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.

Top Newborn Baby Photographer 2021 Recap | Portland Oregon

2021 was another different year on so many levels as covid continued to impact the world around us. But thankfully, as a newborn photographer my work focuses on all the joy, love, and connection as families welcomed their newest and sweetest family members. This made it easier for me to keep a positive view and spread happiness as I captured the best memories for families over the last year.

Below is a quick overview of what 2021 looked like for my clients <3 All of these images were captured in their homes in Portland, Beaverton, Hillsboro, Tigard, Tualatin, Lake Oswego, West Linn, Milwaukie, and Oregon City!

I was also super excited to be ranked as one of Portland’s best Newborn Baby Photographers!

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.

Baby I | In Home Newborn Session | Beaverton Oregon

When this sweet family reached out to me last year, I knew this perfect little girl would be my first newborn session of 2021! And she set the bar high for all of this year’s babies! She gave us the perfect mix of awake baby expressions as well as those dreamy sleepy portraits!

I love making every family’s vision come to life and this session was particularly fun because they were interested in creating newborn composite art (where I photoshop baby into other beautiful settings). Composites are such a wonderful way to add fun and whimsy to an in home newborn session, since there is no limit to what we can dream up and create!

Here are a few of my favorites from our newborn baby session last month!

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.

What should I budget for newborn photography? | Portland, Oregon

This is often one of the first questions I get from expecting families. And while I wish there was a one size fits all answer, there simply isn’t. Every family’s vision, style, needs, wants, and wishes are different.

I’d like to start off by saying I know without a doubt that there is a newborn photographer for every budget in the Portland metro area. Newborn photography can range anywhere between $0 (yes I said free - generally those learning the craft) to well over $10,000. Now that’s a huge range….so what exactly should you consider as your looking for a newborn photographer and setting your budget.

1) Years of experience and consistency of work - newborn photography is a highly specialized field of photography that requires training and practice, lots and lots of practice.

2) Reviews - we all love reviews right? If you read reviews before checking out on amazon, it’s probably a good idea to research your photographer and learn about their past customers’ experiences.

3) Style of Portfolio - photography is an art, and every photographer is a unique artist. Make sure your photographer’s style matches your vision because you want these captured moments to make your heart sing!

4) Products offered - most high end photographers offer luxury products. Why? Because they want their work to look even more beautiful in person (on walls and/or in an album) than they do digitally on a phone. They also want their clients to enjoy their investment daily instead of having a couple memories pop up on facebook each year.

5) Convenience - life is busy with a newborn (or newborns) in the house. Let your photographer take care of all the planning, procurement, details and overall make the session easy and enjoyable for the whole family (I’m looking at you Dads and toddlers, lol)

It shouldn’t come as a surprise, but a full service newborn photographer with experience, a beautiful and consistent style, as well as high end products is going to be more expensive than the person just starting out with a brand new camera. Does that mean it’s out of the budget? Not always. Many photographers, myself included, offer smaller packages and payment plans so families with varying budgets can still have the newborn experience they desire as well as the lifelong memories and images to cherish. Your investment into your newborn session will only continue to appreciate over time as these moments can not be recreated. Life changes, people change and circumstances change, being able to remember and celebrate our life story is priceless.

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 | In Home Newborn Session | SW Portland Oregon

Capturing the arrival of a new family member is so incredibly special. Each family is different, and each baby is different, but the love that surrounds them is always familiar. I’ve had the pleasure of knowing this family before they were a family, and I’ve watched them grow both in numbers and in heart. They are a family that is always fun to be around and who can be counted on if you ever need anything. Seeing them complete their family with the arrival of their son was truly a blessing.

Baby B was welcomed home not only by his loving parents, but also by 2 adoring big sisters. While I’m sure they’ll have normal sibling scuffles later, no one could get enough of baby B and I can totally see why. Right from the start he was happy and content, and rocked his newborn session. He adores mom snuggles and no doubt has dad’s talent for music. I’m so excited that I’ll get to be a part of this little guys life and watch him as he passes every wonderful milestone <3

Baby E | In Home Newborn Session | Portland Oregon

After E’s in hospital Fresh 48 session, I couldn’t wait to see her again and capture even more of her beautiful newborn stage. The difference in even just 10 days is astounding. It’s amazing to watch newborn features change so quickly as they really start to grow into their little personalities. It was such a pleasure and honor to be able to document both of these special milestones.

There is so much behind the scenes planning that goes into every in home newborn session. I just love working with parents beforehand to define their vision to match their style and decor. This family loves neutrals but also wanted to incorporate mints and teals. What a wonderful color palette to work with!! Little E slept beautifully for most of the session, but also gave us some gorgeous alert images as well.

I’m so excited to see this family again next year for a one year family session! I can only imagine how much little E will have changed. She’ll be full of smiles, maybe walking, chubby little hands, and have her own little personality shining through!

And of course my absolute favorite part is delivering wall art, albums, and gifts after their session.

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.