Newborn Picture Ideas: Complete Photo Session with Just One Prop Set

How many photography props are just enough for one newborn photo session? Is it possible to create a variety of newborn pictures using only a few of them? Does it sound like mission impossible: one matching photography prop bundle – one newborn photography session – one harmonious gallery of 24 stunning pictures? Keep reading and master newborn posing flow, get inspired by the amazing newborn picture ideas and reveal what photography props to choose for this newborn photoshoot concept. At the end of this blog post, you’ll find Newborn Poses Cheat Sheet.

This article is written by talented newborn photographer Anna Stender, the artist behind the Newborn Photo Boutique, Germany. And all those exemplary newborn pictures, featured in this article, were taken by Anna as well.

Newborn Picture Ideas: One Matching Newborn Prop Bundle – One Photography Session

One newborn posing flow and one photo props flow were introduced in one newborn boy photography session to achieve a beautiful series of 24 pictures. Get ready to shake things up for creative new born baby photography in your studio with these admirable newborn picture ideas.

Here is the first part of the newborn posing flow, which I will describe in detail later in this article.

This article is a source of knowledge and inspiration for newborn picture ideas for those who:

• only start doing newborn photography;
• are experienced in baby photography but still interested in learning somebody’s else newborn posing flow. You always can get some new newborn picture ideas!
• once were asked to shoot “white on white” or “grey on grey” or doesn’t matter which colour and found it challenging. How to keep the monochromic style of the newborn photography session while providing a sufficient amount and variety of images?
• aim to highlight the baby in its purity by keeping the style of the newborn photo session simple and natural.
• are starting to build a collection of newborn photoshoot props and accessories for photo sessions.
• think about the introduction of a new colour to the existing collection of the newborn photography props. A bundle makes more sense than a single purchased newborn photo prop.
• are fans of the brand All Newborn Props and simply adore their products.

Matching Newborn Photo Prop Bundles Are a Must

And one more reason, why matching newborn photo prop bundles make so much sense.

By choosing the matching bundle of newborn props from the very beginning you secure the perfect look of your final product. Whatever your final product is (an album, a series of wall art prints), you will be able to keep it in one style and tonality.

You can take one matching bundle of newborn photo props as a basis for styling the session. If you are lucky to own one from ALL Newborn Props, you already have a set of 3 or 4 perfectly coordinated baby photo props. You can always add some newborn photo props or accessories from your collection complementary toned to the existing set. When you’ll have more newborn photo ideas and will implement them using matching newborn photo props, the images will harmoniously complement your gallery.

TIP: A bundle of perfectly matching newborn photo props is always a good idea and a great investment in your newborn photography business!

Newborn Photography Essentials for Great Picture Ideas

In my newborn posing flow and photography prop setups, I used the newborn poser ‘Create-a-Nest’™. 

Having the basis is the priority in your newborn photography business. For example, a matching newborn photography prop bundle of a newborn poser cover, a wrap and a hat in grey colour. You can complement this bundle with a backdrop, a newborn wrap and a hat in white colour. Swaddle the newborn baby by using the white wrap, put on the white hat and place the baby in a grey newborn poser ‘Create-a-Nest’™. Then position the newborn baby in the Bump Up Pose (also called Bottom Up Pose or Tushy Up Pose) on a bean bag with the white posing fabric backdrop, put the grey newborn photography hat on and cover the baby with the grey wrap. Consequently, all images keep the same tonality and create a harmonious series. As you’ll gain more experience in shooting new born babies you’ll come up with more newborn picture ideas.

Newborn Poser ‘Create-a-Nest’™ – the Best Posing Photo Prop

Why do I love to use the newborn poser ‘Create-a-Nest’™ during my newborn photography sessions?

There are so many advantages of this newborn posing prop but these particular ones are making the ‘Create-a-Nest’™ very special for me.

1. Nice Compact Look for Your Newborn Picture Ideas

Newborn poser ‘Create-a-Nest’™ allows me to achieve a nice compact look of every baby without using any additional supporting posing props. It can be used in every phase of my newborn posing flow.

The baby fits nicely into the newborn poser ‘Create-a-Nest’™. For the nice compact look, you don’t need to use posing beans to adjust the position of the baby’s head or any wrap to fix knees close to the chest. You need to place the bottom of the baby into the centre of the newborn posing ring ‘Create-a-Nest’™. Positioning the newborn baby like this allows you to elevate the head, bringing it closer to the camera. As the baby’s face is the main focal point, having it as the closest part to the frame is my all-time aim. It is easy to achieve with the newborn posing pillow ‘Create-a-Nest’™.

TIP 1: You can turn the baby’s chin to the side direction to one of the shoulders. It allows to create even more compact look.

TIP 2. Try to use all space in the centre of the newborn posing ring ‘Create-a-Nest’™. This allows the baby ‘to sink’ into it. You will get the cosiest look ever.

Because ‘Create-a-Nest’™ is not only a newborn posing pillow but also a beautiful ready to use photography prop, you don’t need to wait for a special moment during your baby photo session to use it. It is ready to be used at any time for sleeping or awaked newborn babies, wrapped babies, dressed or undressed newborns.

The soft, knitted cover, the smooth and sufficiently firm inner edges of the newborn posing ring ‘Create-a-Nest’™ let the baby rest in it naturally and give it a pleasant and safe feeling.

Undressed new born babies never look cold being photographed in the newborn poser ‘Create-a-Nest’™.

