Realistic Newborn Photography Expectations

Newborn photography is people photography with a twist. Despite looking like sweet little dolls (often in actual doll beds), each baby is a unique human being with quirks and preferences. Their needs, personal idiosyncrasies, and other nuanced emotions are being communicated via the only form of expression they have – crying! (Take that in for a minute. Yikes.) So photographing them puts the onus on the adults to guide the process as best we can. While I’m used to that, I feel like it tends to frazzle already tired and stressed parents. They feel responsible for their baby’s cooperation. But let me tell you here and now, there is absolutely no reasoning with a newborn. You can do everything “right” and the kiddo may not be feeling it.  It’s okay!  Your baby is okay! You…are okay! We will work through the hiccups (sometimes literally) and create images that tell the story of YOUR CHILD at THIS MOMENT. It may not look exactly like what you expected. Sometimes that is discouraging for parents who have a concrete idea of what they want. But if you let your baby be itself, you can look back on these images fondly as the beginning of the special person you now know so well. That face she STILL makes. The time he peed on the photographer. It’s all fun memories if you let them happen. 😉

Babies are Difficult Models

Literally everyone is getting to know this tiny person with no advanced knowledge of their personality once they arrive. Parents have a few days head-start on me but babies behave very differently during an extended photo shoot. Sleepers will be awake and alert babies often find a special kind of love affair with the warm lights and the wave sound machine. (Naked on the beach is a taste acquired early apparently.) It is very difficult to predict when each baby will have a growth spurt or unsettled episode. It’s even hard to know when their heaviest napping periods are because it changes abruptly from one day to the next at this age. Disturbances in their routine- even at 2 weeks old – can make them irritable. Extra feedings that are common during a newborn session can upset their brand new digestive processes. Everything can be going great and then it’s a poop-stravaganza! They can be completely zonked out and then have a random falling reflex causing them to lurch. You have to trick them into every unnaturally cute pose we achieve. However, all of our attempts to pose baby must be balanced with safety and comfort. Trying to force anything will simply result in the scales being tipped toward irreversible meltdown mode.

I think it’s safe to say she was not thrilled with this segment of her session.

Setting Expectations

Given that newborn photography process is vastly different than other kinds of photography, it’s important to know that the final product will be also.

• Sessions last a lot longer – Even the happiest bub will need feeding, changing, and re-settling during our time together. Once the mojo has been broken we start from scratch. The number of images per hour is not like an engagement session, for example.
• Quality reigns over quantity – You will see me slowly move body parts into place incrementally to not disturb the baby and I take pictures at every transition. Parents sometimes wonder where all those “extra” pictures went. But they were really taken just in case the baby didn’t allow us to move fully into the “correct” posing. Something is better than nothing when 10 minutes of getting baby settled can be upended before we’re finished. It means that I might scrap 15 images for 3 great ones at the end that are almost the same…but not quite.
• Not all poses or setups will be possible with all babies – The range of poses is determined by the age of the baby, physical limitations, and temperament. I usually start with baby swaddled and slowly remove layers as the child permits. It’s important to see what the baby is comfortable with in terms of warmth, position, flexibility, etc. and not force anything.  In fact, when babies start to get unsettled, many poses can become downright dangerous and I won’t attempt them.
• The magic is in the makeup editing – What you see is not what you get. More so than pretty much any other type of photography, newborns need an extremely skilled photo editor to achieve the art you expect. Getting it perfect in camera simply isn’t enough. Baby acne, scratches, jaundice, poor circulation, and boogers are basically a given when editing all newborn photos. As are blanket smoothing, backdrop extending, etc. Parents worry a lot when what they are seeing with their eyes (or a smart phone) on set is not quite as adorable than they expected. Rest assured, I will work my tail off to make your bundle of joy look picture perfect like they are in your mind. But it takes many hours on the computer to give you that result and you pay for both the artistry of the photography itself and the edit. This is also why I do not offer unedited photos.
• Piecing it Together –  Continuing from the previous point, a lot of newborn photography is composite work (more than one image being compiled into the finished product). This is mostly done for safety reasons (remove mom’s hands holding up baby) or to create a shot where all of the family members look their best (head swapping). I feel like it’s a thing at family photo sessions that one parent is not looking at the camera. They are talking to someone, correcting a child, removing lint from a shirt, etc. in EVERY SHOT. As that person gets more and more frustrated that I won’t get “a single good shot”, things get worse. In reality, the best thing everyone can do is control their own pose. I may need as many solid individual shots as there are family members to do it, but I can piece your image together with everyone looking great. I know it’s hard to stop that parenting urge, but composites are so much easier if everyone stays in the same position between frames. Please believe me when I say that all of those perfect family photos you see were not perfect shots, just dandy editing skills. RELAX and look happy in your photos! (Even if the baby just pooped halfway across the room.)

This little one had very clear skin for a newborn. But every baby has some flaking skin, discoloration, and milk crusties. These things are barely noticeable in person but are exaggerated by the camera/lighting. I take time to individually edit blemishes or regions of baby skin instead of heavily smoothing the skin to make baby look plastic. It’s a lot of work but the end result is an image that looks like your baby – perfected.

Rolling with the Punches

So we now know that babies are unpredictable and seem to go out of their way to be difficult for photographs. We know that the finished product requires a shift in paradigm from a normal photography session. But what can we do to mitigate the hurdles in a newborn shoot? Some options in the case of an unsettled baby include:

• More swaddled poses – A swaddled baby is better than a flailing one.
• Awake shots – Awake shots are actually some of my favorites. I love the personality that shines through and how delightfully sparkling newborn eyes can be.
• Switching gears – Trying a more “lifestyle” photo session (without posing and props) may be easier for your child. When they are in their own space or being held by family, an otherwise upset little one can find comfort that may not be possible on the bean bag.
• Rescheduling – Sometimes restfulness is out of our reach. Even a couple days wait can make a world of difference. By next weekend baby might not have gas, may be through a growth spurt/cluster feeding, or clear an itchy rash. Waiting might mean that there are fewer poses available, but I think an obviously content baby makes the perfect picture no matter what the age or pose.

If any of these things happen at your session, I hope you understand that it’s not anyone’s fault. Nor is it even a real issue in my mind. Babies are going to do their own thing! I will do everything in my power to turn that into something beautiful and representative of your child. I love what I do and I don’t mind taking the time with your family. It’s all part of the process and in no way a burden. So relax and enjoy your session!