. I like to think of my sessions as child-led, in which if a child doesn’t want to do something specific we’ll redirect and try again later when they’re feeling a bit more comfortable. We try to adapt to what they want- if they want to play before jumping into the formal portraits, then that’s what we’ll do! From there, we’ll move to the next spot to get more photos of the family together. 

Some families have other parts of the home that they like to have photographed. For some, it is a garden, a beautiful backyard, or even a rooftop. If you feel stuck, think about anywhere in your home that you like to spend time in, a place that holds endless memories for you and your family. Sometimes that means we photograph eating snacks in the kitchen- if that’s not true to life I don’t know what is 🙂 

Lifestyle family sessions at home are great for capturing your day-to-day life and your family’s dynamic. Not every photo needs to be posed, photo sessions are meant to be fun and even have a little bit of chaos. Children usually feel more comfortable and happy during at-home photo sessions as it’s an environment they’re used to and love. Things change and kids grow up in the blink of an eye, so it’ll be nice to see exactly what your life looks like in this exact moment in time. Having an at-home photo session gives you the opportunity to look back on how your home has changed over the years and how little the kids once were. 

If you’re more interested in having an outdoor-only session, ask about my list of over 100 location options so we can find a spot that would work best for you!

If you’re unsure of where you want to do your session – check out the Best of 2023 Blog or my other Philadelphia family photography blogs for inspo.