By now I’m sure you know I do all my newborn sessions with Sweet Me Photography! If you don’t, well now you do. You book with them according to your due date, they handle all the paperwork, I contact you 3 days before your session to chat and I come to your home with all the necessary props to take your newborn photos. There is so much that goes into a newborn session that a lot may not know. Newborn sessions can take 3-4 hours on average…even if baby’s sleep the whole time. I need to setup, break down, go over styles, take family/sibling photos if you want, parents feed baby at beginning and when needed throughout the session, babies may soil and we have to clean, they make wake up and I have to resettle, some may be asleep but very sensitive and I have to help them, have to take my time for safety, etc. Once parents see what all this entails and what can happen during a session (like if baby isn’t sleeping) they quickly see why it takes a while. But with a ton of patience, hard work and going with the flow, it’s all so worth it seeing their galleries. Take a look below showing all the poses I strive to achieve, the floor work and alternatives if needed.
One of my favorite poses where baby’s bottom is up high above their crossed legs. Such an adorable pose with baby all curled up, hand under their cheek and a peek of their foot.
A great pose if baby is having belly troubles. Tucking their hands under their chin and crossing their legs. This pose can actually be a trickier one only because no limbs are tucked in and they tend to come out of it easier.
Just as they are in mama’s belly, hence the name. Hand again under cheek with their legs under the belly to peek out the front foot. You get to see baby’s little toes! This is when they tend to smile a lot in the session.
Another favorite pose of mine! I love getting their hands crossed and under the face. I start of with their head to the side and if they are super sleepy will try straight up and down with a parent’s finger to help (Sweet Me edit’s that out).
Now comes the wrapped above shots. These are perfect to showcase how tiny baby is. Including props like the ever so popular teddy bear is a must. And if baby isn’t sleepy yet for posing, I’ll start with these first.
Super soft surrounded by all white fur. This is the perfect time to have hands and feet peeking out of wraps. They are oh so comfy in this setup.
As long as baby is sleeping, I’m getting detail and macro shots! This is the only time they will be this little. Getting those tiny toes, little fingers, ears, lips, eyelashes, face close ups and those adorable rolls.
A new addition I can do during your session! This very new prop is becoming very popular. If baby is sleepy and settled I’ll try putting them in an outfit and have them hold the ropes. If baby is awake or not very settled I wrap then up sitting nicely on the swing.
If baby can’t do a certain pose or is wide awake, this is a great option to capture more photos for your gallery. Containing their limbs helps them relax more and may even help them sleep for a bit.
Another new setup and another way to wrap baby if awake or unsettled. I’ll wrap baby, drape across another wrap to look like they are tucked into bed. If they do fall asleep I’ll try to get their hands out. This is also a perfect time to utilize props.