The outtakes...the photos that aren't really a part of the actual "shoot." The photos that your client isn't really looking for you to take. The ones that actually capture more of what goes on during their day-to-day lives than the actual pictures you plan on taking. I know that when I visit a family inside of their home I am afforded a very special honor. To be a guest within someone's safe space, their landing pad, the place that not only a person calls home, but feels home, is a privilege that I don't take lightly. My goal as a photographer is to make my clients feel comfortable enough while I'm there to do the things they normally do in order to make things work and keep things natural, so that we get the most authentic results we can. When shooting newborns and families, being patient and open with parents from the start regarding your time commitment is very important. I make sure to schedule newborn shoots at a time where I don't have somewhere else to rush too immediately afterwards. I do this so that I can build in enough time for parents to feed and change the baby, put the baby to sleep, and make sure our main subject is content and feeling the love. So it's during these times that I like to snap a few shots of the inner workings of a young, new family. As baby is waiting to be changed, is being given a bottle or nursed, is being rocked to sleep, or being burped after a feed, these are the moments that when your littles turn big, you often forget about. How it felt to rush for a new diaper in time, how a freshly fed baby smells, the little flutter of their eyes as they're falling asleep in your arms in the dark hallway where they like to be rocked. Sometimes, the outtakes, are the best ones after all. If you question whether or not to include them in your client's photos, ask yourself "do these images tell their story?" If so, don't think twice. These are the moments they will want to remember...and this is a special gift only you can give.