Top Tips For Newborn Photos At Home.
Congratulations! If you are reading our blog post – you may have just had your new baby or you are getting ready for their arrival. We know that before your newborn arrives you might be thinking about what they might look like. Will they have the same colour eyes as you? What colour hair will they be born with and if they are born with hair at all? All these questions will soon be answered when your new baby arrives. Aside from these questions, you also may be thinking: ‘How will I capture my new baby in those first few days at home?’ and wondering how to take your own newborn photos…
We are here to help!
The first 24 hours after your baby has arrived is the perfect time to take your newborn photos, don’t worry if your baby is older you will still achieve beautiful images that will be the highlight of your family photo album. For newborn photoshoot ideas at home, here are our top tips.
Our top tips for newborn photos at home
To start with, let’s talk about your camera of choice. The first choice for many would be to use a mobile phone. Just remember if you are using your mobile phone – make sure you have plenty of storage space and a charger handy!
If you have a DSLR or a Compact Camera. Don’t forget to check it has a memory card and backup cards and batteries are always useful! If you will be staying over in the hospital after the birth of your baby, make sure you have a charger in your hospital bag!
(If you are using a mobile phone, just remember that your mobile phone will only really be suitable to make prints for your photo album and smaller canvases.)
Choosing a good location for your images
Think about where you will take your newborn photos. Pick an uncluttered background or a nice soft baby blanket to lie your newborn on.
Newborn baby clothes are often a little bit big, so don’t be afraid to remove their clothes for your images. You can wrap them in a blanket or swaddle them to keep them warm. If you are putting them in an outfit, sometimes a slightly smaller fit looks better in images.
Think about where you are going to display your images, you may want to pick a neutral colour that will go with any decor. If your walls are all white – you can play with colour and pattern more than if your home has bold, bright walls and wallpaper.
Who should be in the photos?
Don’t be afraid to get in the images with your baby. They change each week and even though you might not be feeling your best, you don’t want to miss these early days. This is a special moment for you and your baby. You can always keep those images in a special family album and keep them off social media. I promise, one day you will look back and truly love those images together.
If your baby has siblings and grandparents – get them involved too! Don’t forget to include your pets too!
Moments to capture
There are going to be so many firsts for you and your little one. It’s always nice when you can capture these moments. Some newborn photos are going to be easier to capture than others and sometimes you may need to ask for help.
Some first moments to capture are:
- Baby’s very first bath
- Meeting close family or the family pet for the first time
- Your first night at home
- Wearing an outfit for the first time (that you bought when you were pregnant)
- Their first smiles
- The first walk as a family
But your images don’t need to be about the first for them to be a treasured photograph. Nap time and bath-time are always fun to capture. Just remember that you will need extra hands to help you with bath-time, but these are the sorts of images you will look back on and love.
Don’t forget to capture the details – those tiny toes and fingers!
Print your Newborn photos
Don’t forget to print your images for your little one’s photo album. It will be something you will look back on over the first year and it will bring back all those happy memories in years to come. Your little one will enjoy looking at their own images as they grow too! You can still get photo albums with slip-in slots so you can print your newborn photos as often as you like. Or you can buy photo books online straight from your phone.
What about professional images?
In years to come the photos and snaps that you capture at home will bring back the best memories. But you may also be considering if you want newborn portraits to display at home as large canvasses or prints. If you are thinking about professional images – You can book a session at the studio at any time, and at any age.
We recommend that for newborn photos you visit the studio within the first 4 weeks. You can find out more about our newborn sessions here. We recommend that you book your studio session before your baby has arrived and around 7 days after their due date. The date can be adjusted if the baby arrives early / late. If you want to get organised and book your Baby’s First Year images check out our Blog!
