The Ultimate Guide to Your DIY Newborn Photo Shoot

Baby photoshoot - is it possible to do it yourself? Learn some newborn photography ideas here.

Baby Photoshoot

Hiring professional photographers for your newborn's first photos can dig a really big hole down your pocket. Plus, with COVID-19 still lingering in every corner, we dare not risk leaving the safety of our homes just to get cute snaps of our little ones. So, what's the next best thing? A DIY Newborn Photoshoot at home. 

Now, we know what you're thinking. Is it safe? You're not a professional, and you just might end up putting your baby in dangerous poses. The good news is so many other parents have already tried it. And the results look just as good. It's as if they were done by a pro.

The other good news is we know just the right tips that will make your DIY photoshoot as easy as a piece of cake. So, what will you need? Keep on reading to find out.

Newborn Photography Ideas at Home - What You Need

• Lighting

The key to getting your little one's best angles in your photos is lighting. No, you don't need those huge umbrella-like lights on tripods to give your newborn the best lighting. All you need is natural light.

Pick an area in your home where a lot of natural light fills up the space. Say you have a part in your living room that has a clear sliding door or a long window, that might be the perfect spot. 

Do not use flash. It will do more harm than good. So, trust your natural light. It will truly bring out the beautiful angles of your little one.

When you are choosing your spot, by the way, make sure there is a lot of space for you to move around, so you don't go knocking the backdrop or the tripod down.  

• A Camera

Your smartphone is enough to get this DIY baby photoshoot going. But, if you want extra help, download a camera app that adjusts the quality of the photo for you. We recommend Lightroom (for both Android and iPhones) or Camera+ (for iPhones). Use a portrait orientation, and don't forget to turn off the flash.

If you have a DSLR camera, keep your aperture at 2.8. (To do this, put your DSLR in Manual mode first, then find your aperture settings, and adjust accordingly) If you can't find it and just end up throwing your DSLR in the trash, never mind the aperture settings.

Breathe in and out first then just look for your flash settings and turn it off. Doing so will automatically set your aperture to its widest setting. Don't forget to use portrait mode. 

• A Tripod

Remember: you are doing a photo shoot on a newborn. So, chances are your baby can start crying and fussing while you shoot. Make your life easier by getting a tripod. Not only does it help in making your photoshoot more hands-free but it keeps your photos steady.

Plus, you don't want to accidentally drop your heavy phone on your shiny newborn. A tripod makes for a safe and stress-free photo shoot. No blurry photos and injured newborns here.

• A Nice Backdrop

This is the part that does not need to be overly fancy. A simple blanket will do. Just prop it against two chairs to make it look like a legit background. Even your floor can serve as a good backdrop (if you take photos of your newborn from the top). The simpler, the better. 

• A Pillow or a Beanbag

This is where you prop your little mini-me on while you do your shoot. We advise covering it with plastic, so if and when your baby does the number 1 or 2, your pillow or your bean bag is well-protected.

A fair warning when using these props on your set: Do not leave your baby unattended. They may be asleep while you're shooting, but a lot can happen while they're asleep.

Here's a newborn photography safety tip: You can put a nice blanket over the pillow to make it less slippery or bulky. The blanket is for an added design too. But, if you are doing this, make sure to use a blanket that does not irritate your newborn's skin. A cotton or fleece blanket will do.

• Costume

You want easy costume changes, so you don't affect the mood of your baby. So, we suggest changing just the accessories to show variety. You can do a headband in one picture and a cute hat in the next. Or put mittens on your baby's little hands in one picture and without them in another.

Also, when you're choosing the colour of your newborn's accessories, get ones that are neutral in colour. You don't want loud colours that take the attention away from your newborn. So, use beiges, browns, whites, and so on and so forth.

• A Spotter

The last on our list but definitely not the least is the spotter. This can be anyone - from your husband, your in-law, your sister, or a friend - as long as you can trust them.

Say you need to pick up another costume for your baby. If you need to move a little farther away from your newborn to get another outfit, you will need a spotter to watch your baby for you.

Another situation maybe you have already found the perfect angle to take a picture, but a piece of hair flies on your baby's face. Your spotter can remove the strand of hair for you as you focus on taking the pictures. Or you notice your baby's hand is moving down. Your spotter can move the hand back.

If you have to promise them some fries and beer after getting them to help you after the shoot, by all means.

Newborn Photoshoot Ideas at Home - What To Do

• Set everything up first

This is another situation where you will need your spotter. While they watch your newborn, you get down to doing your set-up. Make sure to secure everything. Your backdrop, if you intend to use blankets and prop them on two chairs, make sure the ends where they are clipped to the chairs are tight. You don't want your backdrop falling on your newborn doing a shoot. 

The same goes for your tripod. Your phone or DSLR should be tightly secured to ensure it does not fall on your newborn. Invest in a sturdy tripod. For all you know, this photo shoot might not be the last you'll do.

An additional tip: in one basket, prepare anything that your newborn will need should they become fussy during your shoot and keep this basket close. A burp cloth, a diaper, some wipes, some bottles, a pacifier, and pretty much anything that your newborn will need.

