Baby D | In Home Newborn Session | Oregon City

The world sure has a way of spinning quickly. It feels like only yesterday that I was introduced to the C family during the uncertain times of COVID. Big sister whom I hadn’t had the pleasure of photographing as a newborn, was already a beacon of resilience and wonder. Their new baby boy, B, was an emblem of hope during those cloudy days. I remember the peace and solitude of our indoor session as the world outside paused.

Fast forward to a bright summer day in 2023, and here I am again with the C's, but this time to welcome a new addition: Baby D. 

B, now two, and big sister were absolute troopers. I couldn’t believe he was running around with his big sister, their laughter echoing, pure joy in welcoming their new baby brother.

The home became our sanctuary once again. B, with his newfound toddler curiosity, watched over his baby brother with a mix of bewilderment and awe. And in true toddler fashion, there was a little bit of jealously and an exertion of independence mixed in there too!

There's an innate joy in watching families grow — watching parents evolve into seasoned pros. The family, with their ever-present smiles and love radiating, exemplified this beautifully. From protective glances to gentle caresses, it was clear that the new baby had been welcomed into a haven of warmth.

Capturing their last session during those challenging COVID times was an honor. But being a part of this sunny sequel, this joyful celebration of life, growth, and family, has been an absolute delight. 

As rays of sunlight filtered through the window over baby’s peaceful face, I couldn't help but think about how life's moments come full circle, each one brighter and more hopeful than the last. They say time flies, but with each click of my camera, I like to believe that I can pause it, even if just for a second. Here's to many more years of capturing this family’s cherished moments!

Throwback to big brothers newborn session!

And for fun here are some throwbacks to baby B’s newborn photoshoot in 2021! So many similarities that I had to double take when I saw new baby D for the first time! It’s always so fun to recreate special moments with families based on our past sessions!

Based in Portland Oregon, Danielle of Four Jays Photography is an in hospital/birth place fresh 48 and in home newborn photographer serving the greater Portland area including Beaverton, Hillsboro, Tigard, Lake Oswego, Happy Valley, Oregon City, and other local cities.

Baby B | At Home Newborn Session | St. John's | Portland Oregon

It’s not very common for me to have a baby that sleeps super soundly through his whole session! Typically babies fuss a little, get hungry, need a diaper change, etc. But this little guy was the sleepiest baby I think I’ve ever had in the last 6 years! He even slept through diaper and clothes changes! I like to get at least a few pictures of newborns while they are awake too, so even using cold baby wipes only worked for a few minutes and then he was back out again. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining, this is every newborn baby photographer’s dream client! Just not something I’m used to :)

It was also great to be able to capture extended family members as well. It’s such a special time and generational images are truly a blessing this day in age with people more spread out across the country.

This whole family was the absolute sweetest (I see where baby boy gets it) and such an honor to photograph. Enjoy some of my favorite images from our session together!

Based in Portland Oregon, Danielle of Four Jays Photography is an in hospital/birth place fresh 48 and in home newborn photographer serving the greater Portland area including Beaverton, Hillsboro, Tigard, Lake Oswego, Happy Valley, Oregon City, and other local cities.

Baby E | At Home Newborn Session | Portland, Oregon

This sweet baby girl arrived in the whirlwind of an unplanned c-section. And while her entrance may have been on the dramatic side, she is probably one of the most chill and calm baby I’ve had the pleasure of photographing over the years. And it’s always so great to be able to incorporate an adorable pup too!

Anyone else ready for Valentine’s Day?? <3

Based in Portland Oregon, Danielle of Four Jays Photography is an in hospital/birth place fresh 48 and in home newborn photographer serving the greater Portland area including Beaverton, Hillsboro, Tigard, Lake Oswego, Happy Valley, Oregon City, and other local cities.

5 Reasons Why You Should Hire a Professional Newborn Photographer

Let me start this off by saying I haven’t always been a professional newborn photographer.  In fact, although I’ve been obsessed with photography my whole life, my educational background is in engineering and I was still working in that field when my first child was born.  I remember after she arrived, I wanted to capture every single moment and figured I had enough “know how” to make it work.  Sadly, I didn’t know what I didn’t know until my fourth was born, and I regret not hiring a professional newborn photographer sooner.  

Based on my experience (on both sides of the camera), here are my top 5 reasons why I think you should at least consider hiring a newborn photographer!

5. Time

Let’s face it right after your baby is born, time is a premium.  There just aren’t enough hours in the day, especially for sleep!  It takes a significant amount of time to plan, design, capture, and edit all those wonderful newborn details and moments! So take this big project off your plate and let a professional do all the work for your family so you can sit back and enjoy the final products. 

