8 Tips for Taking Your Own Newborn Photos

I started to really think about how I might be able to help people with photos without being able to actually take photographs for them. For a lot of sessions, a month or two is okay to wait for a professional photographer to create the beautiful images that you and your family desire. However, with newborn photography (one of my absolute favorite genres to photograph) that time slips away too quickly. While I would not recommend doing your own newborn photography in other circumstances, in the present many families will be unable to capture those early newborn days when they are the smallest with professional photos. This crushes my heart, so I thought that it may be helpful to give some tips to make photos you take yourself as beautiful as possible! 

Setting up to take photos: 

*Position your baby near a window with head closer to window and face, if it is a really bright day you will want to use a sheer curtain to help make the light so that it's not too harsh. 

*I suggest positioning on an ottoman or chair with a blanket under baby that you want to use as backdrop.

*If you have something like a beanbag, you can create a nice comfy space for baby to rest in on their back (make a little bowl or indentation). 

*Stretchy wraps or scarves can be your best friend to wrap and keep your baby nice and warm while also not having to worry about clothes that don't quite fit!

*For baby girls, position headbands at the edge of hairline with bow or flower positioned more to one side.

*General positioning - make sure your baby is comfortable, such as on their back or on their side. If baby loves tummy time, you can try for a tummy shot with a hand under baby's face.

*Do NOT try to force baby into a position just because you saw it on Pinterest! Many of the poses that are beloved by moms are composites put together in photoshop. 

*Do not position baby in glass containers or on top of something...professional images that you see like this have spotters and again are created in photoshop!

 *These tips do not mean that you should do your own newborn photos after quarantine is over! The reason to hire a professional photographer is that we have MANY hours of experience posing and a lot of training to make sure baby is safe, as well as expertise in photoshop editing!!*