Everything about Newborn Photography

Colors are great and can communicate a lot of emotion, but nothing beats classic black and white newborn photography to emphasize simplicity with beautiful tones and shapes. Moreover, black and white photos are superb for newborns irrespective of skin tone. 

Most parents also love to have a black and white portrait of their babies and we think it should be one of the top newborn photography ideas you try out. And you can go the extra mile, using color grading to create different exquisite monochrome images for your clients, such as sepia, or selenium toned images.

Many newborn photos are composites of multiple images combined in a photo editing app. One example is a newborn on a suspended cloth or sling.

To create such an image, you need to photograph the baby in the desired position with adequate support from an assistant or parent. Safety first! Then take additional shots of necessary props and merge all photos in post-production. Some poses may require supporting the baby from more than one part of their body, so that you have unobstructed body parts once the images are put together. The more complicated the position, the better off you will be taking posing safety and training courses. For the simplest, all you need for newborn composite photography is photo editing skills, composite techniques, and practice.

One of the staple skills for every newborn photographer is knowing how to utilize natural light to create amazing baby photos. The natural light newborn photography idea is great for indoor and outdoor photography. 

It is also cost-effective and doesn’t require many technicalities to execute. Thus, all you need is your camera, the natural light in its full glory, and practice finding the perfect positions that allows it to shine on the baby’s face and body. There may be times when you could to use light modifiers to control the natural light to achieve the desired effect. This may be using reflectors, flags, gels, or other modifiers to change the look of the natural light. 

Flash newborn photography is an alternative to natural light newborn photography, especially in a photo studio. However, there are still controversies about how safe it is for newborn photography. This includes built-in flashes, speed lights, LEDs, ring lights, etc.

To ensure safety and achieve an even aesthetically pleasing effect, you can use a light modifier—such as a softbox or an umbrella—to diffuse the harsh light. Also, keep your distance from the baby while pressing the shutter.

In newborn photography, it is always important to pay attention to details. This is what newborn macro photography entails: taking close-up images of newborn features that fade as a baby grows. This includes puffy cheeks, tiny hands, feet, button nose, pouty lips, hair, eyes, etc.

You can also use a macro lens or close-up filters to create such images. Most importantly, be free to explore different macro photography ideas for home shoots and studio sessions. 

Mothers value photo sessions with their babies because it allows them to create lasting memories with their little ones, which is why mom and newborn photography is so important. While you are photographing, building your portfolio, and making a living, you’re also capturing the joys of motherhood and helping to create these incredible memories that mothers can look back on.

Capturing such mother and child moments is a delight, even for you, the photographer. Every image of a mother and her newborn baby highlights their bond. From pregnancy to childbirth, a mother relishes holding her newborn baby in her arms.

Fatherhood is one of the defining periods for every man. What better way to capture it than in photos? The unique dad and newborn photography emphasize fatherhood in its purest form, depicting a father’s protectiveness, love, and the bond he shares with the little one.

Like mom and newborn photography, there are many ways to portray a father-child connection. You can concentrate on lifestyle newborn photography, which involves taking candid, casual shots of the baby and dad in their natural environment. Or you can focus on posed newborn photography, which involves using lovely backdrops or props and other artificial items.

A newborn photography session is incomplete without a group photo with the parents; it is, in fact, a necessity. It is also one of the most popular, creative family photography ideas to consider when taking family photos, especially for new parents. 

However, preparing for this kind of newborn photography is a little more complex, as you now cater to three people (or more on some rare occasions). You have an obligation to make the father(s), mother(s), and child stand out in every shot, depicting the true essence of family—unity.

Newborn images with parents’ hands are highly significant in every newborn photography collection. This pose also depicts parental bond, availability, and support. Like macro newborn photography, capturing a newborn with parents’ hands doesn’t require a lot of technical intervention, and you don’t need the parents’ faces.

• Simple Full-Body Baby Girl Pose:  To do the simple full-body baby girl pose, lay the baby on her back while awake or asleep, half-wrapped or fully clothed. You can also get her to smile, chuckle, or sway her feet in the air if awake. Likewise, you can try a variety of angles with this pose. 
• Baby Girl Womb Pose: This pose is similar to a baby’s position in the womb during pregnancy. Lay the baby on her back, and elevate her head with a pillow. Afterward, cross her legs, and place her hands on her chest. In any case, wrapping or clothing the baby should be the parents’ call.
• Baby Girl Tummy Pose: You can take this simple, versatile pose from different angles and variations. Begin by safely laying the baby on her tummy while asleep, then use a soft pillow to elevate her head and position her hands under her chin to support the neck. Let her relax, then take your shots! 
• Froggy Pose: The froggy pose is one of the most difficult newborn poses. Hence, you need to be cautious when posing the baby. Curl her legs underneath her stomach, and position both hands to cup her chin. Most importantly, use a prop or ask a parent to support her during the shoot.
• Side-lying Pose: The side-lying pose is great for sleepy baby girls, as it portrays their innocence even with minimal effort. Lay the baby on her side, placing one hand underneath her head and the other on her jawline. Afterward, cross her legs or keep one on top of the other and click away.

