10 Best Tips for Newborn Photography

Newborns are one of the sweetest subjects to capture. It’s exciting to witness every stage of their life and see them grow. Don’t miss out on your baby’s special moments and learn how to photograph them in this quick and easy guide.

Everyone’s on social media now, even moms. More moms are becoming influencers by sharing fashion, home decor ideas, cooking shows, and posts about their children. 

The latest trend was newborn photography. We all love looking at sweet baby photographs and witnessing every stage of a child’s life. You may think that only influencers can share beautiful pictures online, but anyone can actually do it. And you don’t need a fancy camera or expensive professional fees, you can do it yourself!

We’ve prepared simple and quick tips to help you create stunning images of your sweetie. This guide aims to make the whole process fun and stress-free. Read on and make the most of your baby photography session. 

10 Tips for Newborn Photography

1. Try Different Angles

Admit it–babies are one of the hardest subjects to capture and you can rarely find a perfect angle with just a single shot. The most challenging times are during the first few days after birth. Red spots, bumps, and scratches are highly visible–not to mention misshapen heads are also a thing. 

Don’t skip the earliest timeline of your baby, though. Here are a few angles you can try:

• Close-Ups – Any close-up shot is an intimate shot. Get in close with your sweetie’s physical attributes and capture their facial expressions, wide eyes, and cute mouth. Some parents also take photographs of the baby’s foot and hands to make the picture more dramatic. 
• Low Angle – Get down low on your baby’s level. The most common trick is to lay down next to them. It’s a great technique to feel closer to your baby rather than always adjusting your camera’s focal length. 
• Nursed Shots – Most photographers would agree that this is the perfect angle for newborn pictures. Nursed shots are more natural-looking and the baby is in a more human-like form. Have someone carry your baby over the shoulder or sit them up. You may also lay them on your tummy for a sweeter touch. 

2. Find the Best Light

By finding the best light, we don’t mean to say that you should include your camera’s flash settings. Like any photography, daylight is the perfect lighting for your newborn photography. It promotes a natural, happy vibe and captures all your baby’s features clearly. To add more life to your photo, you may set up a blanket in your yard, near the window, or in front of a glass door. Plunk your sweetie there and start snapping.

3. Keep Your Baby Happy

We’re all talking about sweet expressions and lively vibes but these won’t be achieved if your baby isn’t happy in the first place. Don’t fret; there are ways to ensure your little one is comfortable with the photography session.

One thing you can do is to keep your shooting area warm. Newborns don’t like cold places, and they won’t appear charming in photos if you expose them to unfavorable situations. Another trick is to play soothing sounds while shooting. This will help your baby relax and happily snooze. Lastly, make sure your sweetie has a full belly during the shoot. You don’t want to mess with a hungry baby. 

Pro Tip: To keep your baby happy and “cooperative,” have a lot of patience. Expect the photography session to last for weeks. You always need to adjust to your baby’s mood and overall well-being. Try to shoot between breakfast and lunch as this is the best time for most newborns.

4. Capture the Details

As much as you want to focus on your baby’s face, you need to explore other details that newborn photographers wouldn’t normally capture. These may include your sweetie’s cute belly button, the hair at the back of their head, their Buddha belly, or tiny toenails. Camera phones may not have perfect zoom functions but you can still highlight your baby’s feet, nose, or first tooth. 

5. Keep Your Camera Close

This is most convenient when you’re using a smartphone. Again, babies don’t intentionally pose–they’re best at candid shots. There may be moments when your little one is smiling, pouting, or laughing with their tongue out. They may roll around, play with their feet and hands, or squeeze their face. 

You don’t want to miss out on these cute moments–they may be gone in seconds. So, always keep your camera close and just keep shooting. It’s like documenting your baby’s life from day one until they reach a more advanced stage in their life. 

6. Ensure Your Baby’s Safety

Any responsible parent would make sure their baby’s safety is their utmost priority. Sure, you want to have a fun and successful photography session, but you mustn’t forget about your little one’s comfort and safety. If you want to try a more difficult pose or are using props, ask someone to help you out. You can’t do it all alone, not even professionals will risk shooting for newborn photographs alone. 

7. Add a Backdrop

Backgrounds are always essential for portraits. They add life and color to your photos and set the overall mood. Most moms would opt for simple backdrops, such as white cloth, a wall background, and a bed. If you want to go for outdoor shooting, make sure the weather is good and you have someone to assist you. You may choose a beach setting or a park and bring along blankets and beanbags. 

If you have a supportive husband and family, then going outdoors won’t be a problem. Treat it as a quick date or mini-vacation–who knows newborn photography can be so much fun and rejuvenating at the same time!

8. Include People in Your Shots

It could be you, your husband, your elder children, or any family member. Including people in your newborn shots will make the output more meaningful. It promotes a sweet and endearing vibe and will make your family members feel special or involved. Everyone loves the new little angel in the house and would probably want to be photographed with them. 

If you’ll get in the picture, don’t settle for self-timers. Have someone photograph you and your baby. You may suggest angles and give cues to achieve a perfect look. Just think of it as a family project where everyone gets to enjoy and cherish the moment. 

9. Edit Your Photos

This may sound like a daunting task for non-professionals, but it’s not impossible! You don’t need excellent Photoshop skills to enhance your newborn photos–there are plenty of easy tools online. Some of the best free photo editors that you can use are GIMP, Canva, Fotor, PhotoScape, Pixlr X, and Adobe Photoshop Express Editor. 

If you’re serious about photo editing or are thinking about becoming a social media influencer, you need to master Adobe Photoshop. It’s the standard and most trusted editing software that offers many editing tools and delivers high-quality outputs. 

Some of the basic post-processing methods that you can apply to your baby images are:

• Brightness and Contrast Adjustment
• Saturation and Highlights Improvement
• Color Correction
• Sharpening of the Image
• Skin Retouching
• Removal of Scars and Blemishes

10. Apply Filters

 

Filters are a social media thing, but there’s no need to overdo it. When you apply filters to your baby pictures, choose the simplest and natural-looking ones. The purpose of filters is to make your photos more attractive and attain a uniform look online. This is especially applicable if you want to improve your social media posts or become a mom influencer. 

Like photo editing, there are many available tools online that offer a variety of presets. Few of the platforms that you can try are Snapseed, VSCO, Adobe Photoshop Lightroom, Instasize, Afterlight, and Etsy. With just a few clicks, you can achieve the best filters for your newborn images. You may also opt for a black and white transition, making your photos simple yet dramatic.

Conclusion

Newborn photography isn’t just for professionals. Any regular mom or dad can do it. You don’t need fancy equipment or spend a dime to take beautiful shots; just work on your creativity, ask for help, and trust yourself to do the magic.

Always explore different ways to capture the best angle, use props, experiment with backdrops, and edit your photos. Above all, have patience. It should be a fun and stress-free experience, and everyone should be happy and safe.

Want to start your newborn photography project now? Just follow the tips and tricks above and share the most captivating images on your social media accounts.

Read Next: Newborn Photography Themes