IT ALL BEGINS HERE.

Newborn Documentary

Let me be your lilac bush.

These early days happen in a blur — surreal, exhausting, and gone before you know how to hold them. You may not feel present for all of it. But it's there. All of it is there.

It may be a year later, when a particular gentle wind out of the north carries the intoxicating scent of a lilac bush from a neighbor’s yard, that you are rushed back to the early moments of late spring, window cracked, and a swirling memory of fumbling through midnight nursing, tiny bleary eyes, the heavenly, powerful weight of seven lovely pounds.

Or you may step outside on a February morning three years later, and the biting oxygen filling your lungs, the soft pad of your boots on packed snow, and the insulated stillness of a snowy morning gently hugging you are quiet memories of your last days as Mom to One.

Or maybe you're sorting through a stack of pictures, and you come across an out-of-sequence newborn shot of your third. You see dishes in the sink, remembering that it just wasn't a priority. You see the curtains all drawn tightly, recalling those oppressive 100-degree days. You see one impossibly small sock strewn on the floor. You see a diaper station in the corner with shin guards tossed beside it, knowing your oldest was in soccer camp in those summer weeks.

And you're filled. You're flooded. It all comes back to you, and you're so far away from the physical exhaustion that you're just left with memories as warm as chocolate chip cookies.

This is why I can't pose a newborn in a glass bowl — or hanging in a net from a tree limb. Or inside a pumpkin shell. This is why I am compelled to photograph the Realness. I want to take you back to the moments you thought you were missing because you were so tired, because they happened so fast, because it was all so new.

It is all there. Let me be your lilac bush.

Madison Newborn Photographer

The most profound thing about a new baby isn't just the tiny toes — it's the way the entire world shifts to accommodate them. The sleep deprivation, the learning curve, the older sibling deciding this is the moment to have the biggest feelings of their life. Whether this is your first baby or your fourth, I'm there for the beautiful, blurry reality of a family finding its new cadence.

This is your story if…

  • You want to remember the soft chaos of the postpartum haze — the mountain of swaddles on the chair, the way you lived in your favorite robe, the honest reality of how your home looked and felt when you brought this little one home.

    We aren't hiding any of it. We're finding the grace within it.

new mother in gorgeous red robe holds newborn in focus while father holds coffee cup in out of focus foreground

  • No pressure for your older kids to sit still or smile on command. I don't need your toddler to look at me, and I don't need your baby to be asleep. Do not buy a single coordinating outfit or put anything away. I step into whatever your day actually looks like — and that's exactly where I find the magic.

Family of six in one frame. Three young kids are wearing butterfly costumes and bouncing on red balls while their parents are on a couch behind them transferring baby from one parent to another
A man holding a crying baby in his arms with a large dog leaning in close to the baby, both facing the baby.

  • Your pets were there for the quiet years before the kids arrived — the ones who kept you company through every chapter that led to this one. They're part of the story too. In a documentary session, they don't have to be banished to the guest room or sit perfectly still. They just get to be home, exactly where they belong.

  • Not just the tiny fingers and the impossibly small nose — but the way those seven pounds look cradled in your partner's hands. The way a newborn disappears into the crook of an arm, or gets swallowed whole by the worn cushion of your favorite chair. The way your older child looks suddenly enormous standing next to them, and somehow also still so little themselves.

    This is one of the things a studio can't give you. When we strip away your home, we strip away the scale. The smallness only makes sense in context — against the familiar backdrop of your real life, your real furniture, your real people. That's where you'll see it most clearly later. That's what will take your breath away.

  • These images are the first chapter of a shared history. Thirty years from now you won't care about a perfect studio backdrop. You'll want to see the light that fell through your windows, the art on your walls, the particular way your home held all of you in those early days — and the look of pure, unpolished love on your faces.

    That's what I'm here to preserve. The beginning, exactly as it was.

Mother, father, preschooler on a bed while overlooking large bassinet with tiny newborn inside
Let's Make Something Meaningful

 [i carry your heart]

e.e. cummings

i carry your heart with me (i carry it in

my heart) i am never without it(anywhere

i go you go, my dear; and whatever is done

by only me is your doing, my darling)

                                                      i fear

no fate (for you are my fate, my sweet) i want

no world (for beautiful you are my world, my true)

and it’s you are whatever a moon has always meant

and whatever a sun will always sing is you

here is the deepest secret nobody knows

(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud

and the sky of the sky of a tree called life; which grows

higher than soul can hope or mind can hide)

and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart

i carry your heart(i carry it in my heart)

