I know I sound like a broken record here, but ugh, I just love newborn sessions. That period of time is so incredibly short, and I almost feel like with your own children you hardly get the chance to really soak it all in because it's also so taxing on you as a parent. That's why I feel so strongly about having newborn photos taken AND about you getting in the photos with your gorgeous, sweet, snuggly new baby. This way you can relive those fleeting days through photos whenever you want.
I try to create images that will evoke the emotion of those early days and all the new love that you have for that tiny baby, and I achieve this through connection in your poses. Yes, I do take photos of just the baby by themselves, but for this post I want to highlight a few favorite poses that I use for families; read on to find out more and to see lots of examples of each of my favorite poses for baby and family together.
I love to capture photos of everyone snuggling and looking at the baby and showing their love for the baby. Whether it's just you and your partner, or there are older siblings as well, it's nice to get some photos of everyone in awe of the tiny baby that is now theirs. These are usually some of the first photos of the whole family together and I know how special those are.
Once I have whole family shots, I try to capture the baby with any big siblings. As a mom of three kids, I understand that any photos of everyone together and loving each other are favorites, and photos of big brothers and sisters with their new baby are especially precious and special. I also fully understand that newly minted big siblings don't always want to cooperate or sit how we want them to, and I want you to know that it's ok. More than ok. Toddlers can be tricky, especially if they're experiencing some jealousy, and nothing they do or don't do will bother me, I promise. I'll do my best to pivot when we need to, make it fun for them and to give them some special attention so that we can get a quick snap of them with their new baby.
I also always get photos of just Dad with the baby. One of my favorite poses is when Dad holds the baby facing me against their chest. I also love how timeless this looks in black and white, so don't be surprised if you receive the same shot in your newborn gallery! Another favorite is having Dad hold the baby's head in their hands. It fits perfectly right there, and shows just how small they really are. And of course, can't leave a session without a photo of Dad kissing the baby on the head!
Can't forget detail shots! Those tiny fingers, toes, ears, belly buttons, yawns and even skin wrinkles are even more adorable for being so small, and I capture every single one that I can, and yes, a lot of them tend to be in black and white as they are timeless and capture the contrast of light and texture so well.
Since I shared favorite Dad and Baby poses, I of course have to share favorite Mom and Baby poses. I could share a whole crazy long post of just mom and baby images, as I have a ridiculous number of favorites, but these few will have to serve as examples. I give a little bit of extra time to capture mom and baby together during my sessions, as Mom is the one who just did all the work growing and giving birth to a baby, and their bond is something a little extra special, especially in those first days. Any pose that I can get of Mom kissing, nuzzling, admiring or snuggling her baby is what I capture, and honestly, it's not hard. Moms know exactly how to hold and love their baby with very little prompting from me, so I get to just step back and capture the magic.
Finally, I like to try and capture a few images of Mom and Dad showing their love for each other. It is, after all, their love that created this new family and it deserves to be celebrated in images as well.
If you made it this far, thank you for reading and perusing these images! I know it's a lot of photos, but this will give you a great idea of the poses that I use to capture this incredibly special time!