We Asked, You Answered - Taking Newborns Outdoors
Family photography is such an amazing gift to both photographer and client, as it truly gives both the chance to tell a story without using words. One of the most beloved family milestones is the birth of a new child, and those tiny, sleepy moments are so fleeting that they are easily forgotten after just a few weeks.
With the COVID-19 pandemic and those first weeks of quarantine, we know so many of us were heartbroken for the families of newborns that couldn’t see their families in person and couldn’t schedule a newborn session to celebrate their new love. Lucky for all of us, restrictions have lightened up a bit and photographers across the globe are finding new ways to document this beautiful stage of life. Many of us have shifted our focus to outdoor sessions, where social distancing can be observed and fresh air abounds.
We asked our community to share recent outdoor newborn sessions, and they did not disappoint!
“We are lucky here in the Bay Area to have warm weather. Taking newborns outside is always a fun experience. I love taking newborn pictures in the family's backyard and front porch. We pack extra swaddles and blankets to keep the little ones cozy and happy. “
-Julia Shelepova @shelepova.photography
“Before this year, I rarely would go outside of the home to photograph my newborn sessions. These images are now becoming some of my favorites. Motherhood captured in front of beautiful blooms – it doesn’t get much better.”
Allison Depalma, @allisondepalmaphotography
"This beautiful family wasn't able to schedule a newborn session immediately, so baby was a couple of months old and very alert. I was so thankful to be able to do this session outdoors and in the family's own yard at that. It had been raining all day and was still cloudy, but everything turned out beautifully in the end. We were able to do the session late afternoon and baby was happy and curious the whole session."
Adrianne Shelton, @beatificvisionsphotography
Becca Allen, @beccaallenphotography
“The cool morning shade of the backyard was the perfect spot for Baby James to catch a cat nap on mama while we grabbed some portraits. She had a gorgeous peacock chair in her bedroom and I'm so glad she was game for bringing it out to the yard. I am loving the versatility that indoor/outdoor newborn sessions have to offer.”
Kara Powers, @karapowersphotography
“Photographing new babies outdoors, while it came with the additional challenges of Texas summer heat, avoiding the BUGS and witching hour, was such a dream! I found it was so helpful to bring along a large step ladder for images from above, which allowed me to maintain a safe distance with COVID in mind.”
Rachel Friedman, @rachelfriedmanphotography
Lauren Sosler, @laurensoslerphotography
“The baby was 10 days old and I went to the local Botanical Gardens in Birmingham Alabama. I was worried that the session wouldnt feel intimate because there were other people at the gardens as well, but this ended up being one of my favorite sessions. I was still able to give the new parents a beautiful experience and it wasn't nearly as time consuming as a studio newborn session. The family was so thankful this experience and for the beautiful photos!”
Angie Lansdon, @angielansdonphotography
“These first two images are a session I did of my own family! It was a little tricky with managing both a tripod and a toddler, but I knew I wanted to do some outdoor photos to capture our family as we welcomed our newest little love, so we made it happen! This is one of my favorite spots during one of my favorite times of year- I just love how the light peeks through the trees and the soft early summer greens. The whole session was shot on fuji 400h 120 film using my contax 645.
The second set was my first ever outdoor newborn session, and it's the one that made me fall in love with photographing newborns outdoors. It also happens to be the first time I shot almost entirely film! These were both shot on fuji 400h 120 film using my pentax 645nii.”
Talia Laird, @talialairdphotography