Top Newborn Photography Tips for New Moms and Dads

A newborn baby is a blessing, and here are some tips to help with photographing that bundle of joy,

Top Newborn Photography Tips for New Moms and Dads

1. Safety First!

There are some poses that can hurt your baby! Many of the adorable newborn poses that you see online are composite shots. In composite poses, the baby is supported the entire time by one or more people and then the images are sliced together in Photoshop. This means someone has their hands on the baby, supporting the baby, throughout the entire pose. Hands support the neck, back and bottom to ensure the newborn is stable. Shots where a baby is hanging in something are also composite shots. Do not attempt to hang your newborn baby in anything.

Even in less complicated poses, you still need to be able to read your baby. If the baby squirms and or fusses, the current pose you have them in is most likely uncomfortable. Testing the pose with your little one is the best way to ensure they will be comfortable. At KLJ Studios we set the baby in the pose in our laps before placing the newborn on the posing station. Testing poses allows for the baby to have less tension. Having the least amount of tension on the newborn during a session is best because we can take a greater variety of shots. Less tension and strain on the newborn will allow the newborn to sleep heavier and longer which allows us to quickly capture different angles, props, and backgrounds.

For more on infant safety, visit apnpi.com.

2. Include Yourself in Photos of your Newborn

You and family should definitely be posing in your newborn pictures. Family pictures have the same power as photographing just your newborn. A picture brings us back in time and is a great way to reminisce. They are also a part of our legacy. In years to come, grandchildren and great-grandchildren may someday ask to see pictures of the family. Wouldn’t it be sad if there were few or none to share? Having pictures brings the family together again as they look back on their lives. Do this for your kids. Your kids won’t care that you may have a few extra pounds or that you haven’t had the time to fix your roots. Our kids grow and change so quickly so you will want to remember how little they are at the beginning, and they’ll want to remember you.

3. When Should I Take Newborn Photos?

Newborn Photos should be taken between 5 to 8 days after birth. At 10 days babies begin cluster feeding, which means that the baby is eating all the time. This means that the baby can become easily overstimulated during a photo shoot. Overstimulation is a bad thing. The baby is more bendable prior to the 10-day mark as well. Also starting around 10 days the newborn may become more alert and want to sleep less. A sleepy comfortable baby is best for photo sessions!

Newborn Sessions take around 2 hours. Note your newborns sleepiest hours. This will help your photographer find the best time for you to come in for your newborn session. Over the years I have noted that the best times are earlier in the morning.

Date of birth also needs to be considered when determining when to take pictures. If your newborn is a preemie, then you have a little bit longer of a time frame to take pictures. For example, if your newborn is born 4 weeks early, you could maybe get away with having them photographed between 1 to 4 weeks.

4. The Binky

It is widely debated whether or not to use a pacifier. However, the pacifier is preferred by most photographers. This helps calm the baby down when mom isn’t directly near the baby. The binky also allows the photographer to transition from pose to pose and soothe the newborn at the same time. While the binky is a great soothing tool, make sure not to include it in the shots of your newborn. This looks tacky, and you want to remember your little one without their binky. Ultimately it’s the parent’s decision with what they feel comfortable with. As a photographer we will find a way to work with anything.

5. Capture Detail Shots

Babies feet, hands, and little button nose only stay small for so long. Making sure to capture how tiny everything is, is key. When capturing detail shots of a newborn, I will also make sure to capture them with something where I can tell their size. For instance, photographing a baby’s feet with mom and dad’s rings on them, or photographing the baby holding onto daddy’s pinky finger.

6. Print Pictures Out

Digital files are not sustainable. Printing out images keeps the longevity of the portrait. And just in case anything happens to your digital files, you then have the print to create another digital copy. Also printing your pictures out ensures that you actually enjoy them. Its much more fun to see a nice framed and matted print blessing the walls of your home.

7. Lighting

Good lighting is crucial to good photos. The best lighting is natural light, or window lighting. At KLJ Studios we have a light box that is the same coloring as the sun. This makes for beautifully colored pictures.

8. Props

Include props that have special meaning. Some examples we have had in our studio are blankets knitted by a grandparent or someone special or gifts that have meaning like stuffed animals or any other keepsake.

9. Heat the Room

78 to 79 degrees is a good temperature to heat a room for a newborn. 80 degrees tends to be too much as this can cause people to start sweating. And if parents are going to be in the photos, you don’t want them to be sweaty.

10. Vaseline or Aquaphor

Newborn babies peel. This is simply a consequence of being in the womb for 9 months surrounded by amniotic fluid. Put Vaseline or Aquaphor on the peeling and the baby will look as though they are not.

11. Full Belly

Make sure to hold off feeding the baby until right before the portrait session. We have our parents wait until they get to the studio to feed. This does not throw the baby off a feeding schedule. Once everyone arrives, we have parents strip the baby down to the diaper (making sure they don’t need changed – a clean diaper is better for swaddling) and wrap them in a warm blanket before feeding them.

Once the baby has a full belly our photographers take the baby and begin photographing the baby while Mom gets pampered in the other room where mom can still see her baby. We do this for two reasons. First, Mom gets the chance to get pampered. She most likely has had really hard nights and not a lot of sleep. This is a great time for her to relax. Second, a newborn has a strong sense of smell and can smell Mom right away, so keeping Mom at a slight distance helps the newborn adjust to working with someone new.

12. No Clothes is BEST!

There are many adorable outfits out there, but many of them will “swim” on a newborn baby. This can make the newborn look like they have no neck and will also make them look frumpy. Professional photographers will have specialized outfits specifically to be used for photographing newborns. They are made of nice stretchy fabric that will cling to the newborn’s body and typically are made low cut to ensure the baby is safe and that you can see every detail of the baby. At KLJ Studios we also have swaddles that are used to keep the baby warm but can also help the newborn get comfortable with the session. Since swaddling gives the newborn baby the sense of being in the womb again, this can comfort them and give the photographer the opportunity to get the newborn used to their voice. When photographing a newborn baby, I make sure I use their name and talk to them about what I’m doing. I do so in a calm voice, and I feel that it calms the baby while I’m positioning them.

Can you think of any more suggestions or tips for new parents? Please email us at info@kljstudios.com with more tips and suggestions to include in this blog post.