Nashville Newborn Photographer | Studio posed vs in-home lifestyle newborn photography
It's 2025 and a lot has changed in 10 years. I spent many years perfecting newborn posing and having a studio. I loved every second of it. But as life goes on and people change, I too changed. I changed my purpose behind my work and I changed how I felt about what I was doing. Does that mean I regretted it? Not at all. People shift. That's life. But since I have the unique position of having done posed newborn photography for over 6 years and now having done in-home lifestyle / documentary newborn photography for the past 8 years, I thought I would write about the differences, in case a mom out there is wondering, which one is right for her.
The poses.
Let's start with the difference in poses when comparing an in-home newborn session to a posed squishy newborn studio session. In the posed situation, baby is molded into various adorable poses that place them into a perfect position. the lips are brought out, the angles are perfect, the baby is folded to create a piece of art. It's absolutely precious. But what are the downsides?
Well, for one... did that baby ever naturally pose themselves that way? Not usually. So it kind of tells a false narrative. Vs... when you do an in-home newborn session just a week or two postpartum (or longer if doing a newborn video), the baby is never intentionally posed. Everything is organic and natural and the positions he or she puts themself in, tells the story of how that baby may have positioned itself in the womb. The story is what I am after in my work - the story was what I was missing in my old style of photography. The story is what we will miss.
The photos.
In the studio, the photos are very similar to the 90s olan mills days. (the thing we don't want to admit!) Everyone is posed the same as every other family and it's a factory assembly line. Your family is family #4 for the week, and will be put through all the same poses as the family before that and before that. It is very cookie cutter. Whereas, when I go into the home of a family, everything about them is unique, and I hone in on that. The furniture, the state their home is in (moving boxes tell the story of how you just moved into your new home just before baby was born), its all a time stamp of what life was like the year you had your baby. We miss these elements of story telling in some of our modern photography ways... in the 80s and 90s, we had albums from photos that we got off of a polaroid or a disposable camera. There were items randomly placed on a coffee table, the sofa was the mess that it was - and ALL of it told the story of that year and that time in your life. The beauty of the items laying around or the imperfections is the depth of the story told.
The pacing of the session
This might be the best part. With a studio session, there is stress about getting out of the house with a newborn and trying to remember all the things you'll need. You get to the studio and the photographer definitely has a lot of patience (I hope) and you can relax and watch your newborn be posed and photographed. But she might have someone else coming in and will move through the poses as quickly as she can for you and her - to let you get home and resting again. When I come to your home, it's just us hanging out. Baby's fussy? we just sit and chat and let you nurse. Need a snack? No problem, I set my camera down (or maybe I don't) and we just chat and eat. There is ZERO pressure. Not ready when I arrive? Cool, I will just chat with the hubby or pet the dog... You get my drift. I want nothing more for you than for this to be the easiest possible session ever. You don't even have to have a clean house, I wont flinch if it's a mess of stuff. If I need something moved, we just move it. All I care about is that you are able to enjoy your day being photographed as a family with a new baby. and that I leave and you feel like that experience was so easy and fun. I usually spend between 1-2 hours, depending on the family's pace at a session. You're my only session that day and I want to come with an open heart ready to give your session 150%.
In-home newborn photography is more candid, real life, capturing things like the nursery and your home, letting you just do what you have been doing - loving on your new baby - and Im just there to hang out while you do it. And if you happen to add on a film, I will even get to capture all of those amazing baby noises and coos - and how baby responds and lights up when you talk to them. If this is something you are interested in, contact me here!
Nashville Newborn Photographer | The Smith Family welcomes baby #2
I just loved spending a fall morning with The Smith family, capturing them in their new life with baby #2, a boy. They have enjoyed their time with a newborn and their 4 year old, being out on their land with their chickens, in their kitchen drinking coffee together... life together raising a 4 year old sweet girl who just became a big sister - who loves to read and put on makeup and be with her parents and baby brother. This time with littles is so fleeting (and exhausting!) and I love being able to give my sweet families their memories of this time that can go by in a blur. If you want your family captured, I would LOVE to chat! 
