KIND WORDS FROM STORIED FOLK

“I hate having my picture taken. When my wife booked a newborn session with Mads Lizotte, I wasn’t looking forward to being in front of a camera for that long. But Madeline made the entire session painless. Time flew as she captured our family just being together, enjoying our new daughter. There was no pressure, no awkward posing, and she was fantastic with our camera shy toddler. Our final pictures were authentic and beautifully done.” // Sean

---

I wish I had the words– for the hush that settles over a home when a newborn arrives, for the weight of their tiny frame against your chest, for the way time slows and stretches like the softest wool. I wish I had the words to describe the tenderness of hands that have never held anything so precious, for the curiosity a big brother has about his new baby sister.

I might not have the words, but I do have the next best thing: the photographs.

The precious moments when a newborn first comes home are as fleeting as they get, passing in a blur of sleepless nights and soft lullabies. 

And yet here they are, kept safe in frames and memory like resin, because Karissa and Sean knew how elusive these moments can be and didn’t dare let them pass by undocumented.

Newborn Photography with Family: A Home and the Story It Tells

This newborn photography with family with Karissa, Sean, Big Brother Finn, and Baby Girl Sloan was everything that I love about Nordic storytelling: simple, unhurried, and steeped in warmth.

(Of course, if you asked Karissa, she might say something different, given that they had moved into this new house mere days before she birthed Sloan. Yet another testament to her superhuman-ness: she unpacked a whole house, made it look like something out of a Scandinavian interior design coffee table book, and birthed a child, all in a matter of days.)

I just love how much texture was in their new home, while also leaving space for the moments to breathe, uncluttered and unhurried. 

The wood trim of the windows bouncing the first light of morning off its stain. The floral wallpaper reflected in the gold-framed vintage mirror. The sunshine stretching through the shutters and across the hardwood floors. The stack of firewood stowed under the dining room nook. 

I mean, c’mon, it’s a dream come true. (Correction: It’s MY dream come true.)

A home is so much more than its walls— it is the quiet keeper of the everyday, the backdrop of life lived and life-yet-to-be-lived. I find these spaces are so much of what makes each session feel so deeply personal– the creak of the old floorboards beneath quick little toddler steps, the beige-quilted bed where mom changes baby’s diaper, the kitchen counter scattered with the remnants of breakfast—all of it tells a story within newborn photography with family.

How an Unhurried, In-Home Session Creates Space for Older Siblings

The first thing I do when I arrive at a newborn session is take note of how big brother or sister is feeling about the whole ‘not-the-only-child-anymore’ thing. One of the (many) reasons my First Light sessions are two hours long is to give little ones the space to warm up in a time that may feel topsy-turvy with transition.

(For inquiring minds: other reasons include allowing space for feedings and changings—because, let’s be honest, baby is the boss—and ensuring that mama feels zero rush, especially after the physical marathon she’s just been through.)

In Finn’s case, I could immediately tell that he was going to need a little extra time to get comfy, so my strategy was to start with one-on-one photos with baby Sloan while she was sleeping, giving Finn a chance to be curious about this strange human, tiptoeing through his brand new house with a camera.

As I clicked away at Sloan dressed in her cozy knits, I caught glimpses of him peeking at me tentatively over the bed, darting in and out of the room to steal a look… definitely curious but still not sure. It was clear he wasn’t quite ready to be on the other side of the lens, so shifting to full family photos felt like the next best move, giving him the comfort of his parents’ arms to ease into the moment at his own pace.

This is what the moment truly needed in the moment—and honestly, the photos are all the better for it. The way he wrapped his tiny arms around Sean’s leg, nuzzled into that safe space at Karissa’s collarbone, rested his head against whatever patch of his parents’ skin he could reach in search of comfort.

The photos are always better for it when you embrace the circumstances and let the story unfold naturally, rather than trying to shape it into anything other than exactly what it is.

Patience Pays Off in Newborn Photography with Family

After capturing the new family of four, we took a little break for Karissa to feed Sloan, so Finn and I ventured into his room to read some books together. (And by “together,” I mean he sat on one side of the room, pointing at which books to read next, while I sat on the other, happily following orders.)

When we returned for more photographs, the shift in Finn was undeniable. The smiles and playfulness had arrived. This is truly one of the most rewarding parts of my job: when a child who was once sizing me up finally decides I’m a safe place. When curiosity turns to trust, and trust turns to sheer joy.

There’s something about newborn photography with family sessions that feel sacred in their stillness. No need for anything more than what already exists: a half moved-in house, the soft curve of baby’s cheek against mama’s lips, the tender cradle of a father’s hands, and a shy little toddler slowly finding his spark.

This is the heart of Nordic storytelling— the belief that the quietest, most organic moments are often the most profound.

One day, Karissa and Sean will ache for these days. Before they know it, those newborn cries will have turned to sibling laughter echoing down the halls, and they’ll wonder when it happened, when they blinked and time slipped from their hands.

And while I won’t have the magic words to give those moments back to them, at least they’ll have the next best thing: the photographs.