Newborn Photographer - Essex & London
Hello again :)
I have had a lot of time recently to reflect on my years spent as a newborn photographer. It’s crazy how much my skills and style have developed. At times I wondered if I would ever get to a point where I was happy with my work. But with much dedication, long days (and nights), lots of money invested in training and the right equipment - I got there. Being a perfectionist, there is of course always going to be room for improvement. I will never stop striving to improve. But after many years, I can now say I am happy with the work I produce for my clients.
The most challenging part of newborn photography for me isn’t the lighting, or the editing (although they can take some time to get right). For me it was learning the art of settling a newborn, and perfecting poses. So I thought it might be a good idea for my next blog to be all about newborn photography posing. Here you will be able to see the various poses, as well as the props and styles I can offer at your newborn sessions.
Not everyone is a fan of all the poses or props, which is totally fine! So it's a good idea to let me know prior to your session what you do and don’t like.
It is also important to note that not all babies will like every pose, and we cannot force them to. If I don’t think a baby is happy in a certain position, I will not continue. The comfort of your newborn is more important to me than getting a shot. So although it’s great to let me know images you would like to achieve from your newborn photography session, please try not to be disappointed if your little one is not keen. We will still get plenty of gorgeous images.
As mentioned I have had lots of training, and years of experience photographing newborns. Please make sure you do not attempt these poses at home, and make sure when choosing your newborn photographer that they are experienced and trained in newborn safety, and they they have relevant insurance.
The Frog Pose
Let's start with most clients' favourite - the froggy pose. Many of you will know this already, but for those of you who aren’t familiar I would like to explain how this pose works. The frog pose is actually a composite image - meaning it is achieved by merging two images together in photoshop. It is important to note this pose should only be attempted by professional newborn photographers who have adequate training in the safety of newborns.
2. The Bum Up Pose / Tushy Up
A classic newborn pose - perfect for photographing those adorable rolls.
3. The Side Lay Pose
The side lay pose can be done with or without the cute little teddy bear.
4. The Chin on Hands Pose
The chin on hands pose is another favourite with most of my clients, and one of the first poses I wanted to learn to perfect. It's a great pose to achieve a beautiful headshot of your little one and focus on their gorgeous little faces.
5. Swaddled / Wrapped Poses
Unlike the poses mentioned so far where it is typically best that newborns are asleep, wrapped poses are perfect for both sleepy and awake babies. There are many ways to wrap a baby during their newborn shoot, I will share a few varieties below.
Not Always Neutral!
I thought now would be a great time to throw in a bit of colour! Although I am best known for being a neutral toned newborn photographer, I do have plenty of other options available for my clients to choose from should you wish to add a little colour to your newborn photography session.
6. The swaddled Teddy Bear Cuddle
A personal favourite of mine - because who doesn’t love a newborn baby holding a teeny tiny teddy!
7. The Wrapped Headshot
The perfect way to capture those beautiful eyes whilst the little one is awake.
8. The Potato Sack Pose
The potato sack requires a spotter and skilful wrapping. I will ask a parent to sit beside me during the potato sack pose to spot baby, and have their hand on baby for support. As with the froggy pose, I will then use photoshop wizardry to edit out parents’ hands.
9. Prop Poses - The Heart Bowl
Props are not for everyone, but for those clients who would like to add some variety to their galleries, I have a few that I have carefully chosen to match my simple and neutral style. The heart bowl has to be my most requested prop in the collection.
10. The Basket
A baby in a basket, because I mean why not right?! It's important when posing a baby in a prop to always make sure the weight distribution is right, so that the prop doesn’t topple over when baby is placed inside. I use a weight in the bottom of the basket to prevent it from tipping over.
11. The Day Bed
The day bed paired with a teeny mattress and pillow. Cute right?
12. The Bucket
Lastly we have the bucket. I will only offer the bucket pose if your baby is super sleepy and relaxed. As with the basket I use a weight at the bottom of the bucket so that it doesn’t topple over when baby is inside. With all my prop poses, baby is spotted at all times to ensure they are completely safe.
Well this blog took me twice as long to write as I expected, because I kept getting lost in old galleries! I must admit that this has been a fun little distraction from lockdown, but has also made me miss being in the studio so much!
I hope you enjoyed this blog post and found it useful if you are looking to get an idea of the type of images you would like to achieve from your session.
If you would like to see the different family and sibling poses I offer. Please follow the links below :)