Are you counting down the days until you welcome your first baby into the world? It’s a feeling like no other, and there’s no doubt that you’ll want to capture as many of these special moments as possible. 

Taking newborn photos is a beautiful way to create everlasting memories and adorable photos of the first few weeks of life. 

Newborn photography sessions are creative, fun and oh-so-adorable. But there are a couple of things that you need to prepare first. Keep reading to for seven helpful tips.  

1. Decide What Kind of Newborn Photo Setup You Want

Before hiring newborn photographers, decide what your vision is for the photo shoot and then try to find a photographer that can deliver that. 

Perhaps you know exactly what you want, or you need to figure it out first. Do some research, check out different fun ideas online and try to find a theme or idea that represents you and your family. 

Most photographers will have an awesome selection of props, outfits and backdrops. Speak to potential photographers and find out what they can offer. 

Are you interested in a cute, farm-style shoot or a classic family affair? Once you figure that out, you can start planning and preparing. 

2. Choosing the Best Time 

When is the best time to take photos of babies? Well, that depends on whether you want a photoshoot of a sleeping newborn, or if you don’t mind your baby to being awake. 

Babies start being more alert after the first 14 days after birth. So those adorable sleeping photos are usually best taken within the first two weeks of being born. 

If you’re after playful and fun photos with smiles and bright eyes, then you should wait until your baby is over six weeks old. 

As for the actual time schedule, this will depend on a photographers availability and your daily schedule. Mornings do tend to be better for newborn sessions because baby generally has had a little more sleep in  the night, so they feed really well and are more settled.

3. Give your baby a bath

Most newborn photoshoots focus on babies in cute poses, curled up in baskets and bowls in adorable poses. This is easier to do when the baby is asleep as they are relaxed and flexible, not resisting any poses (safe, comfortable poses).

Newborns sleep a lot, so it isn’t too difficult to ensure that there’s at least a little bit of photo time when your little one is snoozing. 

Giving them a relaxing bath could help. Try resting a flanel on their chest and tummy this will help them feel safe and secure.

This is when an in home session is a great option because you can do this before the photographer arrives.

4. Feed Your Baby Right Before the Session

A hungry baby makes for a disastrous photo shoot filled with tears and screams. The happier and more content your baby is, the more smoothly the shoot will go. 

The ideal time to feed for an in home session in thirty minutes before the photographer is due to arrive. If your traveling to the photographer then the best scenario is that you do the full feed on your arrival. This is not always achievable and at the end of the day you just need to go with the flow. Arriving stressed out because baby has been screaming the whole car ride is not ideal.

Discuss with your photographer and tell them that you’d like o feed them at the studio. You can come in 30 minutes before the shoot, take your time feeding your newborn and then waiting till they are full, happy and ready for a nice long nap. 

5. Things to Pack for Photo Session Preparation

Pack all of the essentials the day before so that you have everything you need for a smooth photo shoot. Pack a bottle if your baby is formula-feeding or perhaps prepare a bottle of breast milk. 

Always bring muslins and wet wipes for bathroom emergencies and your baby’s favourite cuddly toy or blanket. 

6. Choosing the Right Clothing 

I recommend baby is in a simple body suit with hands and feet showing for the family photos

Newborn photos usually follow pastel colour palettes, pale pinks, blues etc. So look for outfits with those palettes. Avoid heavily patterned outfits and stick to three colours max that work well together. Keeping it simple will mean your photos wont date as fast and the focus will be on the people not the clothes.

7. Relax and Enjoy it 

The most important thing is to have fun and relax. The shoot could turn out to be nothing you planned on. You may have expected a sweet sleeping baby shoot that just dosn’t happen. If you have chosen an experienced newborn photographer then they will have tools to help settle baby. Sometimes we just need to work with what baby is prepared to give us.

Go with the flow and just enjoy the joy of welcoming your newborn into the world and capturing their first moments, whatever that may be. 

Book Your Newborn Photography Session

Capturing some of the first moments and days of your newborn is something very special. You may have an idea of how you’d like to do it or perhaps you still need some inspiration. Use these tips to prepare for the ‘perfect’ newborn photography session. But remember, always expect the unexpected and just have fun. 

If heading out into the big world with your newborn is a bit daunting, then why not do a photoshoot in the comfort of your home? We take the stress out of newborn photoshoots by coming to you. Of course, you can come to the studio too. 

I’m an experienced mum and photographer so I can walk you through everything. Contact us to book your newborn shoot today.