Nashville, Tennessee Newborn Photographer | The Guarienti Family
I truly believe, 100%, God selects my clients. He picks them out so beautifully.Brooke contacted me in August about a maternity and newborn session at her home and land northwest of Nashville. We captured her maternity session back in September on a beautiful summer day. I truly fell in love with this sweet family. Meeting them, they are so down to earth, loving, and kind. Truly trying their hardest to raise amazing boys (and succeeding!). Their older son is OBSESSED with baby brother, a truly good sign of good parenting (don't worry, you can be good parents and have an older son who isn't a fan like I did 🤣)We spent a morning just hanging out with together, chatting about all things newborn, politics, family, nursing and so on. It really is just a chill time of hanging out together. I don't force a tight schedule or rush the session, just go with the flow, stay as long as I need to. Let the toddler run the show 🤣🤣🤣If you would like maternity and or newborn photos, please reach out to me! I would love to connect.
Nashville Newborn Photographer | The Morgan Family
This session was years in the making. Jillian has wanted to hire me forever and after becoming pregnant with #2, was able to convince her husband to have a newborn family video of their early days with a teeny new daughter. The film turned out absolutely amazing and she immediately booked her 2nd film 😂
They have an older daughter, who is completely smitten with her little baby sister. I loved highlighting that new relationship in their film and photos. They will always have precious video to remember the beginning of their daughters' sisterhood. How big sis would read and sing to her baby sister. Years from now when big sis is giving her little sister boy advice, this film is going to be 100x more meaningful. It literally makes me tear up thinking about it.
My 3 favorite things about this family film + photo session...
#1 How mom responded after seeing her film.
This is literally my MOST favorite part of the entire process. I LOVE filming and I LOVE editing but getting to experience mom's (and dad's) responses to seeing it, is just on a whole other level. Here are some quotes from her texts to me:
"I think my heart just stopped"
"I don’t have words… you truly have a gift!"
"I forgot about her baby Afro 🥰"
"I am going to watch it on repeat, truly amazing! Thank you SO much!!!"
"I am so thankful we finally did it!"
"You turned my ordinary into extraordinary!!"
"If I was rich, I would get one every month for the first year of life!"
#2 Dad's authentic chit chat with his new baby girl.
He is incredibly smitten and has this southern accent. His sweet but hilarious personality really shines through.
#3 Absolutely big sister and her love for her baby sister.
How she kisses her, talks to her, sings to her, reads to her and just organically shows her love. It makes me tear up every time I watch their film!
The Morgan Family | December 2023 from Jennie Pyfferoen on Vimeo.
Nashville Baby Photographer | Penelope 9 Months
Winter finally came. The weather finally turned cold the weekend of Penelope's Session. It was borderline to shoot indoors, but her mom wanted to do it outside. We did it on my property so we could have a home to duck inside should it be too terrible. I also employ the help of my 7.5 year old son - he can make a baby happy any day! She did great initially, and then it got a tad colder and we took many breaks and warmed her up. The high was 57. The images are gorgeous and Im sure her next session will be inside :)
If you want your family captured, contact me here!
Here is her 9 Month Video:
Warmly,
Nashville Baby Photographer | Lealand's 3 Month Session
Lealand is 3 months already. I loved capturing this baby session in Nashville, TN. She's full of smiles and sweetness! I just wanted to eat her CHEEKS. I love doing lifestyle sessions in the comfort of the home of the client. It's warm and sweet and relaxed. Calming environments make the session more fun and less stressful too. Just look at the sweetness!
If you want your family filmed, contact me here!
Warmly,
Nashville Baby Photographer | Caroline's Sink Bath
I have had this vision forever. And having a vision is like having an itch you cannot scratch. My lovely clients LOVE my outside work, and so its hard to talk a mom into an indoor shoot. But it can be so fun and different. For Caroline, I could not wait to do a sink bath shoot for her. And what gorgeousness! She has the most beautiful face and eyes. She has such innocence in her eyes, and you can truly see her soul.
If you want your family filmed, contact me here!
Warmly,
Nashville Baby Photographer | 7 Month old Penelope
I have to pinch myself daily. I mean, how did I get this blessed? This job is THE BEST JOB EVER. Its not always easy, the shooting and editing are always the fun parts, of course! Penelope is already a nature girl. I loved photographing her and her parents in my field - of golden rods. What a dream! At the end of a session, I love snapping some nursing photos! I always give the mom the option - If I can post them or not. If she wants, she can just keep them all to herself. Time is fleeting.
If you want your family filmed, contact me here!
Warmly,
