Tips for Newborn Baby Photography
One of the most rewarding sessions to shoot is a newborn photo shoot. Even if you’re not a newborn photographer, the opportunity for a newborn session is both a challenging and rewarding experience that every professional photographer or aspiring photographer, should take.
In this blog, we will discuss various newborn photography tips that will benefit both client and photographer alike. As someone who practices all types of photography, I know my experiences with a newborn shoot has taught me some incredible lessons and helped make me more well-rounded as a photographer.
My intent is to share what I’ve learned to help make these sessions easier for aspiring baby photographers and parents wanting to capture the best moments of their
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Timing is everything
First of all, let’s discuss timing. When is the best time to schedule a newborn portraits session?
This is where communication and input from the parents are crucial. As a photographer, your clients will know the patterns and moods at which their baby’s good mood is the best. Check with them on this. It could be right after nap time or after nursing. It could be in the morning or later in the afternoon.
Booking a session during the time when the baby is the happiest is going to result in better photographs and make the session easier to shoot, at the same time.
*PRO TIP: tell your new parents to pay attention to the baby’s mood and try to pinpoint patterns where they are consistently happy and calm. Prepping your clients beforehand, like when booking the date, on what to look for is preparing them for a better newborn session later!
Now, this is verrrryyyy different than a typical family or single portraits shoot which I discuss in this article here, the best time to shoot. But this is also unique because the focus of this shoot is the newborn. So do keep this in mind.
Where to Shoot
Now this and the next several topics will go hand-in-hand because where to shoot can affect what you shoot.
Where to shoot a newborn photography session will likely come down to one of two areas, either an in-home session or studio session.
A STUDIO SESSION
A photography studio is a popular option for newborn portraiture because those sessions give these classic newborn shots that seem to be so perfect. Like a perfect shot from a top down look, or side angle where the new baby looks absolutely flawless.
A studio session is where you will also get those unique yet not-so-unique photos of the baby in a frog-like pose or with their hands propping up their face, or sleeping on a little bed and other such props.
These sessions are done by experienced baby photographers whose niche is likely that of being a newborn photographer and or associated with similar fields of photography like maternity photography. Sometimes these photographers will essentially have a home studio where they have an area of their home re-purposed for these types of shoots.
The other popular alternative for location which is also a great place, is simply to do it in your client’s home for an in-home shoot.
This is my personal favorite location for a newborn photoshoot.
HOME SESSION
A home session is likely to give you incredibly special moments because this is where the baby is most of the time, and where mom and dad are the most comfortable.
If there is a nursery in the home, then shooting there will result in arguably better photographs than a staged studio session because you’re capturing elements of the home decorated specifically for the baby. This makes for photos tied to specific moments in that newborn’s life and thus creating the perfect tie to a special memory.
I’m not going to say this is the best option because everyone is different, but I do believe this is a good start to capturing the perfect moment for baby photos.
To help decide where is the best place to shoot, you need to also consider what family members will be in this session. Will the mom and dad be included? Any siblings, human and fur baby alike?
Capturing interactions between family members or pets can likely be done more easily at an in-home session versus a studio session, but then again, there are always exceptions to every rule and chances are, if you as a client, search hard enough, you’ll find a photographer with the capability to include family in a studio session.
As for photographers, stick to what you feel most confident in and be honest with your clients. If incorporating family or fur babies at a studio session is do-able with certain guidelines or not, be clear and honest.
Set those expectations so you and your clients do not leave with disappointment at the conclusion of the photo delivery.
What to Shoot
Now, let’s talk about what shots you should be taking. Honestly, I love this topic because sometimes we, as photographers, complicate things when it boils down to simple and consistent shots from age to age and even types of photography.
Think of things in broad terms and then narrow it down from there. For example, wide shots, close-up or macro shots, and detail shots. A good rule of thumb is to shoot the same shot from different angles.
Another great way to think of shots is in different groupings. For example, shots of the baby by her or himself, then with mom, shots with dad, and then siblings. Then from there, think of different angles and shoot the same shots with each, or attempt to.
And finally, another way to capture different poses is to focus on different details. Get shots focusing on the baby’s face, the baby’s eyes, and the baby’s skin. Then again, change the angle and shoot from over the baby’s head, use a wide aperture and shoot a wide angle to capture the nursery room with the baby lying in the crib.
Shoot with a low aperture and shoot from behind an open door, peeking into the nursery room where mom and dad and are standing, holding their newborn.
My favorite way to plan shots is to combine these general guidelines and create a shot list, and then use that is a springboard for the shoot, because as we all know, things will not go as planned with a newborn baby and your portrait photography session has to be flexible to account for those changes.
Poses versus Candids
Here is one of the most important tips I can tell you out of all the baby photography tips in this blog. And that is, to be ready at all times to shoot.
