What is the difference between Posed Newborn and Lifestyle Newborn Photography?

When I get inquiries for newborn photography here in Colorado Springs, for the most part clients know what photography style they are looking for.

But often, there is still confusion about what exactly "posed newborn" and "lifestyle newborn" means. I'm here to help clear that up for you!

Posed Newborn Sessions are often primarily centered around the baby. Baby is hopefully lulled off to sleep, dressed in a cute outfit or a loose wrap, and posed on a beanbag, in a basket or box, etc. Sometimes the results of these photos are sometimes, but not always, manipulated further in photoshop to create cute looks - and often clients (and newer photographers) don't realize these are not done on-location but in post-processing. Baby may or may not be photographed with his/her parents during this session as well. These sessions can happen in a studio, or at home!

When my daughter was born, we did posed newborn photos in our home with the wonderful Rebecca Kuhn Photography. She is very talented at this and I love the results! I've shared some of her beautiful photos below to demonstrate the difference in styles. We also did some family poses in our bedroom with a wall for a background.

As a newborn photographer, I currently only photograph Lifestyle Newborn Sessions. There is nothing better or worse about either style; this is just what I am most comfortable with at the moment. Some photographers do either/or, or a combination of both! Maybe someday I'll add in posed newborns, but for now I'm happy doing lifestyle sessions. During a lifestyle newborn session, the focus is on photographing baby with his/her family in their home environment. Baby is most often photographed being help and loved on by his/her parents and any siblings. Sometimes even with pets! Baby will also have some solo photos, often on the parents' bed and/or in the nursery. Lifestyle sessions most often happen in the client's home - most often in the parents' bedroom, nursery, and/or living room. These sessions can also be done in-studio!

Lifestyle and Posed Newborn sessions also have some similarities. For instance, it is common to still take photos of baby with his/her parents and the results very often look similar to lifestyle newborn photos. It is also common to take detail shots of the baby's adorable features in both types of sessions. You can always request certain poses/photos from your photographer - they will let you know what they typically do in a session, and if they are able to accommodate your vision. If not, they may not be the right photographer for you, and that's okay! Not every photographer can do a mix of both styles.

No matter what style you choose, make sure you select a photographer who has been properly trained in newborn safety. For posed newborn sessions, be sure the photographer has proper training in these poses and isn't just trying to copy photo you/they found online - this can be dangerous (again, many of these poses are created in photoshop!). This is partly why I don't currently offer posed newborn sessions - I am not properly trained for them, however I AM trained in infant safety techniques and know what to look for to ensure your little one is safe during his/her photo session.

When you know what style of newborn photography you prefer, it's easier to narrow down your search for photographers! Then be sure you like their photography style and reach out to inquire about their services!