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Experts suggest scheduling newborn photos within 5-14 days after their birth. This is an ideal time to take newborn baby pictures because your baby is still easily put to sleep and putting them in specific poses will be much easier. However, there’s no wrong time to take photos of your baby.
As a parent, you might want baby pictures for every stage of your little one’s life. Taking these photos might be easier said than done, though. You can’t always control your baby’s mood, facial expressions, or poses.
With the right guidance, you can get some of the best newborn pictures possible! In the guide below, you’ll find several helpful tips and tricks to keep in mind when scheduling professional photography sessions for your newborn. Continue reading to learn more!
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Consider Their Schedule
When scheduling a photo session for yourself, you don’t have to put much thought into it. You pick a day and time and make sure your schedule is clear for that day. The same isn’t true for your newborn.
If you want the best outcome, then you need to consider their schedule. Don’t set up a photo session during their regular feeding time, for example. Try to get a feel for your newborn and their feeding and napping schedule before deciding on when to schedule the photo session.
Don’t forget to bring feeding supplies and plenty of diapers with you as well, just in case.
Get the Lighting Right
It could be a better idea to use natural lights when taking pictures of your baby rather than using a flash. Flash from the camera could cause the baby to make an irritated face or cry. Find a nice sunny spot near a window or outdoors and place a blanket down.
Put your baby on the blanket and start snapping photos. Natural lighting is better during certain times of the day, so be sure to choose a time that works well with your baby’s schedule and natural light.
Don’t Hesitate to Get Silly
If you want to make your baby smile, then it’s time to get silly. Being silly can help get those big smiles you want to see. Bring your baby’s favorite toys and other helpful props to make them smile and laugh.
You can even consider playing a few silly songs on your cellphone and dancing along to them. Play peek-a-boo with a blanket and have fun. If you’re smiling, being silly, and having fun, then your baby is more likely to do the same.
In the end, you’re more likely to get some awesome happy pictures.
Capture the Small Details
It’s important to get in lots of photos of your baby’s smiling face, but don’t forget all those small important details as well. Think about the things you wouldn’t normally focus on. Maybe it’s your baby’s cute little toenails or their one small curl on the back of their head.
Get a few close-up photos of all those little details so you have them to remember. When still pregnant, you might get a 3D or 4D ultrasound done. What were some of the features the ultrasound focused on?
Now that your baby’s here, you can take photos of those same features and compare.
Use a Simple Backdrop
You don’t want there to be too much going on in the background of your newborn’s pictures. Remember, your baby’s still a tiny little thing and you don’t want anything to take away from them in the photo. For this reason, we recommend using a simple backdrop.
This could be a white sheet laid down on the grass or a fluffy white comforter placed on the ground inside your home. If there are some things in the background that you can’t eliminate, then take close-ups of your little one to ensure everything else is cropped out of the photo.
Ensure Comfort
A happy baby is a comfy baby. To ensure your baby’s comfort during the entire photo session, you should make sure your little one is well-fed, rested, and recently changed. Then, select clothes that aren’t too tight or itchy.
Don’t wait until the last minute to find an outfit as you might learn it’s not comfortable for your baby. A simple outfit is best and a time slot that’s within 30 minutes of your baby’s last feeding is ideal.
Keep Snapping Photos
You never know what cute faces and positions your baby might find themselves in. Because of this, you want to keep snapping photos constantly. Don’t stop!
You’re sure to get a few great shots in. You also want to continue taking photos of them throughout the months. Taking photos month by month is a wonderful way to slowly watch your baby go through all those subtle changes you may not notice otherwise.
Babies grow up so quickly that it happens right before our own eyes without us even catching it. When you stop to take photos of your baby every month, you’ll have something to remember what they looked like every month before turning one or so on.
Let’s Take Some Baby Pictures
Are you planning a professional photography session for your newborn or an at-home photo shoot? Taking baby pictures is a lot of fun, but it’s not always the easiest task. To get in those cute smiles, silly laughs, and adorable poses, be sure to follow all of the helpful advice listed here in this guide.
Then, to find more posts on baby topics, continue to check back here often.