Bringing home a baby is one of the most special events for any family. It can also be one of the most exhausting times for a family. Arranging a day photographing your new baby is probably one of the last things on your mind at the moment. But wait a moment, your baby is going to change so much in the coming weeks. There are some simple newborn picture ideas you should make happen before the time slips away.
If your due date has yet to happen you still have time to consider a newborn session with me. In the meantime here are my tips and tricks to help you capture those precious moments.
Lighting is everything
When I photograph babies I use my professional lighting. This gives me full control of how I like my light to fall to create those beautiful images. You definitely don’t need expensive equipment to take beautiful photos. All you need is nice, soft natural lighting, place baby near a window on the bed and let the natural light fall nicely across their little face.
Research and plan
It’s always great to start planning on some images you would like to create. Start a Pinterest board of all the inspiration and different poses that you like. Use them as reference so you can always refer back to them to get the right angles and poses right. Get together a top 10 list and make those your first ones to capture.
Free the nappy
On a serious note – who wants to see an ugly baby nappy in a beautiful picture? If you’re concerned about your baby peeing on all your bedding then you could place her on a changing matt and drape a muslim cloth. You could sneak a puppy pad under the blanket to catch any accidents. I must admit I didn’t like the idea of getting pee all over my bed whilst taking baby pictures so this worked great for me.
A full baby is a happy baby
This goes without saying but making sure baby has a full tummy will keep her happy and content whilst you take photos. You will have to juggle a few factors here – when it is the best light coming through and will it time right with a happy or sleepy baby. Luckily newborns will cooperate if you feed directly before you start. The great thing if you are doing this on your own is if the light or baby isn’t cooperating, there is no reason to just wait until the next day and try again!
Turn up the heating
Whichever room you decide to use, make sure it is nice and warm for baby to be comfortable in. Newborns do not regulate their body temperature as we do so make sure you check the room temperature. Turning up the heating will be fine or you could use a small heater. Just heat the area that baby will be in but not directly on her. Having baby wrapped up as much as you can and only remove the blanket for a short while before snuggling them up again.
Involve older siblings
Photographing your new baby with your other children is a must. With older children maybe wrapped baby up and have them hold her for a little while. If they are younger then you can have them next to each other and just talk to them whilst you take the photos.
Check your angles and move yourself
Don’t worry about moving baby too much, just move yourself! Exhaust all of your angles before moving onto the next pose. As a newborn photographer, a general rule I follow by is to try not to angle your camera up baby’s nose. It’s unflattering and as cute they maybe who wants to see up anyone’s nose?
Safety First
I know your baby’s safety will be a priority so I will not stress this important factor. Just make sure you lay baby in a position or location that is safe. Please do not attempt any unnatural poses and if in doubt then just don’t. Some simple images might look easy but they take time and expertise to correctly pose without risking baby’s safety. Best to leave this to the professionals to capture those poses.
Print, print, print!
After all that effect of taking beautiful photos the worst thing you can do is leave them on your camera. If you used your smartphone to take your photos then have a read of the best apps to print your photos.
I hope these tips help you to take some gorgeous photos of your new baby. Remember to have fun when photographing your new baby and enjoy the process. I would love for you to share some of your images with me but I would also prefer to do the work for you too. If you would rather a professional come take those photos for you then have a read of my lifestyle photo sessions and get in touch with me to book your session.
Fellow newborn photographer, Surrey Natalie Moss is blogging about something exciting this week. Head on over to her blog to check it out.
Have a read of what to expect when you book a newborn session with me and as a thank you for visiting my site and reading my article I have a gift of 10% off a standard newborn session with me by using my contact page.
If you would like to gift a newborn session to a family member or friend then I also have gift cards at any domination to purchase.