How to Prep Your Home for an In-Home Session

In-home sessions are the heart of what I do. Most of my work happens right where families actually live — the kitchen where breakfast really happens, the couch where everyone piles in on Sunday mornings, the patio with the mountain view, or a favorite local park or garden a few minutes from the door. There is something a studio simply cannot give you about photographing people in their own space, surrounded by the things and light of their everyday life. These are the rooms your story is told in, and when I leave, those images carry the warmth of a real home rather than a backdrop.

If you have an in-home session coming up, you are probably wondering how much you need to do to get the house "ready." I want to take that pressure off right away. You do not need to deep-clean for a week or buy new furniture. What you need is a little intention in the right places, and that is exactly what this guide is for. I have photographed in homes all across the Coachella Valley — from mid-century gems in Palm Springs to family homes in Palm Desert, La Quinta, and Rancho Mirage — and the same handful of things make the biggest difference every time.

So let's walk through how to prepare your home for a photoshoot, calmly and room by room, the way I would if we were chatting over coffee before your session.

Start with light — it matters more than anything else

If you only do one thing to get ready, make it this: think about your light. A photograph is, quite literally, made of light, and the natural light in your home is the single biggest factor in how your images will feel.

Here in the desert we are blessed with an abundance of it. That is a gift, but it also means we have to be a little thoughtful, because strong, direct desert sun pouring straight through a window can be just as tricky as too little light. Soft, indirect daylight is what we are after.

A few things that help:

• Open all your blinds, curtains, and shutters before I arrive. I love soft, natural window light, and the more of it we have to work with, the better. You would be surprised how much a single open set of plantation shutters changes a room.
• Turn off your indoor lamps and overhead lights. I know this sounds backwards, but household bulbs cast a yellow or orange tone that fights with the clean daylight coming through your windows. Mixing the two makes skin tones look uneven. Letting the windows do the work keeps everyone looking natural and true.
• Notice which rooms get the prettiest light, and when. East-facing rooms glow in the morning; west-facing rooms get that warm wash in the late afternoon. If you have a favorite room that fills with soft light at a certain hour, tell me — we can build the session around it.

This is also why timing matters so much in our valley. For an in-home session I lean toward the gentler hours — mid-morning or the softer part of the afternoon — when the window light is even and flattering rather than glaring. If part of your session moves outside to the patio or a nearby park, that is where golden hour earns its name: the last hour before sunset wraps everything in warm, low light. If you would like to go deeper on planning around the best outdoor light, I wrote more about it in making the most of desert golden hour.

Declutter the spaces we'll actually use — not the whole house

Here is the secret that gives most people relief: I am not photographing your entire home. We will likely use two or three areas, so that is where your energy should go.

The camera sees clutter more than the eye does. A stack of mail on the counter, a tangle of phone chargers, a row of magnets and school flyers on the fridge — your eye glides right past these in daily life, but in a photograph they pull attention away from the faces that matter. Clearing them is the highest-value thing you can do after light.

Walk through these high-traffic offenders the day before:

• Countertops. Kitchen and bathroom counters tend to collect the most. Clear them down to a few intentional things — a bowl of lemons, a vase, a cutting board — and stow the rest.
• The refrigerator front. Photos, magnets, invitations, and to-do lists. Tucking these away for a day makes a kitchen look instantly calmer.
• Floors and corners. Shoes by the door, laundry baskets, pet bowls, that one box that has lived in the corner for a month. Open floor space reads as peaceful and lets little ones move freely.
• Surfaces and side tables. Remotes, charging cables, water glasses, reading glasses. Clear them off so the focus stays on you.
• The "everything" zones. We all have one — a catch-all chair, a desk, a corner of the counter. If we are not shooting there, you can simply close that door. If we are, give it ten minutes of love.

A handy trick: keep one empty laundry basket nearby during the session. As we move from room to room, anything that sneaks into the frame — a sippy cup, a toy, a stray sock — goes straight into the basket and out of sight. Quick and painless.

A simple room-by-room walk-through

The living room

For many families this is the heart of the session — it tends to be roomy, full of seating, and bright. Fluff and straighten the couch cushions and throw pillows, fold the throw blanket, and clear the coffee table down to one or two simple objects. If your sofa has a busy or very bold pattern, a plain neutral throw draped over it can quiet things down beautifully. Make sure there is open floor space; some of my favorite moments happen with everyone tumbled together on the rug.

The kitchen

Kitchens make wonderful, lively photos — baking cookies, kids on the counter, morning coffee. Clear the counters, hide the dish soap and sponges by the sink, wipe down the visible surfaces, and put away small appliances you will not be using. If we are planning a baking or cooking moment, set out the ingredients ahead of time so we are not hunting for the flour mid-session.