Newborn Portfolio

A newborn baby sleeping in a car seat with sunlight illuminating their face inside a vehicle, near a window.
A man holding a sleeping baby on his chest, sitting on a couch with a mug of coffee in his hand.
Two men are giving a bath to a baby in a kitchen. The man on the left is wearing a gray hoodie, and the man on the right is wearing a purple hoodie. Sunlight is casting shadows through blinds onto the scene.
A family of five, including two young girls, a man, a woman, and a newborn baby, sitting on a outdoor couch in a backyard, playing and interacting with their children.
Family sitting on a sofa, with a woman holding a baby, a man with a dog laying across his lap, in a living room with windows and a potted plant.
A happy family of four sitting on a leather couch, with a woman holding a newborn baby, and a boy holding a game controller, all smiling and enjoying their time together.
A woman leaning over a baby lying on a patterned surface in a cozy living room, with natural light coming through the windows.
Close-up of a cream-colored, fluffy dog with blue eyes, in focus, while a family with a parent holding a baby is blurred in the background.
A man holding a baby with a pacifier in a striped outfit, a dark cat on the kitchen counter, and a pet food container nearby.
A woman and a man sitting on a black leather couch, with the woman leaning over the man and holding a small baby, inside a living room with a French door leading outside. A white dog is standing nearby on a dark rug, and a coffee table with plants, a
A baby lying in a crib, seen through the slats of the crib in black and white.
Mother sitting on a brown sofa holding a newborn baby, with two young children climbing on the sofa beside her, in a living room.
A woman and a young boy look into a crib at a sleeping baby wrapped in a white blanket.
A young girl with blonde hair and a teal hair clip gazes at a sleeping newborn baby, who is cradled in an adult's arms. The baby is peacefully resting, dressed in a grayish-green onesie.
A woman sitting on a sofa, breastfeeding a baby while watching television in a dark room.
A newborn baby lying on a changing table with a patterned cover, being gently held by an adult's hands.
A baby lying on a colorful play mat, wearing a diaper and for the most part unclothed.
Silhouetted woman in kitchen holding toast, with two people in background, silhouetted against bright light.
A newborn baby crying while being held by a person outdoors in sunlight.
A young boy with curly hair and a plaid shirt making a funny face while eating pancakes at a family meal, with a woman holding a newborn baby in the background.
A man holding a baby and looking at each other while sitting on a couch in a cozy living room.
A man wearing a blue shirt gently holding a sleeping newborn baby in his arms.
A man sitting on a beige couch with a green pillow, holding a sleeping baby on his shoulder in a dimly lit living room, with sunlight coming through a window.
A woman holding a young child near a playground at night.
A man with a beard holding a baby in his arms. The man is looking at a small mirror with a green floral frame, reflecting an image of a baby. The baby in his arms is lying on its side, looking up, wearing a white onesie.
A family walking outdoors near a suburban house. A pregnant woman is pushing a stroller, a young girl is sitting on an adult man's shoulders, and an adult man is walking alongside them on a sidewalk.
A person holds a sleeping baby in their arms outdoors, with a fence in the background. The baby is wearing a striped outfit.
An adult man feeding a baby with a bottle of milk inside a room with sunlight coming through a window.
A couple holding their newborn baby in a bedroom with a window, shelves, and bottles of sanitizer in the background.
A woman holding a newborn close to her face outdoors with greenery in the background, caressing the baby's head while a man touches the baby's hand.
A woman with dark hair and freckles wearing a sleeveless striped shirt holds a newborn baby in her arms, lying on a hospital bed, with the baby smiling and closed eyes. The background has a green wall, a bedside lamp, and medical supplies.
A young boy leans over to kiss a newborn baby lying on a bed.
A woman holding a baby with a pacifier in their mouth, standing near a bathroom door. In the background, children are in the bathroom, with one sitting on the toilet and two standing nearby. The scene is indoors, in black and white.
A family gathering around a dinner table outdoors in the evening, with a young woman helping a little boy put on a harness, an older woman holding a toddler, and an older man holding a newborn baby.
A sleeping baby dressed in gray and white clothing, with a white knit hat, resting on someone's lap during a cozy holiday gathering. In the background, a person is holding a mug, and there is a Christmas tree with lights.
A woman surrounded by four children, two girls and two boys, all engaging with a newborn baby. The scene is indoors, with the woman and children smiling and focusing on the baby, creating a warm family moment.
A woman with glasses and a headscarf holds a baby close, while another woman gently touches the baby's head, in a black and white setting.
Close-up of two women lying face to face with a baby between them, likely breastfeeding or bonding, in an intimate and tender moment.
Silhouette of a man looking down at a child during dusk with trees in the background.
An older woman holding and kissing a crying baby wrapped in a blue blanket indoors.
A newborn baby peacefully sleeping and resting on a person's chest, with one hand near their face, wearing a white outfit with colorful polka dots and star patterns.
A woman sitting on a brown leather couch in a dark room, holding a baby in her lap. The woman is rubbing her eye with her hand and has glasses resting on her lap. The baby is dressed in a white outfit with red and black patterns. There is a record co
A couple with a dog watching their baby in a crib in a cozy, light-colored living room with large windows, a changing table, and playful baby toys.

Recent Newborn Stories

Reviews from Mamas

I would absolutely recommend Jen. I am so grateful for the moments she captured. She made us feel completely safe and encouraged us to be ourselves in the pictures, which makes them so much more special. Jen validated our experience as new parents and made me feel beautiful as a new mom. I loved all of the pictures she took. I am so happy with the product, and I would definitely use her again and recommend her to everyone!

Not really sure where to begin about how much we LOVED having Jen be the photographer for our firstborn's newborn photos. Jen was over-the-top accommodating and patient beyond belief. She took the time to ask questions about my husband and me as a couple, and our transition into being a new family of three. By doing so, she was able to take our interests into consideration while artistically and creatively wrapping our lives into a beautiful gallery.  The end results were truly magical moments of a precious new life preserved forever. 

Jen's lovely, charming personality; her innate talent; and her genuine caring for her clients make working with her more like a fun hangout with a girlfriend than a photography session. And then there's her work. Full of golden light, holding life's best moments--I'm not kidding when I say that every time I look at her pictures, my eyes well up and I start to cry. She gets it. She absolutely gets the essence of love and relationships, and she manages to capture it in stunning visual images. 

xo,

jen

Newborn sessions are best experienced right where you live — in the home that's waiting to hold this new chapter. I serve families across Madison, Middleton, Verona, Fitchburg, Waunakee, Monona, Shorewood Hills, Maple Bluff, and all of Dane County.