5 tips for taking your own newborn photos

Gorgeous 7 day old newborn little girl!

These are crazy, unprecedented times, and I know that there is a lot of frustration and disappointment at this time. You had so many plans and dreams for what your pregnancy and birth would look like. Likely you had maternity and newborn photo shoots planned, family visits and introductions, and all those things we do to celebrate our new arrivals, which have all been put on hold. 

A baby’s newborn photoshoot is a very special occasion, capturing your baby at the beginning of their journey, while they are still so little and new. I remember when my little girls were born, I was obsessed with all their little details, the cute fingers and toes, the shape of their features, the soft fluff on their body. I was obsessed with capturing every little detail!

While it is disappointing having to delay your baby’s first photoshoot, that does not mean we can’t still capture precious memories. Most of us have at least a smart phone with a camera. So I’ve put together my top 5 tips for taking your own photos at home. With a few little tips we can make sure we capture the best images we can at home. Preserve what memories you can with what you have, and once the world opens up again, we can get those babes in for their professional portraits.

Tip 1

Choose the location well. Where you choose to take your photo makes a huge difference to the image you will be able to capture. Choose an area well lit, with space to move, and that is safe to place baby. Never put baby up high on a table or chair, if they unexpectedly startle, you don’t want them falling off. Place a mat or blanket on the floor so there is no risk of falling. I use to put a blanket over my nursing pillow when my girls were little! Try to have the baby side on to a window source. If you have the light coming from below, this will give the ‘ghoul lighting’ effect, like when you hold a torch below your chin when telling a creepy story. Likewise, lit from above will elongate the shadows under the eyes and nose. Side on light is much more flattering and will give a more natural look.  I love to take photos in my back room beside the glass sliding doors, in the light, but without direct sunlight on them, you can use a sheet or wrap to soften the light shining in if you are getting harsh shadows or light beams on baby. 

First image is a pull back so you can see baby’s position relative to the window. Baby is not in the harsh beams of light, and is side on to the light. Top right you can see that the light is falling evenly over baby’s face, with the shadow to the side of baby, bottom right would be a very unhappy baby with a light beam on her face.

Tip 2

Background is important. If you are holding or placing baby somewhere, take note of what’s in the environment. Clearing clutter out of the picture will make a drastic difference in your final image. I look back on my early photos of my first child, and there is dishes and an ironing board and all kinds of clutter in every photo. By taking a moment to clear some space, your baby then becomes the sole focus in your photo. 

Tip 3

Keep it simple. It is certainly fun to think up creative ideas for photos (make sure you’re considering safety aspects of any potential props) but honestly, the simple photos tend to have the biggest impact. You want your eye to be drawn straight to the baby, not to the things the baby is in. If you use a bow or bonnet, make sure it’s not so big that your little one is getting lost in it. If you use a blanket, make sure the pattern isn’t so loud that you see the pattern before even noticing the baby. Pick an outfit that isn’t going to swallow baby up. Simple is timeless and wont date like clichéd props do. You want to remember baby’s details above all, so focus on baby.

Tip 4

This is a big one -  don’t shoot ‘up the nose’. This is the biggest, easiest way to spot a beginner photographer from an experienced one. What does this mean? Simply, you don’t want the focus of the photo to be looking up the baby’s nostrils. Try to have the camera straight on or even angled closer to the forehead than the chin, so you are looking down the baby’s face, not up their nose. See how in the image of my daughter’s beloved baby, that the first example is taken as if you were standing by the baby’s feet looking up the nose, the legs are the first thing you see and look disproportionally large to the rest of baby, and looking up the nostrils is not flattering. The second example is leaning right over baby so the camera is horizontal to the baby, not tilted. This is really great for getting those full faced photos, angle yourself so you are viewing baby’s face straight on. The third option is my personal favourite, with the camera angled closer to the forehead than the chin, this makes the face the focus of the photo. Whatever is closest to the camera will appear biggest, so this is a technique commonly used to bring the attention to baby’s sweet face, and those precious details you want to remember - the eyes, nose and lips.

First shot is taken from standing at baby’s feet and what we call up the nose. The second is leaning right over baby and holing the phone level with baby, a great way to capture baby’s features naturally, and third is tilting the phone towards the head, this technique is used to draw attention to baby’s face by minimising the rest of the body to the background - great for capturing expressions and those sweet eyelashes.

Tip 5

Don’t forget to capture your baby’s tiny details. After getting some full images, move in close. Tap your screen on the detail and breathe out slowly as you take the photo to get a steady, focused image. Fingers and toes are so precious. But also the side of the belly and arm wrinkles, a close up of their eyes/eye lashes, a side profile of the face and the smooshed up lips, and the little button nose. Trust me, these are the memories that you will treasure as your little one grows. 

There’s something so precious about tiny baby fingers.

I hope this blog has inspired you to get your phone out and capture some precious memories of your baby, and provided you with some tips to make the images even better! Hopefully soon we will be able to open back up, and get your babies in for their photo sessions.

Please note that once lockdown is over, my priority will be my already booked maternity and newborn clients. Based on last lockdown, I expect there to be an increase of bookings after lockdown ends. While I will strive to fit in as many sessions as I can, spots fill up fast, so click on the contact page to book in your session today to secure your spot and be one of the first on my roster once lockdown ends.