Nashville Newborn Photographer | 6 week old Baby June
Being asked to capture life entering the world, families living their days, families building their life and culture and future generations, it's all so much in the best way. This incredible family has hired me not only for two of their home births, but for two family films and two newborn sessions. I LOVE capturing how well they love one another. Their intentional parenting, how they really work hard to cultivate love and relationship and connection in their family culture. I cannot wait to film them in October!
Their 3rd baby is not only a girl, but she has the most amazing red hair. I tried my best to capture it, but it was like the camera couldn't quite tell the story of this amazing hair do. The poof, the mullet, the dark and red mixed. It was some of the most amazing baby hair I have ever seen. and she had like 4 chins if you caught her at the right angle 🤣 I am so obsessed. I cannot wait to see how she changes and if this red hair sticks around!
Nashville Newborn Photographer | The Morrison Family
Those days after you have your second baby... so much joy, your heart is SO full because you have TWO babies and you cannot believe it. But, it honestly comes with some heartache, that most people don't warn you about. The feeling of wondering if your older child feels loved still, how they are coping with bringing another baby into the home. It's really hard on a mama.I loved how this family loves so deeply. They love being together and sharing kisses and hugs and books. They are just so devoted to being together and loving one another well. I just absolutely enjoyed spending time with them, capturing these early years in their long journey of parenthood to come.If you have followed my work for some time, you know Im not super into posing. The only sessions with some light posing, are newborn sessions. And even then, I let as much organic emotion come through as possible. I try to take any candid photos that might come naturally as well.If you would like a newborn session, please reach out to me and let's talk! 
Nashville Family Videographer + Photographer | The Taylor Family
Filming this family twice in a year, gosh it's the biggest compliment. Not only did they hire me for their incredible home birth, but then to hire me to capture their family with their newest newborn (not to mention, they are former wedding videographers)... It's the BIGGEST compliment.Having families who now hire me annually, brings me near tears. It has been a dream to have this unique business and seeing it having grown into what it is, makes me so happy.I love this family because they truly prioritize simplicity over busy, connection over things. Their are so engaged with their kids and truly love one another. They make every effort to live their lives to the fullest and to be fully present with their family. I loved capturing them playing and gardening. My favorite scenes are of them planting their garden and of mom and her daughter going to the coop to get the eggs. I love audio in family films and how it really brings the story to life. Engaging all of the senses, so bring you back to that very moment.
The Taylor Family | April 2024 from Jennie Pyfferoen on Vimeo.
What age should newborn photos be taken? | Nashville Newborn Photographer
When is the best age to take newborn photos?
TL;DR Any age is a good age for relaxed, natural newborn photos.
You have a newborn for all of 7 weeks. So when is this 7 week period, is a good time to take newborn photos?
It varies by style, for sure. If you want the posed newborn photos (I used to pose newborns for many years), you'll definitely need to do them within 10 days of birth. After about 5-6 years of posing newborns and then discovering my true inner self within documentary photography and videography, I now prefer the style of in-home relaxed newborn photos. I want to tell the story of what your baby preferred or did not prefer during their newborn stage.
Maybe they always had their hand up by their face. Or they make a scrunchy face often during the day. With offering newborn videography, I can also capture their little noises or coos. In-home newborn photography allows for baby to lead the session. We are able to capture any nursing photos (if you want), as well as how dad naturally interacts with your newborn baby!
There are many advantages to waiting until the baby is closer to 4-6 weeks old, especially if clients are hiring my to do videography. In the earlier weeks, baby won't interact with mom and dad much. But closer to 4-5 weeks, they are cooing and smiling and making eye contact. I give my clients the choice between photography around 2 weeks old or later, when they are more interactive. Because my clients can hire me for just photos, or for video+photos, that might alter their response as well. If they are hiring me for just photos, my clients tend to choose to have their in-home newborn session closer to 2 weeks, which is super precious.
2 week old Babies:
If you are wanting to capture that really young newborn stage, then this is the time frame for you! It is the most common time newborn babies are photographed. Babies are still sleepy, and curling up like they did in the womb. They are very snuggly and don't have any newborn acne, typically.
3-4 week old Babies:
This stage might offer some baby acne. If this really bothers you, you might put the session off until it clears. (I am very flexible with newborn bookings!). But for a photographer who captures real life, it doesn't phase me. However, how much acne can vary widely and a baby with worse acne, might be a situation to put it off a few more weeks until their acne clears. During this stage of development, babies tend to go through growth spurts and can be crankier and hungrier and needier.
5-7 week old Babies:
I love capturing babies most at either 2 weeks old, or in this 5-7 week window. They are more alert in this window and interacting more, which is great for video and for photos. Mom has had more time to recover from birth and everyone has fallen into their roles as mom and dad. Babies have filled out, they keep their eyes open more and they most likely are smiling by now!
Older Babies:
Don't let any belief out there make you think you have missed a magic window to capture your baby. The beauty of lifestyle photos, is that any time, is a good time to capture your life with your baby!
If you want newborn or even older babies photos, please reach out! I would love to help.
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.
5 Reasons you should consider In-home newborn photography | Nashville Newborn Photographer
After having a baby, the recovery can be hard. Either your birth canal hurts or you've just had major abdominal surgery. Leaving home with a toddler and a newborn to carry everyone off to a newborn studio shoot, can be difficult. and too much on your postpartum body. This is just one of the many reasons I love in-home newborn photography.
