So you have a newborn baby now. It’s time to set everything aside and focus on the little one. There’s nothing wrong with postponing the bathtub refinishing service and junk removal you can enjoy the first precious moments with your baby. The first few days of your baby are some of the most memorable and important moments in our lives. Unfortunately, babies grow so fast, and if you don’t capture those moments fast enough, you may never be able to relive them. This is why you need to act fast so you can immortalize these special moments for revision later. One of the best ways to preserve your child’s first few days is to invest in a newborn baby photoshoot.
Should You Do it Yourself?
Most people hire professional photographers to do their baby’s photoshoot, but that doesn’t mean you can do it on your own. An easy, inexpensive DIY photoshoot can be a great idea. You don’t even have to go anywhere. It’s possible to take some amazing photos from the comfort of your own home. Here are some great newborn baby photoshoot ideas at home.
First Things First
memories of your baby’s first days are something that you will treasure for a lifetime. This is why you need to ensure that you do everything properly when it comes to their first photo shoot. The good thing is you don’t really need a lot of things. The factor that will play a huge role when it comes to the outcome of the photoshoot is your creativity. You can even do your baby’s photoshoot with a cellphone camera and a few odds and ends that are probably lying somewhere in your home. Easy-peasy.
There are several things that you can throw in to get some nice pictures from your photoshoot. For instance, you can get a dumbbell and a weighing scale in some of the photos to show the weight of the baby. You can also get one of your old toys or your partner’s old toys. That’s a great way to add some sentimental value to the photos and enhance your newborn baby photoshoot ideas at home. Other things you can use to make the photos nicer include bunting, Christmas lights, scrabble tiles for the baby’s name, a lighted sign, and wooden baby blocks. If the baby is a girl, you can also throw in some fresh flowers to add an extra-feminine vibe. How about an old clock to indicate the time of birth? And maybe a calendar for the date?
Another thing you will want to do to ensure the photos come out nicely is to pick a theme. Themed photos will take your newborn baby photoshoot ideas at home to another level. Once you choose a theme that you like, it’s important to stick to it. For instance, you can go for specific colors, floral, festival, and seasonal themes. You will also need a background. A pretty blanket, carpet, or sheet will also do the trick. Just ensure that it’s something soft. Since the baby won’t be able to support him/herself, you will likely be taking photos directly from above while the baby is lying down. That can’t be too hard, is it? This is a great way to begin your journey as the baby’s professional photographer.
The Cocoon Wrap
The cocoon wrap is one of the most popular newborn baby photoshoot ideas at home. All you need is some cloth that you can use to wrap the baby. Ideally, you should find stretchy material. Based on the name of this photoshoot idea alone, you probably have an idea of how the photos will look. The idea is to tuck the baby’s hands and legs in and start wrapping. You can also leave the baby’s hands out in some photos.
A great way to make the photo shoot even better would be to find a cute basket to place your wrapped-up little angel. You can also switch things up by playing around with different accessories and changing the placement of the baby’s hands in different photos. In some photos, place their palms on either side of the cheek and tuck them under the chin in some. Just keep in mind that you should never sacrifice the comfort of the baby as you are doing this. Try to always go with what the baby seems comfortable with.
It’s highly likely that at some point, your baby will cry. However, this doesn’t mean you should cancel the photoshoot. At this age, babies generally cry a lot. All you need to do is work through the cry and continue. Babies usually love a good snug wrap. If you gently soothe the baby, they will most likely drift to sleep pretty quickly.
Baby Basket Shoot
If you have ever received a gift hamper, chances are you have a basket lying around somewhere. That lovely basket can be a great addition to your newborn baby photoshoot ideas at home. If you don’t have a basket, you can definitely find one in shops nearby. All it takes is a simple internet search, and you should find the nearest shop that sells baskets of some sort. You don’t have to specifically look for a baby basket as that might be impossible to find. Instead, check out bread baskets, wooden crates, or even old trunks. A cardboard box can also do the trick if you find one that’s nice enough.
Once you have your basket, or something similar, line it up with some soft blankets. You can also throw in a few soft toys if you want. It’s possible that you can find a basket that’s a bit deep. If that’s the case, fill it with some more blankets so that the baby is near the top when you place him/her in it. Once the basket is ready, place the baby inside. That should give you some lovely photos.
