Top 5 Newborn Photography Poses

Newborn photography is all about the poses and I am often sent photos that parents have found of poses they want to try with their little ones. But…let me tell you a little secret, a few of the poses are actually made up of something we in the industry like to call composite photography – shock!

So let’s cover some of mine and my new mummies and daddies favourites, and I might let you into a few more little secrets along the way!

The Family Silhouette

This is always a family favourite, especially if mum is feeling a little nervous – which is totally understandable given the timing of a newborn photography session (normally within the first 14 days of birth).

Slightly different to the traditional family portraits you might see, this pose is still beautifully timeless and is ideal for announcement cards and gifts for friends and family.

I also love capturing this pose as it’s likely to be the first one of your little family all together, making it super important and special, and yes, you may have bags under your eyes from your first few sleepless nights, but you won’t notice them in years to come when you’re looking back at the wonderful memory you made together.

The Natural wooden bowl

This pose is a firm favourite of mine as it always amazes parents that their little bundle of joy can fit into such a small space. There is also a lot of variety that can be achieved with this pose as I can use quite a few different props, which enables me to make sure the photo’s of your baby are unique.

I also like to use the same bowl if you return with your little one for a six month sitter or first birthday session as this lets me capture how much your baby has grown.

Side Lay

The side lay is always on my mummies and daddies wish list and it is actually not as easy as it looks!

Trying to keep your babies hands and feet in a particular position with their newborn reflexes can be quite a challenge. This is why the perfect side lay photo (like this one) makes newborn photographers, like me, extremely happy.

Where I can, I also like to increase the cuteness by adding in a teeny tiny teddy bear or other soft toy prop for your baby to ‘hold’ on to.

The Froggy

Another must-have on my mummies and daddies wish list is the Froggy, in fact it is the pose that I am sent photos of the most – parents-to-be just love this pose! Luckily I do too.

BUT…this is one of the poses that has a hidden secret, it must be made up of a few different shots, which is known as (you guessed it!) a composite photograph. You can see how this composite photograph is created in my “Is newborn photography safe?” post.

As parents-to-be, if you want to capture your beautiful newborn in this pose, you also need to make sure your newborn photographer has had the required specialist training to do so – don’t just go with anyone!

Especially as a trained newborn photographer will know that this pose isn’t possible if your baby was breech, and they will be honest and tell you so. Read my top tips for when you’re researching a newborn photographer.

I personally always like to start my newborn photography sessions with this pose as it is the most hands on, and it can sometimes take up to an hour to achieve. But, once your baby is settled and relaxed into it, the session is (usually) a breeze, as they are more used to me and my touch, and they tend to sleep through the rest of the poses.

It’s also good to start with this pose as it’s very similar to how babies have been positioned whilst in the womb, so it helps to bring back their muscle memory and they love settling into it, helping them to relax even more so.

The Taco

The perfect follow up from the Froggy post, the Taco is a smooth transition from Froggy, and it is another muscle memory pose for the baby too – keeping them super relaxed.

I really love this pose too as, not only is it super cute, but it also shows how tiny and squishy your baby is at this early age.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this little run through of some of the top newborn poses. If you’d like to know more about my newborn photography, ask me questions or even book a session, you can call me on 07852264151, email me at laura@perfectshotphotography.co.uk or message me via the contact page.