If you are anything like me, as soon as you found out you were pregnant you started planning and making decisions!  Planning the nursery, choosing name possibilities, picking out clothing and looking into photographers. 

It may become quickly apparent that there are lot of options when it comes to photographers.  There are different styles of editing, different props that can be used, a million different outfits, and it turns out different types of sessions as well. 

So how do you choose which is best for you? It depends largely on the style of images you want, what you want the focus of your images to and the location you want your session to take place.

So what is the difference between a lifestyle newborn session and a studio newborn session? And which one is ideal for you?

A studio session takes place in a photographer’s studio(hence the name) and usually involves a variety of props, outfits, backgrounds, hats, headbands etc.  Babies are usually soothed to sleep for the majority of the session and then posed in things like baskets, bowls and buckets.  They can also be wrapped up and posed on a special posing bed to create beautiful minimalistic images.  These images are usually specially curated based on your style and likes.   Studio sessions most often focus mainly on baby alone, and then include images of baby with siblings and parents and the whole family.  Studio sessions also often take advantage of using off camera flash.  Giving the photographer total control over perfectly lit images. 

A Lifestyle session takes place in the comfort of your own home, and it is a much more organic session with less posing.  These sessions have an emphasis on the interaction between baby and the rest of the family.  There are far fewer images of baby alone in a lifestyle session.  Images are also more of a documentary style, rather than being directed to look at the camera, families are usually encouraged to focus on baby.  Lifestyle sessions also rely much more on natural window light in your home. 

Things to consider when choosing your session

In a lifestyle session your home plays a prominent role in your images.  Does your home have ample natural light?  Do you have a space you would love to have in your images?  Perhaps if you are in the middle of a renovation or aren’t in love with your current décor a studio session may make more sense. 

Are you nervous about leaving the house with your new baby? Does packing up and heading to the studio seem a little overwhelming right now? Or perhaps your older children may fare better with an in home session rather than sitting at the studio for a couple of hours.

Do you really love the babies in buckets or bowls images?  If that style of photography is what you keep ‘hearting’ on Instagram then a studio session will provide the best images for you. 

 What about a hybrid of both?

If you’ve gotten this far and you’re still unsure… Maybe you really like the idea of in home because of big brother but you also really love that heart shaped bowl pose.   Don’t worry!  I almost always bring 2-3 props and a backdrop or 2 with me to every in home session so a combination of both is possible.   With that being said it is still important to think about the space and light in your home before deciding to go with an in home session!