Beginning in 2025, I started offering two different types of STUDIO Newborn Sessions in St. Charles: Newborn Studio Posed Portraits and Newborn Studio Lifestyle Sessions. You might wonder what in the world is the difference? Well, there’s a big difference!
Newborn Studio Posed Portraits are a traditional way of posing a newborn baby. These sessions tend to be more time consuming because the best way to “pose” a newborn baby is while they sleep and sometimes it takes a lot of time to make that happen. While baby naps, I try to move as quickly and gently as possible to get through my workflow of poses. Traditional poses include baby wrapped in a swaddle in various props as well as fabric/ table poses where baby can be un-wrapped. The final product is very polished-looking portraits of baby in various looks and with different colored backgrounds.
Newborn Studio Lifestyle sessions are a less traditional approach to newborn photography that looks more natural, organic and journalistic in style. I prefer to use neutral colors only for these sessions which give it a very pure and natural look. Baby can be awake or asleep for these sessions so they typically take less time because the posing is not as polished as it would be in a traditional posed session. I may incorporate a traditional pose or two if baby allows me but I really take the lead from baby and what they will allow me to do. Images will generally look more journalistic in style as if I was a fly on the wall but in a controlled lighting, studio environment.
So, which newborn session do you prefer? Honestly, it’s just a personal preference! Both kinds of sessions are incredibly moving and beautiful. They capture baby’s first days earth side which are moments that will never happen again so you can’t go wrong with either.
Sample of studio traditional portrait
Sample of a studio lifestyle portrait