4. The right tool for the right job

I’m sure you’ve heard that saying before.  It holds true for newborn photography as well.  Besides professional camera and lighting equipment, it’s important to have the right newborn specific equipment as well.  Newborn props and backdrops are specially made for capturing newborn portraits.  It’s a significant investment as a newborn photographer, but absolutely necessary to create beautiful and timeless imagery.  While minky fabric from Joann’s may sound like a good idea, I promise it will not give you the look you desire.

Which leads me to….

3. It’s harder than it looks

There is a reason all those funny Pinterest fail posts exist!  Getting your baby safely and perfectly into that pose takes years of training and practice in addition to a deep understanding of lighting techniques.  It also takes time; a single pose can take 30+ minutes to set up depending on baby’s mood and cues. In addition to perfecting each pose during a session, editing newborn imagery is truly an art form of it’s own.

2. Safety

Newborn Posing Safety Example: Images that appear to be hanging are really laying safely, it’s the angle and editing that creates the suspended look

Have I mentioned safety…I did, but it’s important enough to be a point of its own.  You want someone who is trained in newborn photography safety as well as having years of experience handling the smallest most important person in your life!  My purpose is not to scare you, but newborn images are not always what they seem, and if you don’t know how the images are created safely (for instance - by either the trick of the eye or compositing multiple images together) you are risking serious injury!

1. Your baby is worth it!

Let’s be honest, these fleeting moments only happen once, and they deserve to be captured and celebrated for years to come.  While I may be biased as a newborn photographer, I believe these images stand the test of time, and are likely the ones that people spend the most time looking back on as their children and families continue to grow.  Even when compared to their wedding portraits (another very significant milestone!), there is nothing like reliving those foggy first few hours, weeks, months, and years.

Don’t be like me 10 years ago.  Don’t miss out on having these beautiful memories.  Find someone in your area that you trust and that shares your vision for capturing these wonderful fleeting moments.  I promise you won’t regret it!

Based in Portland Oregon, Danielle of Four Jays Photography is an in hospital/birth place fresh 48 and in home newborn photographer serving the greater Portland area including Beaverton, Hillsboro, Tigard, Lake Oswego, Happy Valley, Oregon City, and other local cities.

R Family | Outdoor Beach Maternity Sesssion | Portland Oregon

I can’t tell you how excited I was when I found out one of my favorite clients (turned friend of course) was expecting again!  Honestly, they are just one of the sweetest families I’ve ever met, and I always enjoy capturing their special moments.  We met back in 2017 when they contacted me about an outdoor maternity, fresh 48 hospital, and in home newborn session for their son.   Now that they are expecting a baby girl, they wanted to document all of these special moments in a very similar way.

Water has always been a theme that we’ve incorporated with their maternity sessions.  This year we chose one of Portland’s beautiful hidden beaches as the backdrop for our family of 3 maternity session.   While 2 year olds aren’t always cooperative, this little guy knows how to always turn on those smiles at exactly the right time.  And mom and dad planned perfectly to have a friend pick him up about halfway through our session, so we could include him in the images right at bedtime.

Here are just a few of my favorite images from our session earlier this month.

Based in Portland Oregon, Danielle of Four Jays Photography is an on location maternity photographer serving the greater Portland area including Beaverton, Hillsboro, Tigard, Lake Oswego, Happy Valley, Oregon City, and other local cities

Baby E | Fresh 48 Hospital Newborn Session | Clackamas, Oregon

There is absolutely nothing better than capturing the newness of a little one that is only hours old. Their instant connection with their family and those tiny features that seem to change almost by the minute are beautiful memories that are meant to be cherished. This darling little girl was born on the most quintessential fall days in Oregon; one of those foggy and rainy days that make you want to curl up inside by a fire and read a good book. It was a long labor, but she arrived perfect, like a gorgeous baby doll with a beautiful head of hair.

Based in Portland Oregon, Danielle of Four Jays Photography is an in hospital Fresh 48 photographer serving the greater Portland area including Beaverton, Hillsboro, Tigard, Lake Oswego, Happy Valley, Oregon City, and other local cities. 

Baby E | Lake Oswego Newborn Photography Session

I can’t tell you how excited I was when I was contacted about Baby E’s upcoming arrival!! I photographed his now big brother, as a newborn, almost exactly 2 years earlier. This family is just so sweet, and I couldn’t be happier to document these very special moments for them a second time! I remember big brother was an alert baby, but this little one may be the most alert newborn I have ever photographed! Most of his “sleepy” images are mostly blinks :)

It’s always a little bittersweet for me when I deliver their final artwork, but luckily I’ll be seeing them again for a one year family session!

Based in Portland Oregon, Danielle of Four Jays Photography is an in home newborn photographer serving the greater Portland area including Beaverton, Hillsboro, Tigard, Lake Oswego, Happy Valley, Oregon City, and other local cities. 

