A Newborn Session in New Canaan, Connecticut by Kristen Swain | New England Newborn Photographer | Connecticut Newborn Photographer

When I first met Emily and family, it was for a maternity session on Nantucket. Her oldest, Teddy, was a few months short of two at the time and she was expecting another baby toward the end of the year. We held our first session in the dunes and on the beach at Madequecham, and it was such a joy. Teddy was way more interested in his truck than the photos (as is the case with most two year old boys!), and we embraced his preferences and energy, and created a lot of magic on a perfectly foggy Grey Lady afternoon.

We had such a wonderful rapport and both loved what we created so much that Emily invited me down to New York to take her newborn photos when Chip was born a few months later. Baby Chip was a dream, sleeping through most of the session, and like our first meeting, Teddy was still pretty indifferent to photos. And let me be clear: there is absolutely nothing wrong with this. I love an opinionated toddler and the funny and genuine expressions we get from them when they show us what they’re clearly thinking: that we are completely CRAZY for wanting to do whatever THIS is — this weird thing with the camera, and the staying in one place, and the fawning over the new tiny human — over playing with toys or snacking. [You can check out all the gorgeous character we captured at Chip’s newborn session here.]

Fast forward a couple of years, and Emily reached out again, with some wonderful news. Number three was on the way. A girl. Emily and family had recently moved from the City to New Canaan, Connecticut, and she was excited to plan her in-home newborn photos.

We planned our shoot for 2-3 weeks after Emily’s due date. I usually recommend scheduling a newborn session within the first two weeks of baby’s birth, or after five weeks. Both times have their advantages and considerations, and it’s very much a personal preference. Holding a session at the 2-week or earlier mark allows us to capture baby while she’s still teeny-tiny and (hopefully!) will be very likely to sleep through most of the session, even when we’re adjusting her little hands, feet, and overall positioning for the shot. This timeframe also usually pre-dates the onset of baby acne. (If we miss this window, I will almost always recommend waiting until 5-6 weeks, after the acne period has passed.) In Emily’s case, the only real question was the timing of her nursery wallpaper installation, which we both agreed we should definitely wait for! Thankfully her paper arrived without any delay and we were able to move forward with our originally-planned date.

Without question, I’ve found it to be the case that with each additional child in the family, newborn sessions get trickier. A great newborn session takes time, and the “older” kiddos of course have very limited patience and attention spans. For that reason, we decided to start with photos that included Emily’s boys, and then let them go off to school while we finished up the session with just baby and parents. Turns out Chip (now just about the same age Teddy was in our earliest photos) doesn’t get the hype about photos either, but both boys were real troopers for us and I love that we were able to capture this phase with them. And it felt that much more special when Teddy eventually did crack a couple of sweet, genuine smiles for us. (Chip, we’re coming for your pearly whites next time!)

On the other hand, one family member who was perfectly happy to participate the whole time was the family’s Frenchie, Henry. (Pretty sure Henry thought I was there just for him, and of course I wouldn’t let him think anything else.)

Baby Lily did amazing throughout our session, and woke up for us at the very end, for some eyes open shots (with a little hint of a Mona Lisa smile, as if to say “those boys have no idea what they’re in for”). She is so very loved — by mom, dad, brothers, fur brother Henry … and this photographer too.

Connecticut families: Please know that I do travel for photo sessions, so don’t hesitate to reach out if you’re interested in working together. I hold in-home newborn sessions in all seasons except summer.

A Newborn Session in New Canaan, Connecticut by Kristen Swain | New England Newborn Photographer | Connecticut Newborn Photographer

A Newborn Session in New Canaan, Connecticut by Kristen Swain | New England Newborn Photographer | Connecticut Newborn Photographer