Frank Frost offers Maternity and Newborn Photography as one of our many services but not everyone knows just what goes into capturing these precious moments. This time on the blog we wanted to talk about what goes into newborn photography, what to expect, and more. Consider this your newborn photography primer!
Newborn Photography – A Brief History
The practice of newborn photography is actually a relatively recent one all things considered. It started in the early 90’s with Anne Geddes taking photos of newborns curled up, sometimes with plant-like props on their heads. Even if you don’t recognize the name, believe us, you’d definitely recognize the photos!
Since then taking photos of newborns has become a traditional step in documenting and commemorating the early years of children’s lives all across the globe. So what is there to know about newborn photography?
When to Take Newborn Photographs?
Newborn photographs are all about capturing the curled up, peaceful demeanor on a newborn’s face. To ensure that’s what is being photographed, that means photos need to be taken quick. Most photographers recommend between 5 – 12 days after they’re born. Babies grow fast and much longer than that your newborn might be well on their way to a bouncing baby!
Newborn Photography is All About the Pose
Part of the beauty of taking photos when babies are yet newborns is the ability to really get the right poses. As mentioned, when they’re still only days old, newborns are peaceful, they’re readily posable without much fuss.
Remember to Feed the Star Before The Shoot
Feeding your baby before their photoshoot is a great way to ensure they are happy and content for the photoshoot. Happy and content babies take the best newborn photos!
Are Parents In the Photos?
They can be, absolutely! While most newborn photography is done just of the baby, there’s always room to get some shots with the proud new parents holding the baby. Work with your photographer to plan out whether you want just newborn photos or family shots too!
What Should We Wear for Newborn family Photos?
Newborn family photos are a lot like every other type of photo and by that we mean the same type of things will look good! Here are some guidelines for what to wear:
- Clothes that won’t wrinkle easy (for obvious reasons)!
- Solid colors, basic prints, avoid words. The focus is on the newborn, we don’t want to distract from that.
- Don’t sweat the footwear, shoes are rarely going to be in the shot so wear something comfortable!
What Else Should I Do to Prep My Newborn?
Aside from feeding the newborn before the photo shoot, you can do a couple of other things to make it as smooth and successful as possible. For one keep your newborn awake the hour to two hours before the shoot to help them stay calm and asleep, for the whole photoshoot.
And that’s pretty much everything you need to know about newborn photography, at least as a client! There is plenty more to know when it comes to the actual cameras, photo composition, all that sort of stuff. If you’d like to know more about what goes into a specific shoot, speak with your photographer! They are there to help you get the pest photos!