Newborn sessions are such a gift to your family now, but even more so later! When your sweet new bundle of joy is born, you won’t believe how quickly they grow & change. That’s why so many Mom’s & Dad’s schedule newborn sessions to capture those first weeks with their new little one. Some families prefer to have their newborn sessions in their own homes, while others prefer to have their newborn sessions in a studio setting. Which one is right for you? In this blog post, I’ll outline the pros & cons for each setting so you can make the best decision for your family. You’ll get a full picture of deciding between In-Home vs. Studio Newborn Sessions. Let’s get started.

In-Home Photography Session Pros

First, let’s outline the benefits of an in-home session in this breakdown of In-Home vs. Studio Newborn Sessions.

No Traveling

From a practical standpoint, In-Home newborn sessions are a dream. You don’t have to pack bags or your kids up to leave your home — your photographer comes right to you! This can be a huge upside for large & small families alike. It can be a huge pain to try to get everyone out of the house on time when there is a newborn around.

No Studio Rental Fee

When you choose to have your session in a studio, you will pay for the studio rental fee. This varies by studio, but you can expect to pay around $100 – $200 to rent the space for two hours. So, in-home newborn sessions will save you a bit of money vs studio sessions.

No rush to leave the studio space

If you choose to have your session in-home, you won’t have to worry about racing the clock to get out of a studio space you’ve rented for a certain amount of time. Often, studios are booked back-to-back, so there will be another photographer waiting to use the space after your session. This takes stress off of your shoulders and your photographers shoulders.

A familiar space

When you choose to have your newborn session in your own home, you and your family are in their comfort zone. This is especially helpful for toddlers & older children because they can take a break in their room, get their favorite toys to play with or books to read, and likely just be more apt to cooperate and be comfortable in front of the camera. Everyone can open up a bit more and relax when in their own space. This often translates on camera.

Authentic

Perhaps my favorite benefit to in-home sessions is the fact that it’s a bit more authentic to your family’s story. Not only will you get to capture your family as they are, but you’ll get to capture your home as it is. It tells the whole story — not just the baby in a white space, but your sweet baby in their home where they will grow up. You will look back at these photos and remember that time even more vividly because you’ll see photos of you and the baby in the chair you nursed them in for hours, and your whole family in their natural element.

In-Home Photography Session Cons

Second, let’s outline the drawbacks in this breakdown of In-Home vs. Studio Newborn Sessions.

Lighting

This is the biggest con to an in-home session because lighting is critical to getting great photographs — especially film photographs. Unfortunately, not all homes get the kind of light that film needs to be properly exposed. If you think your home may be too dark, I recommend sending a photo to your photographer of the rooms that get the best light, at their brightest to see what he/she thinks. Even if your home does get nice light on sunny days, I always recommend rescheduling an in-home session if it’s overcast. There just isn’t enough light indoors on those days — even if your home is made of windows.

Distractions

If you’re the type of person who prefers photographs with minimal distractions and a clean, blank background, an in-home session may not be for you. Most homes are meant for living in, not taking photographs! Furniture, light fixtures, wall art, curtains, toys, etc are all things that you’ll either have to move or accept as part of your photographs. If you like the authenticity of your space as it is, then this may not be a con for you. It’s just something to keep in mind. When looking at a photograph, keep in mind that the eye will go to the darkest part of the image first. So if you have a dark colored couch or bed frame, or lamp, that will be the focal point, not you and your sweet newborn.

Cleaning

Another con, especially for those fresh newborn days when you’re just trying to feed, change diapers & sleep, is cleaning. At the very least, tidying up around the house will be required to minimize the amount of distractions in your photos. With a studio, you can show up to a clean space, make a mess and leave. Not the case with in-home sessions.

Studio Photography Pros

Let’s look at the pros to a studio newborn session in this breakdown of In-Home vs. Studio Newborn Sessions.

Lighting

This is probably the main reason you’d want to choose a studio for your newborn sessions over your own home. The light is always gorgeous! It’s hard to take a bad photograph in a studio, if I am being frank. Everything is white and evens out & brightens skin tones beautifully.

No distractions

Unlike in your home, with lots of furniture, light fixtures and other potentially distracting elements, a studio is a nice, blank slate. Your newborn will be the first thing the eye goes to in your photographs because they will likely be the only thing in the image!

No cleaning

Just as above, you don’t have to worry about rushing around to clean before or after a studio newborn session. You show up, get photographed, and leave just as you came.

Studio Photography Cons

Lastly, we’ll examine the cons to a studio session in this breakdown of In-Home vs. Studio Newborn Sessions.

Studio Rental Fee

As I mentioned above, you will have to pay for the studio rental fee should you choose this option.

Not your comfort zone

This is a big one for toddlers & older children. It can be difficult for them to warm up to a new space like a studio.

Travel

You will have to travel to the studio. If you have older children and a newborn, or even just a newborn, this is not an easy task! You may be healing still and not feel up to traveling much, either.

Time Limit

Often, at an in-home session, you are able to have a little more wiggle room for timing. Newborns are notoriously for needing LOTS of breaks for feedings, diaper-changes, and soothing. If you book the studio for 2 hours, that is all you have. Whereas at an in-home session, you have access to the space indefinitely! Your photographer will more than likely be able to spend more time with you without having to rush off.

What Type of Photography Session Will You Choose?

There you have it! The breakdown of an In-Home vs. Studio Newborn Session. I hope this was helpful in making your decision about where to have your newborn session. Check out this post of a gorgeous studio newborn session. If you have any other questions or are looking for a newborn photographer in Denver, you can contact me here.

The In-home Newborn session photos below taken on Fuji400H Film and developed/scanned by Photovision.