Tips for Newborn Photos

Hi Happy Scrappers,

Polly Liana here, back from the land of Labor and Delivery with my new daughter Phoebe, who is almost two-and-a-half months now. Since my last post was filled with tips for maternity photos, I thought it only natural to follow it up with tips for newborn baby photos. I’ve been photographing newborns and babies for almost four years now and I’ve learned a few things along the way. For instance, don’t throw a baby in a bowl with a blanket and expect her to be happy and peaceful. (This is my first daughter, when I clearly had no idea what I was doing.)

Instead, follow these tips and you’ll be on your way to those great peaceful, snuggly newborn shots you see everywhere.

1. Use natural light and an ottoman or beanbag

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. There is nothing like beautiful filtered soft light from a window. Flashes make babies squint and wash out all that wonderful creamy skin. Pull your gear up to a nice bright window and shoot away. Just make sure there isn’t direct light coming in. A piece of nice fabric draped over an ottoman or a beanbag is sometimes all the gear you really need to get a good shot.

2. Use heat and noise to relax the baby

Remember, these little ones just came out of a warm, noisy womb so they are most relaxed when that environment is replicated. You can easily find hairdryer sounds on a loop on youtube or white noise apps on the iphone. It will also mask the sound of your shutter click. Keep the room warm with a space heater placed far enough from the baby that (s)he won’t get burned. New parents often marvel at the way I am able to keep babies calm and sleepy, even in the wildest of poses and props!

3. Relax and keep your sense of humor (plus a few wipes)

Babies can sense your mood and will generally match it so if you’re calm and relaxed, there is a better chance of the baby being relaxed, too. When they relax, they may also let loose with some pee or poop so be ready and make sure you’re working on fabric that’s washable. Here’s a shot of a dad whose sweet daughter had just crapped right in his hand. I just kept right on shooting and this was one of my favorite shots of the bunch!

4. Get different angles and move in close for some “baby pieces”

Newborns are not usually able to keep their heads up yet. You can use creative angling to make it appear as if they are holding it upright, even when they are not. Also, make sure you take some macro photos of a few of the little bits and pieces before they grow! You’ll never see them that small again.

5. Above all, make sure you’re safe

When I first started paying attention to newborn photos, I initially thought, “how hard can that be?” Turns out, it is incredibly difficult and nerve wracking to work with someone else’s brand new baby. Safety is the most important factor in any photo shoot. Most of the astonishing photos you see posted of babies are actually the result of Photoshop tricks. For instance, these “chin in hands” photos are often composite photos, meaning the photographer takes the head portion of one photo and pastes it atop the hands portion of another photo so the baby appears as if they are holding their head up.

Also, in most of these dangling shots, the baby is actually hanging a few inches above a black beanbag, which is then cloned out of the photo.

If you choose to balance a baby on top of anything, make sure there is at least one adult ready to catch them if they start to wiggle. Babies move very fast!