Congratulations! You have given birth to your baby and the two of you are now out of the hospital and adjusting to life at home. You want to freeze time and remember these moments forever. A newborn photoshoot is the perfect way to immortalize your little one in his or her first weeks of life. The first three weeks are the ideal time to plan a newborn photoshoot. Even earlier is better if you want those really posed newborn shots with the baby all curled up and asleep. Read below to learn how to best plan your newborn photoshoot.
Decide what style of Newborn Photography you are looking for
Do you want a studio session? Or do you want the shoot in your home? Do you want posed photos of your baby dressed as a deer (or some other animal)? Or do you want more natural photos that are less stylized? You should think about all of this before choosing a photographer.
Choosing a Photographer for your Newborn Photoshoot
Once you have decided what type of shoot and style of photos you are looking for, you can begin looking for photographers. I asked on Facebook in the International Families Berlin Group for recommendations. Then I looked at the photographers’ websites and past work to see if their style matched what I was looking for. I then emailed or messaged them for prices and to find out what their package included ( i.e. number of edited images, length of session, prints, etc). I created a google doc to store all this information so that I could easily compare prices and packages across photographers.
What to wear for Newborn & Family Photoshoot
Once I had chosen a photographer, I needed to plan our outfits. It is best for everyone to wear white or light colors for a newborn photoshoot, as these colors look best reflected on a baby’s skin. You don’t need to all be matching exactly, but the same color family (i.e. white, off-white, beige) will look best. Also, prepare for baby blowouts just in case. You may want to have a spare outfit on hand for you and the baby! For our photoshoot I ordered a white swaddle on Etsy for Isabella to wear, plus I had a white romper for her from H&M.
Create a Pinterest Board for Inspiration
I created a Pinterest board with newborn and family photos I liked as inspiration. I also shared this board with my photographer before the shoot.
And Finally….Clean the House Before your Shoot!
Before our photoshoot I cleaned the house like crazy! I even ironed our bedspread, as I knew we would have those typical family photos in bed. While the plan was to shoot the photos in the bedroom, I cleaned the entire house just in case.
Below, you can see some of my favorite photos from our photoshoot. All photos by Jessica Sidenros @jessica_sidenros.
And now, your turn. Show me your photos from your newborn photoshoots! Do you have any other advice you would like to share on planning a newborn photoshoot? Share in the comments below!
