When it comes to babies, you can never take enough pictures. They grow at an incredible pace, and parents want to capture as many moments as they can. That’s why newborn photography is such a big market. But how can you make your photos stand out from the crowd? Here are nine ideas that are truly something special.
Parents are continually asked about the time their baby was born. What if they could answer people in a more imaginative way? Get a large, aesthetically pleasing clock, and place the swaddled newborn on top of it. Move the hands to the time the baby was born at. The next time parents are asked this question, they can answer with a photo. I always make sure that I get my carpets cleaned in milton keynes before shooting newborns – I’m just crazy like that!
If the baby has a favorite stuffed animal, try posing them with the plushie in a way that makes it feel more alive. For example, you could photograph both the baby and the plush from behind, wrapping their arms around each other. When the baby is a little bigger, they’ll be amazed to look at the picture and see what their beloved toy was doing. It’s a way to bring a little bit of magic to any photo.
Newborns sleep all the time, so try and come up with photography professional ideas that highlight that. If their parents love to read, you could pose their sleeping head on a stack of bedtime stories. If they’re a really sound sleeper, you could cover them in a dark blanket and put cutout moon and stars all around them. Sometimes sleeping photos can be the best photos.
One of the most special things about newborn photography is the diminutive size of the subjects. Try to emphasize that tininess in creative ways. For example, you could pose them next to an ordinary object like a shoe or a book. It’ll look huge next to them, and it’ll be amazing to look at the photo and see how tiny they once were. Try and incorporate things that say something about the parents. For example, if they’re big sports fans, you could pose the baby with a football. If they like playing video games, you could pose the baby with a controller. It’s a great way to capture a very brief moment in time.
Take as much inspiration as you can from the seasons. If the baby is born in spring, pose them in an Easter basket, surrounded by eggs. If they’re born in the fall, stick them in a basket, and place it in a pile of leaves. A winter baby may be too young to go sledding, but that doesn’t mean you can’t take a beautiful picture of them atop a sled. And a summer baby will look adorable resting in a pail with a shovel resting alongside it.
If you’d like to make a baby’s first bath photos extra special, try bathing them outdoors in an old soap bucket. This isn’t an idea that can be done year round, but it can make for some really amazing photos. It’ll have a charming, rustic look, and will produce photos that can proudly be hung on a wall. Check thrift stores and flea markets for a soap bucket that really has an old fashioned feel.
When you see a baby, it’s hard not to cover them with kisses. Why not make that a part of your photo? Have the baby’s mother wear a bright red or pink lipstick, and leave lipstick marks all over their little bundle of joy. A red background and props like flowers or chocolates will really help set this off. This is a particularly good idea for a baby that’s born near Valentine’s Day.
Babies instinctively reach towards fingers, and this is a wonderful thing to highlight in your photos. Try taking pictures that show only the baby’s hand and an adult finger. A photo like this can be displayed alongside the baby’s palm prints. Parents will have endless photo’s of the baby’s face, but not many that capture something this small and sweet.
Balloons can’t really carry a baby away, but you can make it look like they have! Take a white or green background that will be easy to edit out, and place a wicker basket beneath it. Tie a handful of balloons to each end. Fill the inside with pillows, and snap away as the baby rests inside it. Later, edit out your backdrop, and edit in a sky setting. It’ll look like the baby slept through an incredible adventure.
A picture of a baby will always be beautiful, but these newborn photography ideas will help take your pictures to the next level. They’re imaginative, evocative, and very unique. Whether you’re photographing your own child or someone elses, the pictures you take will most definitely be appreciated.