If you need more ways to enhance your newborn baby photoshoot ideas at home, try to get some inspiration online to see how other parents did it. Resources like Pinterest are great when you are looking for photo ideas. You will encounter thousands of newborn babies in baskets pictures. You can steal some ideas from those photos to enhance your own photoshoot.
What if the Baby is Asleep?
It’s possible that your baby might sleep in the middle or even before the photo shoot. Don’t despair. You can still take some lovely pictures even if the baby is asleep. To give your baby an ethereal feel, look for soft, fluffy flowers and fabrics to include in the photos. You can also find some tiny angel wings to take things to the next level. If you can’t find some to buy, how about making your own using some feathers from Itsy Bitsy.
Sometimes, you may actually want to take photos of your baby while they are sleeping as opposed to them sleeping in the middle of the photo shoot. So how do you get the baby to sleep? The temperature might be your best friend when it comes to getting your baby to sleep so you can take some photos. All you need to do is turn up the heat. Remember, babies that are under two weeks of age will still be used to being in the womb, where it’s pretty hot. This is why they are likely to relax in warmer environments.
But what if they don’t sleep after you turn up the heat? Well, you can still try out other tricks. Going back to the baby being in the mother’s womb, another thing you can do is swaddle the baby to sleep. Remember, they spent all their time curled up with not much room to move about. Swaddling just means keeping the baby wrapped tightly in a swaddling blanket or baby wrap. In most instances, once you do this, the baby will sleep in less than half an hour. Avoid wrapping the baby too tightly. You should always have the baby’s comfort in mind when you are doing these things.
There are lots of advantages to doing your baby photo shoot while the baby is asleep. While you will also need some wide-awake photos, one thing to note about babies is that it can be super difficult to get them to pose. They might also not even want to be placed in a posing bag. The baby will likely wriggle out of position a lot, and this can get really frustrating for both of you. You can even end up canceling the photo shoot at times if the baby’s crying gets out of control.
Filter the Light
Letting in a lot of light during your newborn baby photoshoot can greatly improve your newborn baby photoshoot ideas at home. If you are looking for another way to make the photos even better, why not filter the light with a sheer curtain? A sheet will do the trick too. All you need to do is find a room in your home that has the best natural light. You can then place a white sheet between the baby and where the light is coming from so the light won’t be so harsh.
Try Different Angles
When photographing your little peanut, don’t just try different positions. You should also get creative with your stance. With each position, try to take pictures from at least three different angles. This will give you the variety you need. You should also know what angles to avoid. For instance, it won’t really be a great idea to shoot upward toward the baby. This means you shouldn’t shoot from where you can see up the baby’s nose.
Be Patient
When it comes to taking photos of your baby, one thing that you really need is patience. You should always be prepared to go with the flow once you start taking photos. Before you pick up the baby or place them in a particular position, always ensure that you have everything set up. You should also consider taking some practice shots first before the actual shoot. You can even use a doll in place of the baby for your practice shots. That way, you can see what a particular position will look like.
Once you are satisfied with what you see, you can then pick up the baby and place him/her where you want them. This is where you need to be patient. Always be ready to stop and start again if the baby starts getting frustrated. Chances are you might not get the exact photo that you want, but you will still get some good ones.
Edit your Photos
Once you have a collection of photos, the next step will be sorting them out. You should delete the bad ones first and keep the promising ones. Now it will be time to edit. Don’t be afraid to desaturate and try different effects. A black and white filter can be great for some photos too. This can give a regular photo a totally different appearance. You can also try out some of the Instagram filters or any other photo editing app of your liking.
Go Easy on Yourself
As we mentioned before, you may not be able to take the exact photos you want. This means the final results may not be what you imagined. However, remember that pros take a lot of time perfecting their craft, and after all, all you need are nice photos of your child, so even if they are not magazine quality, they should be fine. You should also remember to keep things simple. You can browse for ideas on Pinterest. But keep in mind that the majority of photos you will see online are composites. You will not be able to replicate them without some great editing skills.
Before you start worrying about where your child will go for their hair trimming or where to get an infant chiropractor, you should consider doing a newborn photo shoot. That way, you will have some fun pictures to show your child when they are in secondary school. Infant photography is a great way to preserve memories so you can cherish them later. Infant photo shoots are done indoors, but you can explore some outdoor newborn baby photoshoot ideas at home. However, for this, you may need more outdoor landscape lighting, especially if you are taking pictures at night.
