7 Tips for Taking Photos of Your Newborn at Home - North Wales Newborn Photographer

With the country in partial lockdown, parts of our lives that we take for granted have had to be put on hold for now. Things like seeing family face to face, nipping out for a coffee, or going to the park have become everyday trips that are just not necessary until this horrible virus leaves us. If you’re due a baby over the next few weeks and months, you might have already booked in your newborn photoshoot. To be fair, any photographer who values their clients should have been cancelling their newborn work as soon as social distancing measures were announced (I know I did!). There is NOTHING more important than a baby’s health. But now that we’re all definitely in lockdown, all photoshoots have been cancelled. The bad news is that you won’t be able to have your professional photoshoot over the next few weeks. The good news is that if you have access to ANY kind of camera - phone, DSLR, instant camera - then you can still capture your family’s memories.

So, here are my tips for taking photos of your newborn baby at home:

1. do not try to pose your baby.

I offer ‘lifestyle newborn photography’, which means that I come to your home and take natural photos of the whole family. You might have seen photos of newborn babies taken in a studio - wrapped, wearing headbands or bonnets and posed into different positions. This type of photography is carried out by photographers who have been on specific safety training courses. They’ve learned exactly how to wrap, move and pose your baby safely. Lots of the finished photos you see will be a combination of photos ‘stitched’ together in photoshop and actually started out as 2 or 3 photos that had the parents holding different parts of the babies in the correct position. DO NOT ATTEMPT THESE KIND OF PHOTOS AT HOME. It can be dangerous to try this if you don’t know what you’re doing. Rant over.

2. stay away from harsh light.

Let’s talk about light. Light is everything in photography and it can make or break a photo. I’m a natural light photographer, so I have to find the best light in a client’s home as opposed to bringing studio lighting with me. When you take photos of your newborn, you don’t need any additional lighting - window light is perfect. Move them out of the harsh light and if your camera has a flash, make sure you turn if off.

3. It’s time to embrace selfies.

You might have to get creative to get a photo of the whole family with a newborn baby. You could enlist the help of a neighbour to take it over their garden wall, use a selfie stick, find a mirror, or set a timer on your camera to capture the ‘family photo’. Don’t get frustrated if it takes a few attempts - we always try and get a family photo at Christmas and it definitely takes a while! On the plus side though, the out-takes are hilarious.

4. Get in the Frame, Mama.

We didn’t have our newborn shoot until my daughter was 8 weeks old, which is when I started feeling ‘normal’ again. Even if you'‘ve had a rough time of it, your don’t feel like you’re glowing, you haven’t had a shower in 3 days… it’s still so important to be in those photos during the first few days and weeks of your baby’s life. When your child is grown up, they are NOT going to care that you weren’t insta-ready. They will be grateful that they have photos of you and them when they were tiny and new.

5. Don’t Forget the Sibling Shot.

Even if it takes bribery (chocolate, toys, CBeebies, money…) make sure you get a shot of your new baby with their older brother or sister. Some of my favourite photos taken by other professionals are the sibling shots where one is picking her nose, the other one is in the middle of a meltdown and the baby’s fast asleep. Of course the aim is to get a photo of baby asleep and big brother or sister smiling sweetly at the camera, but if it doesn’t go to plan, just go with it.

6. It’s All in The Detail.

I always take a mixture of photos during a newborn shoot - family, siblings, baby and of course the tiny details. Babies grow so so quickly and even by the time they’re a few weeks old, some of the ‘newness’ has already gone. In the fog of sleep deprivation, it’s easy to forget that parts of your baby really were tinier than you could ever imagine. Fingers curled round mummy’s hand, tiny feet cupped in daddy’s palm, and dark eyelashes are some of my favourite things to capture.

7. Print what You Want to Preserve.

I don’t offer digital only packages for any of my photoshoots (family, newborn or pets) because I really believe that holding printed photos evokes emotions that you just don’t get simply by looking at them on a screen. With the country locked down, prints can’t be ordered at the moment, but make it a priority to print your photos as soon as the labs are open again. Even if you just pick your favourite one, print it big and display it with pride.

I hope this blog has been useful for those of you who can’t have a professional newborn photoshoot right now. With professional photography, it’s not just about having the best equipment. Skills, practise and training are usually what sets the best photographers apart from the others, so even if you have an amazing camera, don’t be dissapointed if your DIY photos don’t turn out how you’d hoped. The most important thing right now is staying home, staying safe, and capturing memories. I would LOVE to see the photos you’ve taken of your newborn, so feel free to post them in the comments below, or get in touch with me on Instagram. Newborn photography may be more challenging than most other forms of photography, but it's totally worth it. Getting to capture such hope and love from the baby is a wonderful experience. If you’re a professional photographer looking for tips, here is another valuable resource on newborn photography to read.

Stay safe,

Clare x

About Me

Hi, I’m Clare, an award winning newborn photographer North Wales who loves working with natural light to create beautiful modern portraits of babies, children, families and pets. I cover Anglesey, North Wales and Cheshire for maternity, newborn, child and family photoshoots. Get in touch if you’d like to book your family’s North Wales photoshoot (once all this madness is over!).