Keep reading for the top 5 reasons to have your newborn shoot at home.
#1 It's more authentic.
In the 80s and 90s, we captured some newborn photos at the hospital with the traditional pink and blue hospital hat and the bracelet, but we also took a lot of candids at home with our cameras. Somehow, with the modern way we get photos done, we seem to have less of our candid lives. Having someone enter your home and simply be a fly on the wall, letting you be comfortable leads to more authentic images. You'll be able to look back at them and see the things that were on your coffee table, telling the story of the year you had a newborn. (like, maybe a Stanley sits there, and you would remember when the Stanleys were flying off the shelves). You might remember in the 80s, it was common for there to be a large circle ash tray. Something so simple can tell the most amazing stories. You would remember the sofa you had during the newborn stage. The way you had her nursery set up. The way her older sister adjusted to life with a little baby in the house. The middle of the night feeds, the way she grabbed tightly onto your finger. There are all of these tiny moments in our every day with a newborn and it only lasts 7 weeks.
#2 Getting photos is easier at home.
With little to no posing, Everyone, including big brother or sister, and dad, can be relaxed in their environment rather than walking into a studio they have rarely been to, and being told to sit here and smile, or kiss baby, etc. Which creates pressure. That pressure can lead to melt downs, and inauthentic and forced photos.
#3 There is no schedule.
When I show up, Im there on your clock, not mine. In a studio setting, there are usually set windows for each client. But when Im at my client's home, I can pause when baby needs to nurse (and can capture that if mom wants) and can take a break if the older sibling is feeling overwhelmed. I can set my camera down, and just be a friend who came over for a visit. I do whatever leads to authentic photos. Im never rushed and am only there to tell the story you want told.
#4 Each baby is beautiful just as they are.
While I spent years posing newborns, I have since learned that when I chose to do that, I was preventing mom of memories of how here baby was as a baby. How they chose to lay, how they preferred their hands to be. How they chose to lay their head. Oftentimes, parents will see their photos of their newborn baby and say "oh my gosh, she did that in utero!" and refer to previous ultrasounds or just the way baby seemed to constantly bring their hand up by their face like they had done it 100X before.
#5 There is no special window to capture baby in.
Depending on if you want newborn videography or just photography alone, You can have your session anywhere from 2-6 weeks after having your baby. If you want videography, I let my clients choose, of course, but often recommend around 4 weeks when baby is starting to interact with mom and dad, so we can really get some great audio and footage. I work with each family individually, and customize their session to what they want. Even if they want an earlier newborn session, we don't have to capture it in that first 10 days to get the posed type of photography, so we can even wait until baby is 2 weeks old and mom is moving around better and feels more herself. Plus, given that I'm trying to tell the story of what it was like to have a newborn, I tend to like mom and dad to have some time to process the fact that they have a newborn! It's so surreal at first!
If you are in the Nashville area, or want me to travel to you, feel free to reach out or take a look at my work!
Franklin Tennessee Newborn Photographer | The Whisten Family
I had the beautiful honor of filming this family twice in a year. Once, before the arrival of their 2nd boy. After they had their sweet new baby boy, we filmed a newborn family film in their home to capture that sweet time of having a toddler big brother and little newborn baby brother. Their older son is absolutely in love with his baby bro. You have to watch this film and all the sweet things he says to his baby brother. 🥹 It literally melted me.
If you want your family captured, contact me here!
Whisten Family | November 2022 from Jennie Pyfferoen on Vimeo.
5 Tips for Newborn In-Home Photos | Nashville Family Photographer
Your baby is a Newborn for SEVEN WEEKS!!! That's it! Isn't that wild?!
Keep reading for 5 tips to best capture this time in your family's life.
Being a Nashville Family Filmmaker and Photographer, I would love to talk with you about how I can help freeze time for you.
Having a newborn is one of the MOST precious time in Parenthood. This little person you made and now you get to know them so intimately 🥺
Being invited into a family's home to photograph their life with their newborn is the SUCH a huge Honor. I never take it lightly.
I know they will never get this time back.
# 1 Keep your new baby fed and comfortable
There is no pressure to keep your baby in a perfect mood. The session revolves around what baby needs. If your baby is hungry, you are more than welcome to stop and feed them. I will video and or photograph this for you so you can remember what it was like to feed a tiny newborn 🥹
There is no need to alter their natural rhythms during your session. Just relax and spend time admiring your baby and I will make magic happen 😘
#2 Open the curtains or blinds
I use natural light for the majority of my shoots. If it's too rainy causing it to be too dark in your home, we will reschedule for a brighter day.
#3 Pick Mid Morning
I usually suggest to my clients that we begin around 10 am. It's usually the magic time in the morning where baby is not fussy and tired. Baby will usually give us a good hour to work with. If baby does become fussy, I have no problem putting my camera down and letting you get baby settled. (You can get a similar newborn sweater here)
#4 It doesn't have to be spotless
Every home I have come into during the newborn stage has had some level of mess. Or they stuff it all in the bathroom 🤣
I won't judge you. In fact, I will probably tell you how messy my own home is WITHOUT a newborn 🤣
#5 Wear whatever you want.
I mean, maybe change out of your pajamas 🤣
But wear something cozy, as relaxed as you want. Something somewhat similar to regular daily wear. Muted colors and neutrals work beautifully.
