Maternity at Home on Film - Woodinville, Wa

Decorating the Tree - Family Documentary Session - Shoreline, Wa

A quick sneak peek from a documentary family session where they decorated the tree together! Baby Frances loved watching her family decorate and wanted to be part of the action at all times! :)

Baby Elliott - Fresh Newborn Session at Home - Shoreline, Wa

A quick sneak peek from Elliott’s in-home fresh newborn session! What’s a fresh newborn session? Sometimes even with the best laid plans a Fresh 48 Session turns into a home Newborn Session that we schedule as soon as everyone is home and feeling good. I am pretty flexible when it comes to the unexpected and work with you when plans change. The bonus was, as a result, we got some cute photos of their pup with baby as well!

Welcome baby Elliott!!

Summer's End - Seattle Documentary Newborn Session

So newborn session myth #1: Newborn sessions have to be scheduled within the first 2 weeks after birth.

NOPE!

Guess what? You can schedule them whenever you want or whenever works for your family.

Because I had taken their birth photos too, this family wanted to wait a little for their newborn photos. And that totally works!

While many people want to schedule newborn photos within the first two weeks at home, in reality there’s nothing wrong with waiting a few more weeks. If you think you missed your window because you didn’t schedule something sooner, I’m here to tell you, don’t stress about it. Just take the photos. Babies don’t last.

This family became so special to me. Not only was I their birth doula & photographer, but I had also taken (documentary) maternity photos for them as well. It was so fun to watch their family grow in front of my eyes and camera. As summer crept to a close it was fun how I had spent that entire season of the year and life with them.

LOOKING FOR A NEWBORN PHOTOGRAPHER?

---

Documentary Photo Session Ideas

With the documentary approach, it’s all about documenting your family’s real life, the little things that make up your day or week that may go by unnoticed or normally undocumented. But you still might be wondering, “What does that actually mean? What should we plan for and what will you photograph?” Below are just a few ideas of moments/events/things that could be part of your sessions.

While we never need to have a schedule for our time together, I hope this list helps you consider the possibilities of things that could be documented during your session! There’s really no limits to what I can capture for you. I become your family’s historian for the day and hopefully future as well.

Maternity/Before Baby:

• Shopping for baby 

• Decorating/setting up baby’s nursery

• Baby shower

• Daily walk

• Cooking with family

• Hanging out with older kids at home or at the park

• Your normal Saturday routine

• Early prepping of food for your family postpartum

• Check up with your midwife (out of hospital)

• Building any new baby furniture (crib, rocker, changing table)

Newborn/Babies:

• First bath at home/general bath time

• Skin to skin time

• Tummy time

• Trying first solids

• Nursing

• Pumping

• Meeting/Snuggling with siblings

• Meeting/Snuggling with grandparents

• Walks around the neighborhood

• Story time at the library

• Snuggles with mom and dad

• Napping with mom and dad

• Playing with extended family (aunts/uncles)

• Morning/Bedtime routine

• First Birthday

Family:

• Breakfast

• Waking up

• Morning routine

• Lunch

• Dinner time

• Bath time 

• Brushing teeth 

• Bedtime books

• Family game time 

• Playing together in the yard/outside 

• Trip to a playground

• Trip to a museum

• Trip to the farmers market

• Trip to the library

• Trip to the grocery store

• Trip to the aquarium 

• Practicing musical instruments

• Playing sports outside together

• Making cookies/treats in the kitchen

• Cooking a meal together

• Grandparents visiting

• Playing with the family pet/walking the dog

• First day with new family pet

• Yard work/raking leaves/planting trees

• Gardening 

• Blowing bubbles outside

• Building legos together

• Building a fort together

• Salmon watching

• Mushroom hunting

• Exploring the beaches and natural wonders of the puget sound

• Holiday family traditions

• Birthday/Family milestone

• Making crafts together

• Moving into a new home

• Backyard camping

• Backyard fire and s’mores

• Backyard movie time

Ready to book your documentary session?