With a new camera lens and a new baby in the house, I’ve been snapping pictures like crazy. I had several poses I wanted to try with Lincoln, and spent a few different afternoons torturing him by placing him in ridiculous positions. Poor baby!
I did some research a while back on how to successfully photograph newborns, and here are some of the tips I came across plus some of my own advice.
Newborn Photography Tips:
- Plan to spend a few hours and maybe even a few days capturing the shots you want. Babies moods change rather quickly; they may be sleeping one minute and screaming the next, so you may only be able to get one or two shots or poses in.
- Plan on photographing during their sleepiest time. For me, it was those moments when I could pick Lincoln up and move him like a rag doll, all the while asleep with his mouth open (I love that). It also helps if they’ve just been fed so that they are at their happiest. Be sure and have burp cloths close by to clean up any spit ups!
- It helps to have a space heater in the room to keep the baby warm while you are moving and photographing them. It was 85 degrees the day I photographed, so that wasn’t really necessary…
- Move slowly when positioning your baby and hold him/her tightly with your hands for a few seconds (acting as a swaddle) after you place then in the position you want. This gives them time to settle in to the position and relax. Then snap quickly!
- If you plan on photographing them naked, be prepared for pee and poop, just in case!
- Photograph somewhere near a big window so you have lots of natural light. This will give you better exposure and that creamy look that works so well for newborn photos.
- If you are using props, have them all ready to go and at hand. I was running around grabbing stuff between shots, which made me sweaty and cranky. Plus, Lincoln didn’t last long enough for me to run and grab everything so I had to split up my photo shoots.
- Have an assistant nearby! It helped to have my husband helping me position him while I fiddled with the props. Two hands are always better than one.
- If you are photographing them with their siblings, have the sibling(s) nearby and ready to jump into the photo. It helps to have someone keeping them occupied nearby until you are ready for them. Bribing them with a couple of M&M’s never hurts, either…
Here are some of the shots I was able to get of my adorable little man and family…
Newborn Photography Inspiration
