Newborn photography at home might sound great, but you have some concerns. Here’s a few things to consider as you’re deciding whether to do your newborn photo session at home or in the studio.
After culling the photos and adjusting the color in Lightroom, I re-touch all my photos in Photoshop.
You would think newborns have perfect skin, but that’s only partially true! By the time I see a newborn (in the first 2 weeks of life) they could still have some bruising from birth. The newborn acne might have set in. They could also have scratches on their face from tiny newborn fingernails that haven’t been trimmed yet.
When a client asks about my covid procedures, it feels good to say…they’ve been in place for years, before covid even existed!
Part of my job as a newborn photographer is ensuring a baby stays asleep during their photo session. Babies are best photographed sleeping because they don’t have the startle reflex that often happens while babies are awake.
Mar
04
Annie had gorgeous long lashes and cheeks for days. She slept like a champ and her big sister was the sweetest thing ever.
I love when newborn sessions flow perfectly and this one was one for the books. I was able to wrap Annie and photograph her in such a natural way because she was so relaxed.
This was a favorite photo session of mine for a number of reasons.
First, the family was as sweet as could be. I mean, I didn’t even have to try and big brother was cooperative and wanting to cuddle the baby. The entire family was so loving to each other, which always makes my job easy as a photographer.
Newborn Photographer Long Beach
I wanted to do a quick blog post from a newborn session I recently did. The baby’s name is Sullivan and they’re going to call him Sully for short. I think that might be the most adorable nickname ever! He was perfectly round and squishy and as mellow as can be!
How Does a Newborn Session Flow
Anyone that’s new to newborn photography can tell you it’s harder than it looks. Babies sleep a lot, so it’s assumed that taking photos of them would be easy. All you have to do is search #pinterestfail on the subject to see how things can go wrong. Undressing a baby is a room that’s anything less than VERY WARM is the first thing that can make them mad. Not being held by an adult is a close second. Start moving them around and you’re asking for it!
So, how does a newborn session flow? How do we get the baby to cooperate and make it all happen in 90 minutes or less.
7 Tips for a Great Newborn Session
- Warm the room. I can’t stress how important this is. In your clothing, you should be sweating a little. Remember the baby won’t be dressed (or minimally dressed) so make sure they are comfortable.
- Use white noise. Even small things like talking or the sound of the shutter can stir them. So, make sure you have a good white noise machine.
- I start with the baby wrapped. I instruct parents to dress the baby in front snap or zip outfit that’s easy to remove. As I’m removing clothing, I’m wrapping them, so they’re never left with arms and legs moving around.
- Once I have the baby securely wrapped and soothed, I’ll take photos shooting straight down. I might move the wrap slightly to create different looks or add a hat. This is the point where I’ll shoot details of the hands, ears and hair.
- If parents want any basket props, I transfer the baby in the wrap to the basket and take close up and pulled out shots there.
- When I move the baby back to the bean bag, I’ll place them on their tummy start slowing removing the blanket and diaper. I’ll photograph the curled up on the tummy poses and do some slight variations in poses, plus adding hats/wraps.
- Lastly, I put the diaper back on, add a wrap and do some additional photos looking down. The baby might be awake by this time. Since the baby is wrapped, I also use the blanket to wrap around the feet and do those close-ups.
Life changes in an instant when you become a parent. You go from birthing classes and prepping a nursery to going home from the hospital with a brand new baby. And there’s no class or book that can entirely prep you for that.
If you’re like many of my clients, you’ve thought about a newborn session in the months before your baby arrived. You looked at different photographer’s websites and decided on someone whose style you love. You picked someone you’d trust to hold your tiny little son or daughter. But, as much as you’ve prepared, you’re getting closer to the day of the photo session and want to make sure you get the most out of the investment.
Once a client arrives to my studio, I tell them the hard work is over. Now it’s my turn to do what I’m best at. I’ll soothe your baby. All the wraps, hats and headbands are available and I’ll even direct you with how to hold and pose with the baby.
I’ve put together a few tips to get ready for the newborn photo session that will make everything go as smoothly as possible.
How to Prepare for a Newborn Photo Session
- Plan some awake time for your baby before the photo session. The easiest way to do this is give the baby a bath. It’s nearly impossible for a baby to sleep through a bath, so it’s an easy way to keep them awake. This will ensure, they’ll be ready for a nap when they arrive.
- Feed the baby just before the session. You can arrive a little early to breast feed the baby. Or you could bring a bottle and feed the baby just before we start. This also helps in making sure the baby is ready to sleep right through the photo session.
- Dress the baby is a snap front outfit. This will allow us to remove the clothing without disturbing the sleeping baby. If we have to pull clothing over the head, a baby will usually start to wake up.
- Bring a pacifier. I know the doctor might tell you to hold off on giving your baby a pacifier. Of course, you need to do what you feel comfortable doing. But, there are times, when letting the baby soothe with a pacifier for a minute or two will make the difference in getting more photos. (And you never have to use it again if you don’t want to!)
- If the photo session is at your home, make sure it’s very warm. I keep my studio very warm so that babies still feel like they are in the womb. When we do bare skin photos with the baby, this is extra important.
When babies are born close together, sometimes it’s hard to realize you’re not the only baby in the family anymore. It can be a little bit of a transition for young toddlers to add a new baby to the mix. But, the flip side is that the transition tends to go quickly. Days and weeks later, the routine becomes normal and the siblings can hardly remember a time without each other. [ Newborn Photography Long Beach ]
I’ve been photographing newborns for 10 years and I notice this really unique bond formed between siblings that are close together. The older sibling wants to give all their love to the new baby. They shower the baby with kisses and hugs. Toddlers can also become little helpers and wanting to feed the baby and quiet her when she cries.
I think this bond is so special and I love being able to capture these sweet little moments.
Check out more newborn sibling photos here!