The bedroom and the nursery

These rooms give us the tender, quiet images — especially for newborns and growing little ones. Make the bed with your nicest, simplest bedding (crisp white and soft neutrals photograph wonderfully and feel timeless), and clear the nightstands. For a nursery, tidy the crib and have a clean, neutral swaddle or blanket ready. Soft window light plus a freshly made bed is honestly all we need for something gorgeous.

Bathrooms

I rarely photograph in bathrooms, but doors get opened and mirrors reflect, so a quick pass helps. Hang fresh towels, clear the counter, and tuck away the toothbrushes and toiletries.

Outdoor spaces

Do not forget your patio, backyard, or courtyard. So many desert homes have beautiful outdoor living — a pool, a fire pit, a view of the Santa Rosa or San Jacinto mountains. Sweep the patio, straighten the outdoor cushions, and skim any leaves off the pool. In summer we will keep outdoor time short and shaded, but in the cooler months your yard can be a whole second "location" without anyone leaving home. If your outdoor space is a real highlight, you might also enjoy my thoughts on in-home versus on-location desert sessions.

What about pets, kids, and the little chaos of real life

Please do not try to erase the life from your home. The goal is not a sterile showroom — it is your home on a good, calm day. The toys, the dog, the half-finished puzzle on the table can all be part of the story when they belong there.

For the day itself:

• Kids: A well-rested, recently fed child is a happy child. Try to schedule around naps, not against them, and have a few snacks on hand that will not stain (skip the chocolate and the bright red juice right before we start). Lay out outfits the night before so the morning is unhurried.
• Pets: If your dog or cat is part of the family, they are part of the photos, and I love that. Have a leash, some treats, and maybe a helper who can take them for a walk if they need a break. A quick vacuum of pet hair off the main couch goes a long way.
• Babies: Keep the house a touch warmer than usual for newborn sessions so we can have those sweet bare-skin moments comfortably. Have feeding and changing supplies within arm's reach.

A few finishing touches that make a big difference

Once the big things are handled, these small details add real polish:

• Adjust the thermostat. This is the desert. A cool, comfortable home keeps everyone relaxed and keeps the kids from melting down — literally. In summer especially, set it a couple of degrees cooler than usual before I arrive, because a house full of people and a warm camera bag heats up fast.
• Fresh flowers or fruit. A simple grocery-store bunch of flowers or a bowl of fruit on the counter adds life and a touch of color. Nothing fancy.
• Empty the sink and run the dishwasher the night before so the kitchen starts clean.
• Mind the trash and the obvious wires. Take out any full bins and unplug or hide the most visible cords and chargers.
• Have water out for everyone, including me — staying hydrated here is never optional.
• Trust me to move things. If a lamp or a chair is in our way, I may gently shift it and put it right back. Nothing is precious; your comfort comes first.

Common questions I hear

Does my whole house need to be spotless?No. Focus on the two or three spaces we will use and the surfaces the camera will see. The rest can stay behind closed doors.

Should I repaint or redecorate?Please don't. Your home as it is tells your story best. If a wall color feels very strong, we can simply favor other rooms.

What if my home is small?Small homes photograph beautifully — they are cozy and full of connection. We work with the light and the angles, and intimacy is a feature, not a flaw.

When is the best time of day and year for an in-home session?For light and comfort, I lean toward morning or the softer afternoon hours. Seasonally, the Coachella Valley is at its most forgiving from late fall through spring, though I happily shoot indoors year-round with the AC keeping us cool.

What should we wear?Think of a small palette rather than a uniform — two or three soft, complementary tones that suit both your home and each other, with a little variety in texture. That is a whole topic of its own, and I cover it in what to wear for your desert family session.

The most important thing

Take a breath. The reason I come to your home is precisely because it is yours — imperfect, lived-in, warm, real. A little preparation helps your space shine, but the photographs that move people are never about a flawless room. They are about the way your child reaches for you, the way the morning light lands across the kitchen table, the quiet of a sleeping baby in a sunlit nursery. Those small, true moments are what I am always watching for, and they live in your everyday spaces.

Do the light. Clear the few rooms we will use. Then let the rest go, and let me capture your family exactly as you are.

If an in-home session in Palm Desert, Palm Springs, La Quinta, or anywhere across the Coachella Valley sounds like the kind of storytelling you have been hoping for, tell me about your family and the rooms you love most. Send me a note through my contact page and we can start planning a session that fits your home, your light, and your everyday life.