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What Is Lifestyle Newborn Photography (And Why It Matters)
62 Plays3 months ago
In this heartfelt episode, I’m pulling back the curtain on lifestyle newborn photography what it really means and why it’s such a powerful, safe, and natural way to photograph new babies. As a former NICU nurse turned professional photographer, I bring years of experience and deep passion to this genre. You'll learn what sets lifestyle newborn photography apart from traditional posed sessions, what baby-led posing actually looks like, and why your role as the photographer is to guide, not force. If you're craving a more meaningful and stress-free way to document the newborn season, this episode is for you.
Key Takeaways:
1. Lifestyle Newborn Photography Is Natural, Not Forced
- Focuses on baby-led posing—safe, comfortable, and organic positions.
- No stiff props, awkward composites, or elaborate setups.
- Real moments over staged perfection.
2. You’re Still the Expert—Just with a Softer Touch
- You guide the session, pose the baby naturally, and direct light and emotion.
- A gentle but confident workflow still matters.
- You don’t need props to create impactful images.
3. The Home Is the Heart of the Story
- Sessions are done in the family’s space no studio lights, no distractions.
- Photos capture personal, emotional details: the nursery, the rocking chair, those 2 a.m. memories.
- Natural light and real settings create timeless images.
4. Newborns Are Perfect Just As They Are
- No need to alter or manipulate connection and simplicity are key.
- Lifestyle images tell the truth of the moment in a meaningful and artistic way.
Resources & Links:
👉 Download the FREE Lifestyle Newborn Posing Guide – Includes 5 of my favorite safe, baby-led poses.
👉 Follow along on Instagram for more lifestyle newborn inspiration
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Transcript
Introduction to Newborn Photography
00:00:01
Elena Blair
What's up, Empowered Photographer? i' am coming at you with another episode about newborn photography. So if you don't know this about me, I um used to be a newborn intensive care nurse. So I have been working with newborns in one way or another since I was 22 years old. Yes, that means that I am...
Passion and Philosophy in Newborn Photography
00:00:17
Elena Blair
42 years old, which is crazy, but I have been a newborn enthusiast for a very long time. I love newborns. And it makes me very passionate about ah newborn photography and makes me very passionate about newborn photography being safe.
00:00:29
Elena Blair
So I want to just today tell you what the heck lifestyle newborn photography even means. People throw that phrase, um that description around a lot, but what does it actually look like?
00:00:42
Elena Blair
So what I think is if you want to capture newborns in a way that feels natural, that feels connected, that is stress-free, and that is safe, most importantly, then this genre is for you.
Understanding Lifestyle vs. Traditional Photography
00:00:55
Elena Blair
Traditional newborn photography often involves forcing babies into positions, like wrapping them super tight, balancing balancing them in unnatural ways that are so unnatural you need to do a composite, meaning you have to like put two photos together.
00:01:08
Elena Blair
um it's It's just, ah you know, in our industry, it has really become popular and there's a lot of people who do it really well and there's definitely a market for it, but it's not my thing.
00:01:19
Elena Blair
live Lifestyle and newborn photography is really the opposite of that. It's never forced. So lifestyle newborn photography involves what I call baby led posing, meaning that if you put a baby in a position, the position is natural and the baby is comfortable and you do poses that the baby would actually be in.
00:01:40
Elena Blair
No forced positions, nothing stiff, no elaborate setups, no props, no posing aids, no putting a hat on a baby that doesn't actually belong to the baby.
00:01:52
Elena Blair
Your job is just to guide, not to force. Just because baby led posing is not meant to be posed or stiff does not mean that you are not still the director and the guide of the session. Does not mean that you don't still need to know how to pose.
00:02:07
Elena Blair
As a lifestyle newborn photographer, you do need to still guide the session. You to have a workflow. You still need to position the baby in the parent's arms, even if you're going to leave the baby mostly in the parent's arms.
Capturing Authentic Family Moments
00:02:18
Elena Blair
You still need to direct the light and the movement and the emotion, all of that. But the difference is that it looks and feels natural and that it is safe. No awkward positions, no balancing balancing acts, no risky props, just meaningful, authentic photography that tells the story of this fleeting season exactly as it is.
00:02:40
Elena Blair
And if you have your own babies, you know how fast it goes. I do not use studio lights. um I do all of my lifestyle newborn photography in the parents' or the client's home.
00:02:51
Elena Blair
I don't bring in any props. I come to the session with my camera and that's it. This makes for a much more relaxed, familiar, and completely personal experience for the family.
The Role of Natural Light in Photography
00:03:05
Elena Blair
I always think, what will this family want to remember? And years from now, the parents are going to cherish the memories of the couch that they rocked their baby on at 2 a.m., m the nursery that they lovingly decorated, the tiny details of their everyday life with their newborn, little toes, downy hair.
00:03:23
Elena Blair
That is why I think the home is the perfect setting. I actually don't like flash photography for newborns. I know some people think that it's fine, but I prefer all of that natural light softness. um I think that it makes for a much more comfortable experience for the baby.
00:03:39
Elena Blair
Knowing how to find and use light is key to creating timeless, beautiful photos for newborns, though. You do need to know that. I don't bring in any baskets, any but buckets, any props, any wagons.
00:03:52
Elena Blair
Lifestyle newborn photography is all about the baby and their family. The baby, the parents, the connection. This is what makes the image special. So lifestyle newborn photography does require some posing. You wanna know how to pose and direct the baby.
Resources and Farewell
00:04:08
Elena Blair
Lucky for you, I have a free posing guide. I will link it in the notes here. And just remember that newborns are perfect as they are. They do not need to be put in awkward, stiff, or weird poses in order to be made beautiful.
00:04:22
Elena Blair
And if you've been exploring newborn photography and you're finding nothing but posed newborn photography advice out there, well, welcome to my world. You can check out my Instagram account where I have lots of examples from of newborn work. You can check out my portfolio.
00:04:34
Elena Blair
But if you'd like to download a posing guide, which will walk you through five of my favorite lifestyle newborn poses, baby-led poses, I'll link that for you. All right. See you in the next episode. So good to have you.