What are my favorite newborn baby poses? Ok, so the answer to that 10 years ago was probably way different than today’s answer. When I first started doing newborn photography I watched hours + hours of videos on safety + handling of a newborn baby. I practiced how to pose baby with baby dolls (and then my own babies). Back then, I would arrive to client’s homes looking like I was moving in. I had a very large posing bean bag, blankets, outfits, headbands, etc, etc. These days when I knock at someone’s door it’s just me, because my style is very natural + casual.

I have a general flow/idea of different positions and rooms I may utilize going into sessions. Before the session, one of the questions on my questionnaire asks the client to share any “must-haves”. But not every parent has an idea of what they are drawn to. It is helpful for me to know if the parents prefer a certain “look” for baby. Different options include: naked, swaddled and/or other outfits (i.e. knit rompers, knotted gowns etc). It is also really helpful for me to know if they have really fallen in love with any certain photographs. I try to get a large variety in every single gallery. However, I won’t be able to get every single setup or pose/position in every single session. So it’s good to know priorities. Therefore, I would love to hear from you if you can’t live without a certain photograph (pose, setup, etc). If you have booked a newborn session with me, you can use this Guide along with my Client Welcome Guide and other blogs i.e. “What to Expect with your newborn session” to be ultra prepared (totally optional).

All about the details

You may not realize you actually want these photos until you see some examples. Can you EVEN with how little the babies’ sweet hand is holding dad’s hand? These are beautiful images to include as part of a newborn album. They also are beautiful displayed on a shelf in the nursery. These are definitely some of my favorite newborn poses (and not ones that everyone thinks of).

Bed Snuggles

I will try to have mom cuddle with baby in bed almost every session. This is a big fave. Other sessions I will incorporate dad only, siblings, or full family bed cuddles. Baby can be laying next to dad/mom/sibling or on parent’s chest.

Wrapped Up in Arms

Two of my favorite ways to hold baby are either facing out or laying on the parent’s shoulder. On the parent’s shoulder, baby can be facing towards the parent’s face or away (which is a great way to feature baby’s face). From this position, I will also add the other parent. Every session I will typically include some combinations of these options.

Front + Center (Solo)

Each session I will get photos that focus on your baby (after all they are the main attraction). Most sessions we will get individual photos of your baby either in their crib (if they have one), on the master bed, +/or couch. However, sometimes baby doesn’t want to be put down. When that happens, we can get photos that focus on the baby while they are still in your arms. If we can get photos of baby both awake and asleep we definitely will.

Hangin’ at the Crib

We can take solo shots of baby inside the crib. It’s such a cute way to see how little they were. The other typical shots I will incorporate are family sitting with baby in front of the crib or standing looking into the crib.

Eskimo Kisses

Either parent holding baby and rubbing noses is absolutely adorable. I also love to have the parent turn baby to face the camera as it is a sweet detail shot of their face.

Family Cuddles

For whole family shots, I will typically have everyone sit together on the couch, sit together at the head of bed, +/ or sit on the side of the bed and cuddle. I will still get a family photo of everyone looking at the camera. But these lovey-dovey photos are always my faves. Often times I will decide where to do the family cuddle shot based on the best lighting in the home.

Rocking + admiring

A lot of moms and parents spend a lot of time in a rocking chair. At least for me, that was a place I spent countless hours rocking babies to sleep, nursing etc. A place where you get lost in looking at your sleeping babe. It’s a special part of your story. Therefore, it has to be on the list of favorite newborn poses for my in-home sessions. If you don’t have a rocking chair, we can use a living room chair or couch.

When you are planning a newborn session, you can share with the photographer what images you are most drawn to. The more you share what you love, the more the photographer can really tailor the session to you. You could send over screen shots from their Instagram, or Pinterest. Some photographers keep boards of inspiration or styling inspiration, or you could create your own board. Chances are if you have been drawn to the photographer’s portfolio/work, then you likely have something in common for taste in imagery and art.

If you are an expecting mom and looking to book a newborn session, feel free to reach out via my contact form. Cant’ wait to work with you!

If you need help deciding if a lifestyle newborn session is right for you, take a look at this blog!