Baby G | In Home Newborn Session | Oregon City

This family was another wonderful referral from a May newborn session client!! I knew right from the start we would be fast friends as we spent over an hour on the phone creating a vision for her daughter’s newborn session and lots of other little “mom” topics that came up! When I arrived for the session, their 3 year old son automatically became my assistant and was a helpful hand the entire time!! I wish I had a behind the scenes image of him getting his stool out of the bathroom and setting up right next to me!

Here are just a few of my favorite images we captured together!

And a couple cell phone images of the gallery wall we designed (can’t wait to see the delivered prints framed and all the wall!!) and brother playing with his new picture puzzle!

Based in Portland Oregon, Danielle of Four Jays Photography is an in home newborn photographer serving the greater Portland area including Beaverton, Hillsboro, Tigard, Lake Oswego, Happy Valley, Oregon City, and other local towns. 

Baby E | Newborn Session | Oregon City, Oregon

I always love it when I connect with a wonderful new family through past client referrals.  It seems like I say that all the time, but it's so true!!  And this darling family was no exception!  I feel so fortunate to have been able to document the arrival of their second son in their home late last month.  These brothers are just shy of 3 years apart and beyond sweet and adorable!  With a beautiful mix of lifestyle and posed newborn images, I know this family will cherish these memories for generations.

And last but not least, cutie big brother posing with the beautiful wooden wall art I delivered today <3

Baby R | Newborn Session | Hillsboro Oregon

It was such a pleasure documenting the arrival of this little guy.  At 6 days new he was absolutely perfect and slept like a dream the entire session!!  Everyone was so excited for his birth, especially big brother!  At 11 years old, baby R fit all curled up in his hands <3 There is no doubt he'll be a great role model and they'll always share a very special bond.

The benefits of an in home newborn session

As I talk with new clients frequently about the extra services I provide as an in home newborn photographer, I thought it would be helpful to share some thoughts here as well for others who are looking into what would work best for their family when welcoming a new baby (or 2, or more!).  Of course, this is not to say there are not benefits for a studio session, it's very much a personal choice for every family, and the most important thing is that you have decided to capture these fleeting newborn moments.

1) Convenience!
Right after the birth of a baby, it can be a lot of work and honestly just overwhelming trying to get everyone ready and out the door...never mind packing up all that baby gear!  Instead, with an in home session you can wake up, get yourself ready at your own pace while I work on capturing the baby alone or with siblings.  Speaking of siblings, it's nice to have them in their own environment too, playing with their own toys, watching a movie, enjoying their favorite snack, all the while I'm photographing around their schedule and comfort level.

2) Variety of Images
I literally fill my van to the brim to become a traveling studio!  It adds hours to prep, pack, and unpack but it's worth it!  Depending on each clients vision I spend the appropriate amount of time doing in home posed studio work.  When baby gets hungry or needs changed, we break from the posed shots and I work on capturing the in between lifestyle moments.   These are the moments that can be lost in the blur of a bringing a new baby home, but are full of beautiful and natural connection - mom nursing/feeding baby, dad changing diapers, snuggles on the couch, rocking baby, a sibling/furbaby observing this new tiny person in their home, the list goes on and on.  What makes these memories even sweeter is that they are set against the background of your home, where baby was brought first after birth.  

3) Wardrobe options and accidents
Being in your own home allows you the option to change clothes as you wish.  Perhaps you'd like something super casual but also a images that are more formal.  Or maybe you have a special outfit that you'd like all the children to wear for Grandma.  Enter clothes change :)  It's also nice to have the option just in case the baby spits up, big brother spills juice, or a nude pose gets messy.  We have the time and ability to accommodate all of these circumstances during an in home newborn session.

4) Complimentary Wall Gallery Design
By the time I arrive for your newborn session, we've had the opportunity to discuss what you'd like to do with your images.  These memories are such a gift to have and it's sad to think they could be hidden away on a computer hard drive never to be seen again (or pop up every couple of years as a "on this day" reminder).  There are many ways to display and enjoy your portraits.  Some families prefer an album to snuggle up with their children and look through, being able to relive the whole story within it's pages.  While not necessarily a benefit to an in home session, I do provide album design as a complimentary service as well :) Other families enjoy their images as wall art to view each day as they move around their home.  Both are wonderful options!!  If you are interested in wall art, during your session we can discuss different areas of interest, I'll take some pictures of the potential walls, and then create custom wall gallery options with your images.  This way you'll know the exact sizes and image combinations that work best for your home and style.
 

Please contact danielle@fourjaysphotography.com for more information on in home newborn sessions in Portland Oregon and surrounding areas!