• Natural Expression Pose: Sometimes, a baby’s natural facial expression is all the pose you need to create an uncommon newborn photo for your clients. Put the fully-awake baby boy in a comfortable form while you take on the right angle and click away as the baby makes different natural facial expressions. Easy peasy.
• Chin on Hands Pose: The chin-on-the-hands pose highlights the baby’s face and his round, chubby cheeks. However, you will need a spotter, a parent preferably—which you can remove virtually—for all your shots to guarantee the baby’s safety. Lay the baby on his tummy, and place his hands adjacent to each other under his chin. 
• Bum Up Pose: This is similar to the baby-girl tummy pose. It requires the baby to lie on his stomach. However, you have to arch the baby boy’s back to showcase those cute baby fat rolls on his bum. You can also get beautiful angles from the side, top, or up close.
• Swaddle Pose: Because babies can be wiggly, the swaddle pose is the perfect way to keep them in a position. Don’t worry; it is safe to wrap a newborn like in the photo above. Use a clean cloth to fully wrap around the baby, leaving his face out to enable proper respiration. 
• Loosed Wrap Pose: There are many possibilities and variations with this pose. Like the swaddle pose, use a clean blanket to loosely cover the baby and place him on the back or the side. Whether the child is asleep or not, you can bring out his hands and legs to allow minimal movement. 

• Back Pose: Posing twins is a great way to display their individuality despite the obvious resemblance. They can dress in different or similar outfits. Lay them separately on their backs, with faces upward and bodies closely touching each other. You could also spice things up by joining their hands to portray togetherness.  
• Sitting Together: This newborn twin photography pose may seem basic, but your approach can completely turn it around. Have the twins sit closely together, doing anything, then take your shots from different angles. This pose also works well for any twin newborn photoshoot—girl-girl, boy-boy, or girl-boy. Appearing in matching outfits is optional.
• From a Bird’s Eye View Pose: The Bird’s Eye View Pose is a popular staple in newborn twins photography, irrespective of gender. All you need to do is place the twin in opposite positions, like in the image above. They can either face themselves or look upwards directly at the camera while you do your thing.  
• Macro Twins Pose: Sometimes you need to leave aesthetically-pleasing props and focus on the tiny details. With this pose, you can get macro shots of the twins’ tiny features that change in size over time, such as the legs, hands, etc. You can also include the parents’ hand for extra support and class. 
• Wrapped Pose: Wrap the twins with one blanket, leaving their heads and hands, and lay them on their backs in a box or basket. Note that you can’t control the expression of any one of them. All you need to do is ensure they are in comfortable positions and take your shots.

Keeping the baby happy through the photoshoot will be a make or break for the success of your session. It will also allow you to be the most productive. Being prepared and flexible in poses that match what the baby is doing is important – for example, if the baby is asleep you should do poses where the baby is able to sleep through or make the most of the moments when the baby is awake. Being smooth through transitions is always helpful too.

Having a warmer on hand is one of the most important things for any newborn photographer to remember to have. Babies get cold easily and let’s face it, are so tiny, so thinking about ways to keep them at a comfortable temperature will set your photography session up for success. If you are in a super hot climate or a place that is already above normal temperature then this may not be something to concern yourself with, but anything room temperature for an adult should be kept warmer for the baby.

Here’s the thing, even the smallest details are incredibly cute when it comes to newborn photography. We’re talking about things like the chubby legs or crinkly skin on their toes and chin. Finding creative ways to show how tiny the baby is compared to its parents – like photographing hands over top of one another. Leaning into different macro photography shots with babies makes for beautiful photographs and ones that are a little bit outside the box.

When it comes to newborn photography, safety is something that should not be overlooked or taken lightly. It’s important to remember that your subject can’t protect or speak up for themselves, so you have to think of things for them. You’ll want to ensure that any poses you put them in are safe for the baby and that you have the parents around as spotters or you are the spotter as the parents adjust.

Using props in your photos can add to the creativity of them and the storytelling – it’s a great way to involve different seasons in which the baby was born (fall, summer, etc.) or different holidays. You can also just use them in cute ways or use props as a way to help put the baby in different poses. It is a good idea to just start collecting props, not focusing on a massive bulk buy, and you’ll build up a great collection.

As if newborn photography isn’t cute enough, try adding in their siblings and you will experience a cuteness overload. These pictures are so special in so many ways – they are great memories to have as a family and it is also very sweet to see the two siblings interact. Remember for this one that safety is really something to think about – especially if the sibling is quite young and can’t hold the newborn on their own. But don’t worry, you’ll still be able to find good ways to get them involved by setting them on beds or big chairs.

Lighting is key when it comes to setting up any photography session, including newborn baby photography. This will be a huge factor in the success of your photoshoot, as the lighting is really important in capturing the details and complexion of the baby. There are a myriad of lighting setups you could use to create beautiful and interesting newborn images. To make things easy, we’ve put together a handy diagram that outlines newborn photography natural lighting.