Children are unpredictable. Even more so than children, are babies. And at a photo session, the perfect photo may not come from the poses you plan and try to implement but those candid shots instead.
Have your camera ready to bring to eye level and shoot at a second’s notice, if possible, because moments can happen fast. Like a certain facial expression, baby reaction, mom and baby interaction that happens unexpectedly, yet once caught, is that unique shot that just can’t be replicated.
Which brings me to this next topic, which is what are the best camera equipment and settings to use.
Equipment & Settings
The best camera equipment to focus on is that of the lens. Why not the camera body? You ask…
Well, that’s for a couple of reasons. Whether you’re using a DSLR or a mirrorless camera like the Canon EOS R, the quality of your image is going to be based mainly on the quality of your camera lens. Now you can use most lenses on any camera body as long as you have the appropriate adapter for it. The biggest reason to do something like this is because of the cost. And as a professional photographer or aspiring photographer, you should know by now that camera gear is expensive.
For example, considering you’re staying within the same family brand of photography gear, I can use my DSLR lenses with a mirrorless camera by utilizing an EF-R adapter. This is something I have done before when I upgraded my camera body but wasn’t ready to spend my hard-earned bucks on new camera lenses as well.
And depending on the camera settings you need, then that will affect the best lens for you to use.
Why, what do you mean? You ask…
Well, for example. If you know you’re shooting an in-home session, then you need to be ready for low-light settings. A prime lens is going to give you the best bang for your buck in this regard, because they have the option for really low apertures, giving you more flexibility to capture great shots in low light settings.
However, using a prime lens means you have less flexibility with capturing candid shots.
Hear me out on this.
With any little human, i.e. babies, toddlers, children, being ready to capture a shot is vital. They move so quick and without a moment’s notice. I mean, you can’t pose a baby who is awake and expect them to maintain that pose. Hence why most adorable but unique newborn shots in studio are of the baby asleep and not awake.
So being ready with your shutter button at all times is less capable with a prime lens than a zoom lens, because with a prime lens you’re working with a fixed focal length. This means YOU are going to have to be ready to move quickly to get in the right position and distance to capture whatever shot you’re aiming for.
This is not easy with newborn babies.
On the other hand, using a zoom lens is effective in this regard, considering if you’re working in a fluid environment where you need to move quickly from wide shots to close-ups for details. Instead of you having to move quickly in order to position in the best spot for the shots, you can adjust your focal length with the zoom lens and go from wide angle to close-up shots for details.
However, you do sacrifice flexibility with low light settings because zoom lens usually have apertures that do not go as low as a prime lens.
For example, take a 50mm Canon EF prime lens which is a great portrait lens, versus a 24-70mm Canon EF zoom lens. The aperture on the 50mm Canon EF prime lens is 1.2 versus an aperture of 2.8 on the 24-70mm lens. This difference in aperture means you can obtain incredible quality shots in a darker setting than the 24-70mm Canon lens, by opening up that aperture to the widest diameter on the 50mm without introducing artifact into your image, i.e. noise.
For the 24-70mm, you’ll need to consider bringing a light source with you or optimizing positions for the best lighting at your shoot.
At the end of this section I’ll give you my thoughts on some Canon camera gear that I have that I have used or would use on a newborn photography session.
For now, let’s move on and talk about camera settings.
Camera Settings
For all you natural light lovers out there, you’re in luck. That’s my favorite way to shoot. Not to say you cannot shoot with flash photography, but with newborns, you definitely want to consider only shooting that way if they’re asleep.
And because that cannot be quite guaranteed, it may be best to stick with setting up photography lights instead.
The goal is to aim for soft light and soft shadows, where lighting is concerned. If you’re in need of light in a home session, consider areas in the home that increase those changes like window light. The more you increase the lighting for your subject, i.e. the new baby, it will help your flexibility when using a zoom lens.
Now, I am a HUGE believer in using manual mode. I would not have it any other way because it gives you complete control of the look of your images. Key settings to keep in mind for newborn photography is a fast shutter speed. Setting your shutter to 1/125 or 1/120 will allow you capture crisp images of your baby client even if they make sudden movements. Shooting at a lower shutter speed can introduce blur into your image, which, unless you’re doing that for artistic purposes, is unlikely to be the look you’re going for.
Now, if you’re looking to understand more about shutter speed, then you can read this article breaking this down in this “What is Shutter Speed in Photography?” blog post.
To go back to suggested camera gear, as a Canon fan, my suggestions will be in regards to this brand, but you can apply this to other brands.
For DSLR cameras, I have found the Canon IV DSLR to be a great camera body to work with for both photography and videography. For mirrorless cameras, the Canon R will be just fine. If you’re able to upgrade to a Canon EOS R5, then goooo for it.
