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The Moment That Changed My Newborn Photography Forever
124 Plays3 months ago
In this heartfelt episode, I’m taking you back to the exact moment that transformed everything about how I approached newborn photography. If you’ve ever felt misaligned or unsure about the posed newborn style, this episode is for you. I’m sharing my personal journey of going from traditional posed sessions to discovering what truly felt aligned—and how that shift exploded my business and redefined my purpose as a photographer. If you’re curious about lifestyle newborn photography or baby-led posing, this might be the sign you’ve been waiting for.
Key Takeaways:
1. Misalignment Is a Clue, Not a Failure
- I was running a successful business in posed newborn photography but felt emotionally and creatively drained.
- The work didn’t feel like me, and I constantly questioned whether I belonged in the newborn niche.
2. A Personal Moment Sparked My Clarity
- When photographing my own baby, I realized just how unnatural posed setups felt to me.
- That experience revealed that I was working against my instincts as a mother and creative.
3. Rebranding to Alignment Changed Everything
- I made the bold decision to completely rebrand into lifestyle newborn photography.
- I created a baby-led posing system rooted in safety, connection, and natural moments.
- That’s when my business took off—and I’ve now taught this method all over the world.
Final Thoughts:
If posed newborn photography doesn’t feel aligned for you, you’re not alone—and it doesn’t mean you’re not meant to be a newborn photographer. There is another way. Lifestyle newborn photography allows you to lead with connection, authenticity, and trust in your instincts. It’s time to explore a version of this work that lights you up instead of draining you.
Resources & Links:
👉 Download my free Newborn Posing Guide – Five safe and simple baby-led poses, step-by-step.
👉 Check out my Lifestyle Newborn Portfolio – See what this style looks like in real sessions.
Recommended
Transcript
Introduction to the Empowered Podcast
00:00:00
Elena Blair
Hey everybody and welcome back to the Empowered Podcast. I am coming at you with short, bite-sized education to help you grow your photography business to something that is meaningful and reliable and profitable.
Challenges in Traditional Newborn Photography
00:00:15
Elena Blair
So today I'm going to talk about my newborn photography a little bit and I'm going to tell you the moment that changed everything for me. So I was feeling completely stuck in my newborn photography work.
00:00:28
Elena Blair
11 years ago, almost exactly, I was still doing traditional posed newborn sessions. Lots of props, heavy posing, bringing in the beanbag, all kinds of little like bunny ears and crocheted things.
00:00:41
Elena Blair
But something felt very, very off to me. The sessions felt misaligned. I felt very um ah exhausted and I was like paranoid that I wasn't getting a good gallery every single time.
00:00:53
Elena Blair
And even though that section of my business was thriving, I just... worried that it wasn't for me. I thought maybe I wasn't meant to be a newborn photographer because this feels so misaligned.
Personal Story and Realization
00:01:05
Elena Blair
So cut to almost exactly 11 years ago, my daughter's birthday is going to be next week, my third baby was born. Her name is Marlo. And like any good newborn photographer, she was asleep and all her siblings were at school and I decided I would take her newborn photos.
00:01:20
Elena Blair
So I hauled the beanbag up the stairs. I brought up the background. I brought up the background stand. I got everything all smoothed out. Now, if you want to know something about me as a mother, i am actually like an attachment parent to the core. I let my babies sleep with me until they're three. I breastfeed them until they're three. I birth at home.
00:01:38
Elena Blair
I don't ever really put my babies down. I really believe in that um way of parenting. It's not for everyone, but I really believe in it. and And I'm telling you that because I put my baby on the beanbag and got all of her clothes off.
00:01:54
Elena Blair
And she looked so alone and awkward and not where she should be. She should have been in my arms. And that ah was the aha moment that I needed.
00:02:06
Elena Blair
I stood back and I looked at her. I didn't take one single photo because I knew something was off. I was like, I am an attachment parent.
00:02:18
Elena Blair
Skin to skin and natural is the way to go for me. Why am I trying to photograph my own baby outside of my arms posed on a beanbag? I scooped her up. I cried postpartum.
Transition to Lifestyle Newborn Photography
00:02:29
Elena Blair
And in that moment, it was so clear to me. It just had this moment of clarity. I was doing what I thought I had to do to make money as a newborn photographer, not what felt right and aligned for me as a human being.
00:02:41
Elena Blair
I realized that I wasn't meant to be posed newborn photographer. I realized that my favorite part of capturing newborns had always been the real connection between the baby and the baby's parents. And I realized that the poses that I was doing didn't feel safe sometimes, didn't feel um natural.
Rebranding and Business Success
00:02:58
Elena Blair
And so I decided to completely rebrand myself, which was really scary because I did have a business that was more traditional newborn photography. But I did it. I completely rebranded myself.
00:03:10
Elena Blair
in I became b go-to lifestyle newborn photographer in Seattle. And now I talk about this all over the world. i speak about it um all over the world. And that was when my business exploded.
00:03:21
Elena Blair
When I became aligned with who I was as a newborn photographer, everything changed.
Encouragement and Resources for Listeners
00:03:26
Elena Blair
My business literally exploded. So if you have been feeling misaligned with your newborn photography, or if you are feeling like you're not sure if you want to be a newborn photographer because you're not interested in pose newborn photography, then I would ask you to explore lifestyle newborn photography, which has a posing system that I call baby led posing.
00:03:48
Elena Blair
I'm going to link my newborn posing guide for you here in the notes or in the description. And you can download my free newborn posing guide, which will give you five of my favorite poses broken down step by step.
00:04:01
Elena Blair
And they're done safely. And you can see if this is for you. You could also go to my website and check out my portfolio. I'll also link that here. and you can check that out as well. um I think that you should explore newborn photography, and especially if you're a family photographer, but I think you should explore it in a way that is meaningful to you. And if you've been shying away from newborn photography because you haven't been wanting to do that pose newborn, well, this is your sign.
00:04:26
Elena Blair
Thanks so much for listening. See you in the next episode.