Having a baby wrapped up or swaddled is a classic pose for your baby photography repertoire. For this photo, use cute blankets and focus on the color themes you can create. Try to grab pictures with the baby’s eyes open and other ones where they are closed. And make sure to hashtag that perfectly swaddled bundle of joy.

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For cuteness overload pictures, a laughing baby will be top of the list. Most times, you will need help from the parents to get the baby to laugh and get some great pictures, but sometimes these moments can sometimes come organically too. These pictures will bring lots of joy in a single photograph.

#babysmile #baby #babygirl #cutebaby #babyboy #babylove #babymodel #babyphotography #babyfashion #babysmiles #babies #babycute #babyclothes #babyphotoshoot #happybaby #babiesofinstagram #babylife #babylovers

While taking a photo of a grown adult crying, usually isn’t what you want as a photographer (unless it is happy tears), when it comes to babies these photos can actually turn out well! A crying baby can simply be a showing of emotion, the photo can be taken while the baby is swaddled or being comforted in one of the parents’ arms. Crying baby photos can often be both cute and sometimes humorous.

#cryingbaby #baby #crying #babies #newborn #motherhood #babycrying #cryingbabies #cute #babycry #newmom #momlife #babymassage #hungrybaby #babyphotography #babiesofinstagram #newbaby

Photographs of moms breastfeeding their baby are a great way to empower moms and to help remove the stigma around breastfeeding. As people continue to normalize breastfeeding in public places or use breastfeeding as a way for moms to develop connections with their baby, photographs of breastfeeding come with a new level of importance. They can be intimate or empowering photographs.

#breastfeeding #breastmilk #motherhood #breastfeedingmom #momlife #newborn #postpartum #normalizebreastfeeding #maternity #lactation #breastfeedingmama #breastfeedingjourney #breastpump #breastfeedingsupport #babyshop #newmom #breastfedbaby

Sometimes, there are opportunities for you to be able to go inside the hospital after the mother has given birth and photograph these moments. Some mom’s will have a photographer capture the birth itself. These moments are precious and fleeting and truly an honor to be a part of, so be in the moment and be respectful as you photograph the first time the family meets their newborn.

#childbirth #labour #maternity #baby #maternityphotography #newborn #motherhood #maternityshoot #newbornphotography #momlife #maternityphotoshoot #breastfeeding #maternityphotographer #newbornphotographer #newlife

Photos about motherhood can mean all kinds of things – from portrait photos of a mom with her baby, to you photographing the mom in her home or doing everyday tasks. Lots of times these photos can be real with emotion or showcase what it means to be a mama. You can personalize the hashtag to the vibe of the photo and also be sure to attach some popular motherhood hashtags.

#motherhood #momlife #baby #mom #parenthood #pregnancy #newborn #mother #motherhoodunplugged #momsofinstagram #mumlife #mama #babies #babiesofinstagram #momblogger #maternity #breastfeeding #babylove

Baskets are a simple and effective prop to use in your next baby photography session. They leave room for a lot of creativity in the kind of photographs you take, allowing you to play with the colors of the blankets in the basket, pairing them with what the baby is wearing, or also, any other props that you choose to put around the basket. Having the baby in a basket also allows you to take stand-alone pictures of the baby.

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These include photographs of the mom kissing the baby, the dad kissing the baby, or both the parents kissing the baby. Kissing the nose and the forehead and those little cheeks! Kissing baby photographs should be aplenty. They are beautiful moments to capture between the baby and the parents, making for excellent photographs to share for your next social media post.

#babykiss #kissingbabies #baby #kiss #babyboy #babylove #babygirl #babyphotography #babycute #babies #momdadandbaby #babykisses #babylife #family #beautifulbaby

Of course, sibling pictures are a staple in baby photography, when there are older siblings that is. Depending on how old the sibling will be will help you determine the kinds of pictures you are going to be able to take between the two. Make sure you be specific and hashtag things like #bigsister or #big brother in your caption.

#familyphotography #family #familyphotographer #littlebrother #littlesister #siblings #love #sister #sisters #brother #brothers #siblinglove #brotherandsister #sisterlove #familytime #brotherlove #siblingslove #brothersisterlove

Candid photographs of the baby or the baby interacting with the parents can make for some special moments captured through your lens. You’ll have to have your camera at the ready to be able to catch these candid moments. Another good tip to help you photograph excellent candid baby moments is to make sure that the parents are comfortable with you and in front of your lens.

#candidbaby #candidbabyphotos #babiesofinstagram #babies #babylove #maternityphotography #newbornsession #babyshoot #babyphotographyl #newborn #newbornphotography#newbornbaby #newbornshoot #babylove #babyphotographer #babiesofinstagram

Pets are often large parts of the family, so including them in your baby photoshoots is perfect. And of course, these photographs make for excellent social media posts. Everyone loves a baby and a cute dog. Try hash-tagging the type of dog and some more generic baby and puppy hashtags.

#dogsandbabies #dogs #babies #babiesanddogs #babiesofinstagram #dogsandkids #dogstagram #puppylove ##dogandbaby #babyanddog #pets #dogslife #cute #weeklyfluff #bestfriends #labrador #kidsanddogs #doglovers