Mark & Ashley celebrate Hudson’s arrival in a gorgeous nursery
Ashley and Mark are one of several couples I photographed over the summer as they waited to meet their baby boy. As we rolled into the end of summer, my busy maternity photo season wrapped up and now I’m focused on capturing joyful newborn moments!
Family portraits in the backyard
When I arrived at Mark and Ashley’s home, Mark’s mother introduced me to Hudson, and Ashley asked if I could find a place in the backyard for family photos. They wanted memories of Hudson surrounded by the entire family, as well as with each set of grandparents individually.
Aside from a sleepy, content newborn, the next most important aspect of extended family photos is a neutral color palette for everyone. This helps keep the focus on baby, and there’s a much better chance you’ll love your photos!
The family photos are timeless and beautiful because Hudson is the star of every image. I love how this series of images turned out! Ashley and Mark’s home was a perfect backdrop, especially with the lovely landscaping. The brown, khaki and white tones flow together so perfectly.
Fortunately, the morning of Hudson’s newborn session was overcast and a little cooler; otherwise, newborn photos outside in Houston would be far too uncomfortable for everyone, including Hudson.
To change things up a bit, I also photographed each grandparent seated under the covered porch with Hudson. Thanks to Ashley and Mark being super prepared and ready to begin the session as soon as I arrived, the extended family portraits fit in easily with the rest of their in-home family session. I snapped hundreds of images and we still wrapped up 15 minutes early!
Hudson’s puppy-themed, cheerful nursery
One of my favorite parts of in-home newborn sessions is taking a peek at the nursery that parents lovingly design for their babies. I love to see what color furniture they select, and how they personalize the space for their little one. While Ashley swaddled him for portraits in his room, I spent a few minutes photographing all of the hard work Hudson’s parents poured into his nursery.
Hudson’s room is overflowing with warmth and personal touches; his initials are monogrammed on his crib top bumper, and his name is spelled out in beautiful wooden blocks on a shelf near the comfy white chair. He even has a tiny blue rocking chair with a dark blue H! Wallpaper featuring puppies lines the wall behind his crib. I loved that while a soft blue was the dominant color in Hudson’s room, Ashley filled his room with lots of other light colors, too.
Fur baby Bailey steals the spotlight!
Ashley shared with me during her maternity session that her fur baby, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel named Bailey, had always been the center of attention in their home. Of course that changed as soon as Hudson was born! We absolutely made time to include Bailey in photos with her family! My favorite one features Ashley seated on the floor with Hudson snuggled in my Moses basket as she Bailey curls up in front of her (it’s at the top of this post).
She had a special swaddle made especially for Hudson that we used for photos of him snuggled in my Moses basket. This starched-white swaddle included a monogrammed bow that kept Hudson snuggled and content.
I prompted Ashley to interact a few different ways with Bailey and Hudson to change up the look and feel of this series of photos. I think it’s one of my favorites of 2020!
A beautiful family of three (plus one fur baby!)
I always like to use the nursery as a backdrop for the majority of an in-home newborn photo session, especially if the access to natural light works well. Hudson has three windows in his room, which makes for lovely portraits in this space. However, I loved that Ashley incorporated two lamps into the room, and they add a little warmth and pop, so I left them on for these family photos.
I always love this perspective during a newborn session; to achieve this shot, I stepped back into the hallway and pulled Hudson’s door in so that it feels like you’re peeking in on a private moment. I instructed mom and dad to focus on baby, and Bailey gave me her full attention for a sweet shot!
These shots of Mark in the nursing chair with Ashley standing next to him provide a different perspective; this is the other side of Hudson’s room, across from the crib. I also photographed each grandparent seated in this chair, snuggled with Hudson.
Casual shots in the master bedroom
Once we wrapped up the majority of the session in Hudson’s nursery, we moved into the master bedroom for a few shots before ending in the family room downstairs. 
I particularly liked the shots of proud dad Mark with Hudson; none of us had noticed that puppy Bailey had jumped up in the chair to join us, but it was nice to feature her again in a few images! You’ll also spot the gorgeous SNOO Smart Sleeper bassinet – I’ve seen this beautiful bed in so many client homes recently!
The colors in the master bedroom were a perfect fit with Ashley and Mark’s wardrobe choices. She changed Hudson into a soft blue outfit, which pops against Mark’s white shirt and khaki pants. The light in this room was beautiful; I love to feature parents in different places in their homes so that there is a wide variety of backdrops in the full gallery.
Family photos in the living room
Every room in Ashley and Mark’s home was gorgeous, and there were two spots downstairs that Ashley wanted to use for photos. In the first series, this sweet family of three is seated on the couch, with the kitchen softly out of focus in the background. 
Our timing was just right – I was wrapping up the session as Hudson started letting us know that he was hungry and done with photos for the day! He was so peaceful for the entire session, and I’m sure his parents were ready to change into comfy clothes and enjoy the newborn snuggles.
Up next: Hudson turns one!
The next time I see this family, Hudson will have grown quite a bit – and they’ll be celebrating his first birthday!
Families have responded so well to the flexible family mini that is part of the three-session option; most schedule these photos around baby’s birthday to mark this big milestone. So much happiness will happen between now and next summer! I can’t wait to see the little guy that Hudson will grow into over the next 12 months!
