Best time to capture newborn photos
It’s generally recommended to book your newborn photoshoot before 2 weeks of age. The reason being, this is the period that they are sleeping the most – making for photographing the much easier, without their arms and legs waving around. They also enjoy being wrapped and curled up and are able to be posed in the cutest positions due to being so fresh out of the womb – which is what makes newborn photos so different to capturing them at any other stage.
What to expect
Newborn photography requires a lot of patience, as sometimes we’ll be stopping and starting based on needing to feed or change baby or settle baby for the photos. You can expect a newborn photoshoot to take up to 2hrs – so if you are also bringing siblings to the photoshoot, make sure you have things to entertain them and plenty of snacks for everyone.
Newborns tend to be most relaxed in warmer temperatures, so I usually have a space heater running or encourage to have the heater on. Therefore, when choosing your own outfits, keep in mind that the temperature of the room where we will be photographing will be warm even in winter.
My style of newborn photography is using natural light and lifestyle based photos. So many of the photos will be near windows with sheer curtains. Photos will be on beds or in the nursery, in nursing chair for a more natural feel. But mostly, there will be close ups of newborns being held by their loved ones.
What to wear
As part of your newborn photography package, all wraps, blankets, head pieces and props are provided for your newborn. Please dress your baby in an outfit that is easy to remove so that we don’t disrupt the baby when removing clothes.
For other family members who will be part of the photoshoot, I recommend avoid wearing anything with logos or distracting colour or patterns. Easy colours that you may already have in your wardrobe are white, beige or black. If choosing to wear colours, muted colours or earthy tones help keep the focus on our newborn star! Choose clothes that are comfortable and don’t need constant readjusting especially when you are in positions holding baby.
Generally for Dad a plain t-shirt is perfect. For Mum, singlet tops or off-the shoulder dresses are lovely for skin to skin photos with baby. Choose flowy outfits over structured or too formal outfits.
Sometimes there are vomits, poo, pee accidents. If you are coming into the studio, its a good idea to pack spare clothes for everyone in case those accidents happen on someone.
Please note that your hands will be photographed closely when holding your newborn, so make sure your hands and nails are the way you’d be happy being photographed. And if having your wedding rings on in the photoshoot is important to you, make a note to wear them on the day.
What to pack
If you have chosen to come to my home studio for your newborn photoshoot, please bring along to the photography session:
- plenty of nappies
- extra outfits for everyone in case there are vomit, poo or wee accidents
- any sentimental items you wish to include in the photos
- pacifier if baby takes one
- extra formula or expressed milk if you are not breastfeeding
- snacks, entertainment for siblings
Before the session
Feeding and changing nappies just before the photography session allows us to start the photoshoot straight away.
If the photoshoot is held at your home, please prepare the bedroom in which the photos will take place. Tidy up the bedside tables, use a neutral bed linen. If you don’t have sheer curtains and neutral bed linen, please let me know and I will bring these along.
