With the birth of a new baby often comes a new camera or a sudden spark in the interest in taking great photos of kids. The birth of a new baby also brings hormones and a lot of stress. The sheer exhaustion of it all can suck the energy from that new photography spark and certainly makes the thought of reading your camera manual about as appealing as, well, reading a camera manual.
That is why many of you find yourselves reading this blog.
It is a great time to hire a professional photographer that specializes in newborns. Newborn photographers are a rare and patient breed.
Despite being in the middle of new parent torpor, you deserve to also be able to take beautiful photos of your own baby in your own home. They are only little babies for such a short time.
Here are a few of our tips:
Take a lot of photographs. Daily. They grow overnight and one morning you will walk into their room and find that they are almost a different child.
Make the most of your baby being stationary…the only time your child will stay where you want them to stay.*
*make sure they are ALWAYS safe, don’t put them somewhere they could fall because if they are anything like Clover, they will fall just to scare the crap out of you.
That said, create a window light studio…make a cozy spot for them in front of a window by moving a bed or bassinet right up to the light source.
While little babies are rarely easy to photograph, it does help your chances of getting their cooperation when they have full tummies and clean diapers.
Use special ‘newborn’ things in the photos, heirloom blankets, knitted hats, gifted toys, favorite binkies. All things they will soon grow out of (unless they are one of Rachel’s children who will apparently be going to college with their transitional objects) and will bring back memories.
Get close and show all the details. Tiny fingernails, beautiful lips, the lashes…
Keep scale in mind. Step back and show just how tiny they are in the world.
Also, don’t forget to celebrate the days after those first few weeks. They may not sleep through the sessions anymore, but their personalities begin to emerge and they really connect with their eyes.
And then, despite all your planning, chances are things will go horribly wrong. And it will be awesome. You will end up with something better than you could have imagined.
Embrace the chaos…
{ 25 comments… read them below or add one }
Such precious pictures and they do grow up WAY too fast! Saw an 18-month-old child at the grocery store recently and thought he looked so big already.
Fab examples!
These photos are so beautiful! Great advice.
Awesome feature! Newborn photographers are a rare breed and love to work best in those few weeks after baby arrives, that being said, most new (or new again) Mama’s are embracing that special time with their families, friends and the general public for that matter!
Great tips for parents to capture those gorgeous moments!
Oooh I am so clucky at the moment, and these certainly upped it a little!
My daughter was a pretty chaotic little being as a newborn, and taking photos was the last thing on my mind. I look forward to being able to take photos of my next one. xx
Great post guys! I am forever telling people to photograph their babies and kids – every day!! They change sooooo fast and like you say, before you know it they’re not a baby anymore!! Gorgeous photos too – I recognise those babies!!
Is there a technique to making eyes glisten in the manner you have achieved in the above pics?
I so wish I would have hired a newborn photographer! I take lots of photos and thouht I’d be able to capture my own newborn just fine but she never slept, her stump fell off right away, I was overwhelmed and all the sudden she wasn’t a newborn any more! Great tips though, hopefully I’ll have better luck with my friend’s newborn.
What a great collection of moments! Thank you
“if they are anything like Clover, they will fall just to scare the crap out of you.” hahahaha!! That made me laugh so hard. Oh, Clover, she is something else! She has amazing eyes though. Their personality really show at the last photo. That is an awesome shot!!
This is a brilliant and wonderful and lovely post.
Thank you for sharing this information.
I will be a grammy in sept for the first time.
)
My second thought was….I can’t wait to take pictures
this just makes me want another baby
thanks for more fabulous advice!
Oh how I just love you guys. I love this blog. Thanks for sharing all the adorable pics and good tips.
Ah! I LOVE these! My baby is due in about 3 weeks now and this just inpired me even more!!!!!
Those shots are amazing especially the last one.
What fantastic advice – am trying TODAY !!
I love these pic examples, particularly the last one. how beautiful is the snuggle of keirin into jemmas neck… he looks so comfortable and happy in his sisters arms xo
Great and so useful post, good advise. Loved the last photo, and the phrase “Embrace chaos” will be my motto from now on. I think you hit the target: maybe that´s the secret of happiness.
Keep on posting! Can´t wait for more…
xx
Those photographs make me want another baby. Is that wrong?
That last photo reminds me of my monthly attempts to take pictures of my twins. Any time my 4 year old is around when I am doing this, the photos devolve into her hamming it up and at least one of her siblings crying. Simultaneously completely frustrating and pretty funny.
@ Country-Fried Momma they make me want another baby too.
lol
I just LOVE the photo with the kid wearing the “mother sucker” shirt. It literally laughed out loud at that photo. Good stuff!!
I especially adore that last shot, mostly because it reminds me of a picture of me and my little brothers shortly after the youngest, Andrew, was born. We were all in the same chair with the baby on our laps. Andrew was screaming, and two year-old William wasn’t in much better shape, very distressed by this noisy creature! And me? Sweet little four year-old me was sitting very serenely with just a little hint of a smile, as if to say, “I’ve done this before, there’s nothing to worry about.” Adorable photos!
wow is all i can say. i LOVE these pictures, and the advice is amazing. love how there are two pictures of clover with almost the same ‘oops’ expression. The one in the rainbow top, and the one of her wearing pink, next to kieran wearing blue. absolutely amazing, how do you get so much personality into your photos?!
beautiful pics !! i love all of them, but i actually went ‘OH!!’ outloud when i saw that little hand reaching up for the mobile……so wasnt expecting that as i was scrolling down….hehe
great advice …..
I can’t even believe how beautiful these are.
this photo are so amazing..
congratulations….