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Wanting to take your own DIY newborn photos? Here’s how to you can skip out on the price tag of a photographer but still achieve amazing photos of your little bundle of joy at home easily from your phone.
When we had our little guy, I was on the hunt for a reasonable photographer to capture his sweet newness. I ran into a couple obstacles and just maybe you know what I’m talking about. The first was the expense. I got quotes from a couple different photographers charging 80 bucks all the way up to 170 which was not in our budget of a new baby at all. Secondly, we had him in the smack middle of flu season, so I wasn’t ready to go taking him around people or a studio (worrisome first-time mom, I admit that). So, I settled on taking my own diy newborn photos and if you’ve got a decent camera on your android or iPhone you too can take your own newborn home photography! Here are my tips for newborn photography so you can capture those delicate moments you will never get back right in the comfort of your own home.
Disclosure: Please keep in mind I am no means claiming to be any expert in photography what-so-ever. The tips below are what helped me take photos I was happy with for no-cost.
How To Take Newborn Photos
Photography Tips For Newborns:
1. GOOD LIGHTING GOES FAR
Natural lighting is the best way to go. For this reason shoot for the daytime. I like to open the blinds to all the windows close to my setup in the room and let as much natural light come through as possible. Be sure the sun is not beaming in too bright or it will cause white spaces and glares. If the weather is nice, you might be able to opt for outside photos where you will get the best natural light. You will want to make sure to turn off the flash on your phone as well for achieving the best looking newborn picture.
2. ANGLES ARE EVERYTHING
It can be time consuming to get amazing newborn photos at home but it will be totally worth it, for the memories and the wallet. Be prepared to try different angles to get the right one. You might need to stand on something, bend down low or even get on the same level as the baby.
3. HIDE DIAPER & KEEP LITTLE ONE WARM
You want to dress baby in a way that will avoid the look of a diaper in your photos. There are a couple ways to achieve this. One of them is a naked baby. Just note, a naked baby is a cold baby. You’ll want to make sure you keep the infant warm during the shoot…unless your wanting blackmail photos like this for later on.
Newborn Photography DIY
Add Fun Newborn Accessories:
4. ACCESSORIES CAN TRANSFORM ANY PHOTO
Accessories are wonderful to add a special touch to your photos. Get creative. Think hats, stuffed animals, and for girls you could add jewelry like pearls, peacock feathers, floral pieces such as eucalyptus, lambs ear or flowers, and also headbands. For a boy you could add sports related items or bowties. You could go with seasonal accessories depending on what month it is. For Valentines day you could do reds and have baby hold hearts and arrows. For Easter maybe a bunny costume holding a carrot. It’s all in the little details.
Jewels
These rhinestones and wristlet newborn accessories are just gorgeous by ASweetSweetBoutique. Photo Credit: Chaunva LeGompte Photography
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Angel wings
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Superheros
TheCozyBuckeye has some of the cutest superhero accessories for baby. Photo Credit: Denise Williams Photography
Buy It Here
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Fireman
Were crushing on this fireman Uniform from DarlingDesirae. Photo Credit: Courtney Marie Photography
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Newborn Photography At Home
5. PROPS, BACKGROUNDS AND STAGING
Background ideas:
*Blankets & Fabric-Some favorite choices are Mongolian fur *If you don’t have anything like that and depending on your budget and what kind of poses you are wanting for your photo shoot you can use a small photography kit on amazon (includes the fur and the wedge pillow for comfortable poses) or this small one for reasonable price on Etsy.* the other faves are, Chunky Wool. and Burlap Fringe.
*Rugs-Rugs are smaller and easier to work with as well as cheaper in price. You can find them in all sorts of colors to make for some lovely backgrounds.
*Find things around your home
*Large Poster board-This is a simple and cheap idea for a backdrop. It doesn’t have to be plain, you can hang flowers or greenery from it. Use chip clips to attach a blanket or fabric to it, etc..
*Digital Backdrop-This is a amazing idea for the parent who is on a budget, doesn’t have all the props and background supplies handy but really just wants some stunning professional-looking photographs. You can snap a plain posed photo of your sweet little on your phone and NewbornStudioShop will do the editing for you.
Ideas To Prop Baby Up For Newborn Photoshoot
*Wooden or Cardboard Box
*Large bowl
*Basket
*Dog Bed-One with the Supportive Edges works great for laying on a high place (like a dining table) for better angles when shooting.
*Suitcase-One or even stacked suitcases
6. GET UP CLOSE & PERSONAL WITH YOUR NEWBORN PHOTOGRAPHY AT HOME
Capture that angelic face and be ready for any facial expressions that you don’t want to miss. Snap those noses, feet, hands…seriously, what part of a baby doesn’t make ya melt?
7. USE YOUR FREE PHOTOSHOP EDITING TOOL ON YOUR PHONE
No need to spend all that money for a photoshop service. When you’re editing your photos try not to go overboard. My favorite tool in my editing is the Pop adjustment. I scooch the button over just a hair to add that extra enhancement to my photos. Here is the original photo I took compared to the Pop adjustment to give you an idea the impact it has on the photo.
and another one….
I hope these newborn photography at home tips and suggestions were super helpful to you and filled you with plenty of ideas to start photographing newborns at home versus spending a fortune. A new baby can be expensive so weaning out extra costs just make sense. Make it a memorable and fun diy you’ll look back on for the years to come! Enjoy your little one!