The COVID-19 pandemic has encouraged us to explore new avenues. We have practiced our hair-cutting skills, baking skills, and teaching/childcare at home, you may have even tried some DIY home improvement projects. Have you given photography a shot? You would be surprised how great a shot today’s cell phones can get with their updated cameras! I’ll run down the top, most important points of how to take newborn photos at home.
It’s Kelsey here, Boston Baby Nurse & Nanny’s eLearning Manager. I had my first child back in May of 2020 and was not so sure about having a photographer come into my home to take newborn photos. So I decided to look on Pinterest and then try it myself. Here is what I found along the way when learning how to take newborn photos at home.
How To Take Newborn Photos At Home
- Location: Find the room with the best natural light. If your bedroom has windows, open the shades, and that will be perfect. If it’s warm enough to go outside, try that, but make sure it’s not too bright, or find a shady spot to protect your newborn’s eyes and skin. You can lay out a blanket in the grass or lean against a tree from tallest to shortest.
- Set the Scene: You want a neutral background; it’s easy enough to lay your newborn on your bed with plain sheets or drape a plain blanket over the bed.
What will your baby wear? You can put your newborn in a favorite outfit, undress him down to his diaper, or swaddle him up tight. Make sure to turn up the heat in the room you will take pictures in so your baby is content. In addition, if you want some pictures with clothes on, do those first because your baby may not last long if he gets chilly once undressed.- When is the best time? You want your baby to be happy, so he should have a fresh diaper, have been fed recently, and be in between naps. However, I know newborns sleep a lot, and that’s okay! A sleepy baby is easy to take pictures of because he will be happy to just hang out or snuggle up on Mom and Dad.
- Cover a boppy pillow with a blanket (reference the large photo at the top). Prop your newborn on the boppy and click away; the more, the better!
Props are a fun addition but not necessary. We used a beanie baby Winnie the Pooh in our pictures and covered his diaper with the stuffed animal, so it looked like he was naked. You could also just put a cute hat or bow on a naked baby, and that would be adorable.- Those tiny toes are a must! Capture their little feet, cupped in your hand or crossed on their own.
- Give Kisses! Mom and Dad give lots of kisses to your new bundle of joy. You can’t go wrong with a parent holding a sleeping baby and kissing him on the head.
- Snap quickly if your newborn yawns. When a newborn yawns, it is beyond adorable, so catch it on camera if you can and crop or zoom in later.
- What if Dad is camera-shy? He doesn’t have to look at the camera. You can have him holding your newborn out in his hands and touching foreheads or noses. He can gaze at his newborn instead of into the camera.
Include siblings by laying them head to head. If you trust an older sibling, have them sit crisscross apple sauce with your bed’s headboard as the background and place your newborn in their lap.- Who will take the photos? You! Mom or Dad, whoever feels more comfortable with the camera can snap all the pictures while the other partner adds in props or changes the baby’s position. Then you can each take a photo of each other with your new baby. You will, of course, want one or two images of all of you together. Know exactly what you want from the suggestions above or by looking on Pinterest. When a close friend or family member comes over to meet the baby, ask them if they can help. It will only take a few minutes of their visit, and trust me, friends want to help new parents in any way they can.
You now know how to take newborn photos at home so try it out! Don’t be afraid to fail; your newborn will lay still for you at their next nap and you’re ready to try again tomorrow. My husband and I took ours over a week span and love how they came out! To familiarize yourself more with newborn photography, read this article by Pixpa.
