Deirdre Rusk
- Feb 7, 2019
- 3 min read

What is Lifestyle Newborn Photography?

Updated: Jan 2, 2021

There are two different types of Newborn Photography, there is the traditional posed Newborn photography, which is usually studio based and uses special posing, bean bags and all sorts of props and cute outfits. Traditional Newborn photography focuses mostly on the baby, and sometimes includes family members. This type of Newborn Photography must take place within the first two weeks of the babies life, and can take hours of careful posing to achieve the beautiful finished product.

Lifestyle photography on the other hand, is very natural and requires little posing. The sessions are baby-led, the poses are poses that the baby would naturally go into and the sessions focus more on the intimate interaction between family members and their beautiful new addition. The photographer will give certain prompts to get the interaction going, and may position the subjects in a certain light- but thats it in terms of posing, no hours of soothing the baby to sleep, the baby doesn't even need to be asleep. Lifestyle newborn photography strives to capture the real and genuine moments of having a new baby, the love, the little details and the emotion. The sessions take place at home, in natural light, and can be taken up until the baby is about 2 months old. This is great if your a new mam, it gives you a chance to catch your bearings after having a baby! it can be a very overwhelming time, which is why lifestyle photography is great because its relaxed and stress free. The photo sessions take place from home, usually by window light, using the bed or a comfy couch as a backdrop. There is no use of props, no special cute outfits. The baby is captured as they are, as beautiful as they are !

I think the most beautiful newborn photographs are when newborn is in their mothers arms. Babies are beautiful in their natural positions and surrounded by the people they love. Lifestyle photography focuses a lot on the family's interaction, including parents, siblings and solo shots. There is a lot of variety in these sessions.

Traditional Newborn photography takes amazing skill, there a amazing photographers out there who specialize in this and create stunning newborn portraits safely. If you would like me to recommend one to you just give me a shout! I personally know a couple of unbelievably talented newborn photographers who create traditional timeless newborn photographs. This is in no way a lifestyle vs traditional newborn post. Both are beautiful!

As much as I love looking at traditional portraiture, Lifestyle is definitely the style that speaks to me personally, for its natural, intimate and real way of capturing geniune moments x