Another helpful tip is to play some white noise or any music that calms your baby. Play this sound once you start shooting to help keep your baby steady while you do your shoot.

• Keep Your Newborn Awake Before the Shoot

Everyone is aware that newborn babies sleep a lot at home, and it may not be a good idea to do photography while asleep.

But sometimes, these sleepy moments are also good ideas for a newborn photography session. If you want your baby a little sacked up during their photo shoot, let them be awake before the photographer starts the shoot.

Making sure your newborn is awake before the schedule is a great idea that they will sleep throughout the photography session. That will be peaceful captured images of your baby, instead of their enraged, red face because of crying.

• Make Sure to Get Baby Ready

However, making sure that your baby is fed and satisfied is extremely important in a shoot. Fussy babies can turn your supposed 1-hour photoshoot into a 4-hour one. Don't let that happen.

Feeding and burping your baby before the photo schedule means less crying, sound sleep, and relaxed mommies, even a relaxed photographer. So breastfeed your baby before putting on their cute little outfits and positioning them in your little DIY set.

But if you want to capture the beauty of breastfeeding your little one, you can take a break from being a photographer and have your hubby or a companion take a snapshot of you feeding your bub. Trust us, that's a memory that you would want to immortalize. 

• Ready, Set, Click

And here is the moment of truth. Your baby is well-rested and fed. Time to put them on your DIY set. Now, to address the big elephant in the room, can you do the cool poses that those professional photographers make babies do in their photoshoots? The simple answer is: let's stick to the safe poses.

First, there is a reason only professional photographers do this. Usually, they have assistants who help put the babies in these cool poses then they're just edited out later, which leads us to our next point.

If you are a first-timer at DIY photoshoots, you might be a beginner at photo editing too. So, you might be able to get your spotter to hold your baby in those cool poses, but can you edit out your partner's fingers after? If your answer is no, then to you we say the same response: let's stick to safe poses.

So, what are safe poses? Either you lie them on their backs, swaddled, on their side, or on their stomachs. Being gentle is the key. If you want to move your baby into a different pose, very lightly move their arms and legs. Never tug.

• Make Sure to Take Different Angles and Close-Ups

It's the little things that count. So make sure to get up close to your newborn when you're taking your shots. And try your best to capture their little movements, like when they yawn or suddenly smile. But when you do, make sure you will not drop your phone or camera on your bub's face. So maybe take a close-up shot, but not too close. 

Take different angles too, so you have plenty of choices once you start looking through the fruits of your labour. So, you can take a side shot, a top shot, a slanted shot, and so on and so forth. You can also set a timer on your phone and join the baby in the photo. You can invite dad and the rest of the family too!

Newborn Photography Ideas to Try

Running out of ideas for the pose? Here are some cute and safe photos you may try to put your newborn in: 

Newborn photography ideas for boys

1. Newborn cosy family pose – There is nothing sweeter than a new family member included in a family picture! Snap a few precious pictures with your newborn baby boy.
2. Swaddled newborn pose – Newborns love to be swaddled. Snug them like a bug in a muslin blanket based on your preferred colour for your baby boy.
3. Lying on the back pose – This is just a simple pose without any props needed. The simplicity of it makes it sweeter!
4. All white props – White props signify simplicity and cleanliness. The focus will be on your naked sleeping baby. A peaceful moment to cherish!
5. Seasonal props – If your baby is born in a specific season like cold, summer, Christmas, or Lent, you may want to appropriate your props for this particular season.
6. In the crib – A beautiful and simple way to tell a newborn story is to take your baby’s pictures while in the crib. At that very moment, it somehow presents their blissful entrance into the world.

Newborn photography ideas for girls

1. Matching hat – Capturing your baby girl’s pose while sleeping with the hat is a sweet thing to seize. Put on your preferred girly coloured hats on your baby girl’s head.
2. Lying on a fluffy pink blanket – A thick fluffy pink blanket is an excellent backdrop for your newborn baby girl. Also, it has a fluffy cloud appearance, giving an ambience of dreamy quality.
3. Colourful bow in the head – If you are having your baby girl’s photo shoot, a pretty bow is a perfect accessory. It presents a splash of colour and helps to identify the baby. A bow on the head shows that you’ve got a baby girl.
4. Floral flat lay – This is another genre of photography full of colours. As your baby girl is the centre of attraction, you may use seasonal colours of flowers surrounding your baby.
5. Create a themed set – You can get imaginative in your baby girl’s photography session. You may choose feminine themes like princesses, fairy tale-dreamy concepts, candy world, etc.

And there you have it - your ultimate guide for your DIY newborn photo shoot. These tips will work whether your little one is a boy or a girl, so feel free to steal these hacks if it means giving your little bundle of joy a quality and budget-friendly newborn photoshoot.

Capturing your newborn's first moments is not just about creating lasting memories but also about cherishing the pure joy they bring. However, always remember to prioritise safety throughout the photoshoot. Choose soft, natural lighting, use supportive props, and ensure a comfortable environment for your little one.

Safety is the key to those heartwarming pictures that will become treasured keepsakes for years to come. So, snap away, but with safety as your guiding star, creating a photo album filled with love and warmth.

Updates from theAsianparent Philippines.

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