Photographing newborns is an amazing thing. Each little person so new to the world, getting used to their surroundings.
Ideally you want to photograph newborns in the first 10-14 days of their new life, when they’re still sleepy from their long, hard journey and easy to position. This is not always possible, but you quickly notice how alert they can be suddenly, when you have lots of people around and potentially studio lights flashing in their faces.
Natural lighting is always best when photographing newborns, but is not always possible, depending on the weather and the positioning of the windows and lighting. If you want to see how I have done newborn shoots in confined spaces using studio lighting to replicate natural lighting as much as possible check out this other blog post.
Newborns can take anywhere from 1-4 hrs as it completely depends on the baby and how settled they are throughout the shoot. They may need to be fed, burped, changed several times throughout to keep them happy and settled.
It’s always a good idea to get baby dressed in their first outfit before feeding and then settling them, and having a great workflow helps to not having to move them around too much and disturb their slumber. You can do lots of different angles and slight body movements in one setup for a range of different looks.
I generally have at least 2 setups ready to go so I can just gently move the baby from one setup to the next. I generally save the family photos until last as it’s much easier to deal with a baby that’s getting over it when mum or dad is snuggling up to them. Mum and dad should dress accordingly so that everyone matches to some degree, and plain colours are always nice and simple to work with and not too distracting. Siblings are always encouraged to come along as well, but it can take a long time and be quite boring for them, so just be prepared.
Taking baby photos is something I’m enjoying more and more since becoming a mother myself. I love meeting these brand new people and following along in their life’s adventures.
I have all inclusive packages from Maternity through to 1st birthday Cake Smash photos.
If you would like to enquire about a newborn photo shoot, please fill in the contact form below.
I hope you enjoy this cuteness in your day!
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