If you want to become the go-to in-home newborn photographer in your city, the path forward comes down to two things: a portfolio that reflects your niche, and a marketing message that makes the choice obvious to the parents searching for you. On this episode of The Motherhood Anthology podcast, TMA mentor Katie Lamb sits down with member Pola Seeley for a hot seat conversation built around exactly that goal.
Pola is a newborn and family photographer in Columbia, South Carolina, about two to three years into her business. She has been leaning more and more into newborn work, and she came to this episode with one clear question: what should her next steps be if she wants to be known as the in-home newborn photographer her city turns to first? Katie walks through it step by step, starting with the body of work Pola is putting out into the world.
Creating a Portfolio That Reflects Your Niche
Katie’s first piece of advice applies no matter what kind of photography you shoot: build a body of work that looks unmistakably like yours. That means consistency in how you shoot, consistency in how you edit, and for in-home sessions specifically, a repeatable workflow that travels well from house to house.
Because Pola has niched down so intentionally to in-home newborn sessions, this part of the strategy actually gets easier. She is not trying to attract everyone. She is trying to attract one type of client, and her portfolio just needs to reflect that clearly. Katie pointed out that Pola’s Instagram, while full of beautiful newborn work, did not yet make it obvious that she shoots primarily in homes. Many of the images read as studio work or tight close-ups instead.
Her recommendation was simple: keep about 90 percent of what gets posted focused on in-home newborn work, with the remaining 10 percent as supporting content from family or mini sessions. It does not matter if the newborn photos are recent. What matters is that anyone landing on the profile understands within seconds what Pola specializes in. Katie also encouraged Pola to consider session videos down the road, since two to three minute films from in-home sessions tend to be hard for parents to turn down and double as content for reels and social media.
Building a Brand Message Across Your Website and Social Media
Once the portfolio reflects the niche, the next step is making sure the brand message carries through everywhere a potential client might land, starting with the website. Katie encouraged Pola to write out exactly why she answered, in such a clear way, why she chooses in-home over studio work, then expand it into a brand message that can live on the homepage and throughout her marketing.
Newborn photography asks for an unusual amount of trust. The person hiring is often a brand new or very pregnant mom, and she is inviting a stranger into her home to photograph her baby. Katie was direct about this: avoid letting AI write captions or website copy, because it reads the same on every photographer’s page right now and erodes the very trust newborn clients are looking for. A website should speak in the photographer’s real voice, address the hesitations parents might have, like worrying their home is not photogenic enough, and show proof through testimonials and behind the scenes video.
On social media, the strategy is similar. Pola already mixes photos with text overlays on her Instagram, which Katie loved for keeping people on the profile longer. Her suggestion was to pin a reel of Pola speaking directly to the camera about why she shoots in-home sessions, and to build authority through a recurring series, something like a weekly newborn tip, along with hyperlocal content that tags local baby boutiques, nursery stores, and potential referral partners like doulas and lactation consultants.
Why Client Experience Builds Referrals
The conversation closed on something Katie called one of the most important parts of the whole business: client experience. As she put it, “word of mouth marketing is everything. It can either kill your business or it can make your business blow up in the best possible way.”
For Pola, that means a session prep guide that is short enough to actually get read, a workflow that respects postpartum families by getting in and out efficiently, and a turnaround time that lets new parents share their newborn images while their baby is still a newborn. Katie also shared a small, memorable touch her own associate shooter once brought to a session: a loaf of warm bread from a local bakery and a handwritten note, left in the client’s kitchen with no fuss. It cost very little and left a lasting impression.
This is the kind of detail that comes from being part of a community of photographers who are willing to share what is actually working in their businesses. Inside The Motherhood Anthology, mentors like Katie make space for exactly these conversations, the small operational choices that turn a good session into one a client cannot stop talking about, which is ultimately what builds the referral pipeline every photographer is hoping for.
Listen and Learn More
Pola is already doing the work. She has niched down with intention, she can articulate her why in under two minutes, and she was willing to ask for feedback in front of an audience, which says a lot about where her business is headed. If you are working toward a similar goal of becoming the go-to in-home newborn photographer in your own city, this episode is worth your time.
Find Pola at ohmamaphotography.com or on Instagram at @ohmamaphotography.
Find Katie at katielamb.com or on Instagram at @katiebethlamb.
Ready to build a business that reflects your own creative voice? The Motherhood Anthology membership gives you access to expert mentors, live coaching, monthly marketing suites, and a private community of photographers who are invested in your success. Learn more and join at themotherhoodanthology.com.
The Motherhood Anthology is a community and educational resource for photographers who want a profitable and sustainable business they love. With 15+ expert mentors and 7+ years of proven content, TMA helps portrait photographers build confident, thriving businesses through monthly education, mentorship, and a supportive community of 700+ members.