Your best bet is going to be working with quality lenses though. In these cases, I’d suggest a 24-70mm Canon EF lens and 50mm Canon lens with an EF – EOS R adaptor if using with an Canon R body. If you’re able to use a Canon RF lens, then you are blessed. A Canon RF 50mm or RF24-70mm zoom lens would still be my suggestion.
You can shoot with a 15-35mm Canon RF lens or 35mm Canon EF lens, Canon RF 85mm lens or its counterpart in the EF, but personally, I think the other two lenses provide you with all the flexibility you need for the desired shots.
Now let’s talk about some easy tips for the photographers and then the clients.
For the Photographers
For us photographers, I suggest the following, based on my experience with newborn photography sessions.
#1 Communicate early regarding a date and time for the newborn shoot. You’re going to want to aim for no later than 12 days after the baby is born because features and baby activity start changing quickly after that.
#2 Set expectations for duration of the shoot and what will be feasible to capture in those shoots. Remind your clients that newborn babies are unpredictable and we work according to their schedule and mood, not ours. So, all the planned photos they expressed to you as wanting, may or may not happen. I.e. aim for 1.5 hours or longer, depending on the type of shoot it is. In-home vs. studio session, etc. This is taking into account the mom having to pause to change the baby, or feed or console, and… the list goes on.
#3 Prep a shot list before your shoot. Include feedback of what shots your clients are wanting and ideas you have in mind. Having this ready beforehand will give you inspiration to draw back on during the shoot in case you come to a stall.
#4 Focus on quality shots as opposed to quantity. Don’t worry that you may capture less photos than other shoots. But make sure your shots count. You can do this by making intentional use of your time at all times. For example, when mom is having to nurse, ask if you can take photos of this moment but keep the mother properly covered during. Take detail shots off the fingers and toes of the newborn, instead of wide shots, capturing the entire room. Take detail shots of the room. Move your lighting accessories around to prep for the next part of the shoot.
#5 And as always, bring extra batteries and an extra camera body. You can never go wrong, especially because these shoots could possibly go long.
For the Clients
Coming from a photographer’s perspective, these are my top 5 tips for a newborn’s parents preparing for a shoot.
#1 Communicate with your photographer. Make sure you let them know when the baby is due, when the baby is born, and the dates and times you are available for a newborn shoot. This is SO important because all types of unexpected things can happen, which you can read more about in this article on The Best Time for Newborn Photos.
#2 After your baby is born, pay close attention to when he or she is the most happy. Try to see if there is a pattern like after feeding, or after a nap. Knowing when your baby is the happiest will be the best time of day to have your newborn photography session.
#3 Think of certain shots you must have and communicate this with your photographer. From my experience, some parents have wanted detail shots with specific items showcased, like a pair of boots or book, or blanket. Some have wanted a certain image like an intimate skin-to-skin moment. These are important because you’ll likely never have this moment back again so getting those few must have shots now are vital. Of course, be realistic and know every single shot you want may not be feasible, i.e. the baby is fussy during the session, etc., but keep it to a few shots and I’m sure your photographer will be able to work those things in.
#4 In my opinion this is a great idea for all parents, and that is to have a soft cloth ready to dampen with water for dabbing intermittently throughout the shoot. Many times, it can be difficult to edit all the imperfections out after the shot is taken, so doing what you can to make sure the baby’s skin is clean and moisturized during the shoot will help expedite the process.
Having a clean soft cloth ready to dampen with warm water and dab the baby’s eyes, nose and mouth, even sometimes wipe their fingers and toes down, will help tremendously in giving that flawless look for your images.
#5 And finally, enjoy the session! Baby life moves by so quickly. Don’t get so caught up in perfect shots that you miss out on enjoying this photo session for what it should be. A small bit of time to capture precious moments between you and your baby that will fade quickly but can be remembered forever. Just… be… you.
In Summary: Tips for Newborn Baby Photography
Now in conclusion, I understand this blog is not for all photographers but if you’re a photographer looking to improve your skills in all facets, this will definitely improve your photography business experience as a whole.
At some point, someone will likely ask you to shoot some a newborn session. That can be a close friend or loved one that knows you’re a photographer and thus, simply will not choose anyone else.
My hope is that this will help ease that experience for you.
Now for the clients, remember the most important thing in this session is your keeping your baby a happy baby. And tailoring everything to your baby’s schedule is going to give you the best chance of capturing those unique, once-in-a-lifetime moments that you will never get back.
And if you’re on the fence about making time for these, just do it. It is not just a good idea but vital. Your little one will grow up so fast, and all of such precious moments in their little-hood will be so quickly forgotten if you don’t capture it somehow on film. I say “film” in reference to the old school way of capturing images.
No time is the perfect time yet is the perfect time, at the same time. Ha. I know that’s somewhat redundant but I mean it. I have yet to meet a parent who regrets having a newborn photo session. So… do it. And before you do, I hope you’ve read this blog to get you properly prepared to have the best newborn shoot possible.