It’s always a privilege when another creative soul trusts you with their newborn baby boy photography. Mikala is an amazing artist that I first came across on Instagram. I saw her mural of Kobe and Gigi Bryant and was amazed. Turns out that she was located right next to Brea, where my studio is located. Even better was that she was expecting her first baby boy.
When mama first came into the studio she couldn’t stop commenting on how impressed she was with everything. I have a large amount of props and accessories that I use for newborn baby boy photography. She said that she had no idea that so much went into preparing for a newborn photo shoot. I had already picked out the stuff that we were going to use for the photo shoot based on her style and preferences. Anytime that a mom finds some thing that they like when they come to the studio, I’m always willing to try it if the baby will cooperate.
Baby Posing on Blankets
Setting up for a newborn photo shoot in the studio is almost like a therapeutic experience. We keep the room super warm so that baby is comfortable no matter what amount of clothing or wraps they are in. There is always some type of white noise being played and soothing essential oils being diffused in the room. We need all the help we can get to make sure that baby stays nice and sleepy and happy during their newborn photo shoot. Little guy was pretty sleepy when they first came in for their newborn photo shoot so we were able to start with our posing on the table. The posing table is covered in thick, soft blankets for the baby with posing aids beneath to help get the desired look. We started with a chin-on-hands pose and put a cute little newsboy cap on him.
I got super lucky because when I positioned him for the next pose, he started giving lots of smiles. So many people ask how newborn photographers are able to get a baby to smile while they are sleeping and the secret is that it’s just pure luck. Sometimes if a baby is already being expressive, we can tickle there mouth or underneath their nose and they might give a quick smile, but it’s honestly just pure luck – and a little gas.
Using Cute Props
Once we finished all the poses on the table, we wrapped him up and brought him down to the floor. It’s easier on the floor to do some cute baby poses in some of the props that we have. First up was this adorable bear hat. He look like the cutest little teddy bear all wrapped up in this basket.
The baby boy stayed nice and sleepy so I was able to move him to this newborn baby bed wicker prop that I love. He posed in it perfectly. I try to keep the color tones that I use for newborn photo shoots within a similar color palette. This one had mostly neutral tones of browns, beige, cream, and gray.
Incorporating Parents into the Photoshoot
Parents have a choice with whether or not they would like to be a part of the newborn photo shoot. Sometimes dad isn’t always available to be part of the shoot because of work responsibilities. This time I was able to incorporate mama in the photo shoot, well her hands at least. This is a great way to have the parents be in the pictures without having them get glammed up. Bonus that mama has really cool tattoos that photographed beautifully. I love the way that baby boy was grabbing onto mama’s hand.
Macro Shots and Baby Details
Towards the end of this newborn photo session, baby boy was in a super calm and relaxed mood. That’s when I was able to get some detail shots of those precious baby features. These are called macro shots because the macro lens is used to get in as close to baby as possible. These are some of my favorite shots that I do of newborns because you can see all their details. The fine baby hair that is still all over their body, flaky baby skin, and pretty baby eyelashes. This little guy had smooth skin, but I actually like when babies have skin that is flaky and peeling. It’s such a great reminder of how new they are to the world.
