Let’s talk about baby photos! You might feel a little overwhelmed with everything as new parents, but that is expected as you just had a child. Congratulations! However, we want to make sure you don’t forget about documenting your newborn soon after their birthday. Regardless of how stressed you feel in the moment, those will be photos you definitely don’t want to miss out on. Cute newborn photos are also the perfect way to show off the most adorable little guy or girl in your life to everyone you know! First, you need to determine what type of professional newborn photos you are interested in. Let’s start with the two most popular styles of newborn photography – posed and candid.
Things to Keep in Mind
As soon-to-be parents, you will be much happier scheduling a newborn photo session ahead of your due date. Trust us, you don’t want to try to get ahold of your photographer post baby birthday to set up a session on top of everything else.
We suggest scheduling a tentative newborn photo session about five to ten days after your due date. We will explain why the timeline is important below. If anything changes, we can easily more your date around without added stress on your end. It is helpful when you can let us know when your baby has arrived (and the name!). We will always check in with you ahead of your scheduled photo session.
Natural light is very important to create a beautiful newborn photo. Picking a mid-morning session time is probably the best light-wise and will most likely work well with the baby’s feeding schedule. For more getting ready assistance, check our Top 5 Tips for Parents for a Successful Newborn Photo Session.
In the end, regardless of how much you prepare and research, the photo session is going to depend on your baby’s mood and willingness to sleep. Photographers will still do their best to focus on your favorite choice from the popular styles of newborn photography list, though. But whatever the outcome, you are going to have adorable newborn photos that you will treasure for years to come!
Two Popular Styles of Newborn Photography
Posed & Styled Newborn Photography
Posed and styled newborn photography places more of an emphasis on posing the newborn with calm backdrops and cute props. These photos are usually the ones you see posed on Facebook – a photo of a baby sleeping in a basket or something else Pinterest-inspired and adorable. We love how creative some parents can get! We recommend scheduling a posed newborn photo session about a week or two after birth if you are aiming for posed baby photos. Newborns sleep better and can be moved around easier in this early stage. After they reach that ten-day mark, expect less sleep and more movement during the session. This movement makes for great candid interaction photos as your baby takes in his or her surroundings.
Candid & Lifestyle Newborn Photography
Candid and lifestyle newborn photography just means we are capturing the as-they-happen moments between you and your newborn without a lot of setup or direction from the photographer. This lifestyle approach captures sweet, candid moments that you will cherish. Family photos work well in this style, especially when there are other children in the family. Siblings love hanging out with their new brother or sister and it is an honor to be able to document that love.
