It's always very special to me to get a chance to photograph someones newborn photos for them. It's a chance to capture a very short period of time in their life and preserve it for them. When I started photography I knew I wanted newborns to be one of the main focuses of my specialty. To accomplish this I went through special training first with a mentor who gave hands on training to teach me how to first keep baby safe. That's why I always say baby safety is my number one priority when doing newborn photos. For the photo above I had baby on a bean bag with a prop pillow under to give him the lift I desired. I put a grey mohair shorts and hat and stretched a grey jersey blanket to give the look of this photo. Baby was fast asleep which aids in the safety of newborn photography.
The second thing I learned was the many different poses that are the most requested or desired for newborn photography. The pose must first be safe but also comfortable for baby so that they will not move and I can safely take their photograph. I either have my assistant or mom or dad nearby just in case baby moves when I'm snapping the photo. The newborn photo industry continues to change and you must stay on top of new safety guidelines, new poses or even props as it evolves. I continue to reinvest in the business to take even more classes, purchase more props and clothing. For this shot above I used a grey jersey wrap to keep baby safe and secure and added a little grey bear bonnet while laying him on a grey flokati rug.
I then moved him to this bed which cradled him, loosed up the jersey wrap and gave him a little grey teddy bear to hold. The majority of my props are actually purchased from vendors that design props specifically for newborn photos. This helps assure me that they will be quality made and safe for my clients. They may cost a bit but it's worth it when taking photos of precious little treasures.
One of my final shots for this session was of this little darling holding a felt football that again is another prop that I purchased from a newborn prop vendor. I posed him with his hand behind his head and again used the rug underneath the bed to add the additional grey color to match the theme of the session. I have many different colors of wraps, blankets, clothing and more to help customize the newborn session for you. I like to have a consultation with my clients to discuss their options. Often families want to have their newborn session colors match up with a nursery.