Awaked babies feel themselves secured and look happy in the newborn posing prop ‘Create-a-Nest’™ because they lie on their back – the most natural and preferable pose for them. It is also very safe. 

TIP 1. Use the ‘Create-a-Nest’™ inside your favourite bowl or vessel. All advantages of the ‘Create-a-Nest’™ as a newborn posing cushion for photography plus your favourite vessel or bowl combo lead to more variety of your images. Even more creative newborn picture ideas!

TIP 2. You can always add one more cover to your collection. All covers for the poser ‘Create-a-Nest’™ are just amazing. And it is always so much fun to experiment with their different colours, patterns and textures. It gives you so many different newborn picture ideas as well.

2. Amazing Backlit Shots

I adore newborn poser ‘Create-a-Nest’™ for the beautiful pull back backlit shots. Backlit shots are so poetic. Their beauty is in clean simple lines. Getting breathtaking backlit shots of the newborn baby with a lot of negative space around is such luck! I can easily achieve close up backlit shots of the newborn baby in any photo prop but not pull back shots. Not all newborn posing props are perfect for pull back backlit shots. The main rule – the newborn photography prop shouldn’t look distractive. This is why ‘Create-a-Nest’™ makes it so special – because of its smooth design. It doesn’t matter which camera angle you prefer, ‘Create-a-Nest’™ looks beautiful in the photographs always.

TIP 1. Don’t skip back lit shots from your newborn photo sessions. Variety – it is not only different newborn poses or different photo accessories, but also the light. Changing the direction of light creates the variety. The same newborn pose, the same baby photo prop + different light = completely different mood and image.

You will be amazed at how many new creative newborn picture ideas you have come up with when you start experimenting with different lighting options.

TIP 2. When the baby is positioned in ‘Create-a-Nest’™ it is easy to overshoot. The baby looks nice and secure; your complete newborn photography props set-up looks just amazing.

And before you start to explore all possible camera angles, a perfect minimum of 4 newborn picture ideas are:

1. Close up from above.
2. Pull back from above.
3. Close up backlit.
4. Pull back backlit.

Don’t forget to take detail shots: foot of the newborn baby in parents’ hands, for example. It is the right moment!

3. Perfect Photography Prop Setup. Always

For me ‘Create-a-Nest’™ is a part of my philosophy of life: to live and work with things I love. To enjoy fewer things in my life, at my home, in my photography studio. Not to feel overwhelmed with so many choices in my own newborn photography studio wardrobe or in my collection of props and accessories for newborn sessions. To have no doubts about the best possible style of each baby photography session. No mistake can be done with the poser ‘Create-a-Nest’™ simply because there is no any possibility to over-style my images. It is such a pleasure to be authentic and elegant, take responsibility for making the newborn baby the main hero in my images and use all the beautiful photography props and accessories just to highlight it. I hope, my style will not be an issue in 20 years.

Read more: Newborn Poser ‘Create-a-Nest’™ – Must-Have Newborn Photography Prop >>

Starting Newborn Photography

And before I share with you my newborn posing and photo props flow, I would like to return back to my first newborn sessions. When I started doing newborn photography I could only achieve the Bum Up Pose and the Back Pose in props. I also had only a few newborn photo props but I was able to provide a wide variety of pictures for my clients. Parallel to all possible camera angles for these 2 poses I thought a lot about a smooth photo props flow. Obviously, at that time the well-thought-out newborn photo props flow and well-coordinated baby photo prop bundles made my newborn sessions happen!

I hope my experience will be useful to you!

Read more: Tips for Newborn Photography | Everything You Need To Know >>

Newborn Photo Ideas for Your Next Posing Flow

For this newborn boy photography session, I used the photo prop set: posing pillow ‘Create-a-Nest’™, the hat and the wrap in grey colour. I complimented this set with a grey backdrop from my collection.

Read more: Newborn Posing Ideas – Boy Photoshoot

The Bum Up Pose

The Bum Up Pose is my favourite newborn photography pose. I try to achieve this pose with every baby. Most of the time the baby is quite sleepy after his way to my studio. When the photo session starts, I take it from his baby car seat, undress and position the newborn on his tummy. I do the first shot without using any additional newborn photoshoot accessories. 

Then I start to add on the newborn wrap and the hat and change my camera angles. My aim is to get the maximum from each newborn pose – to achieve a variety of shots without overstimulating the baby by touching or moving it.

I use the knitted wrap for the close-up newborn baby shot. Everything I need to do is to cover the newborn baby boy with the wrap and to change my camera angle.

For the next shot, I don’t change the newborn boy pose but I change the way of using the photo prop – wrap. It is the same Bum Up Pose but it looks different from the first one. Much cosier. Parents can always choose between the images or they may like both!

If I simply put on the newborn photo hat and slightly change the position of one foot, I get another newborn shot that is different from the previous ones.

The Side Pose

For the next shot, I need to change the newborn boy pose but I keep the wrap and the hat. I also take one more close-up shot of the baby, now with the hat only.

Then I take off the hat and use the newborn wrap differently. This is where a new newborn picture idea comes into play.

The same newborn pose plus one-second adjustment results in one more beautiful image which provides a variety to my client’s photo gallery. So easy!

If you offer albums to your clients a series of these frames will fit perfectly to one spread of the album.

The Chin On Hands Pose

From the Side Pose, I gently position the newborn to the Chin On Hands Pose.

You can take one photograph without the hat, using the newborn wrap only, or complete your newborn photography prop setup with the hat.   

It is always a good idea to introduce a prop shot at this stage. You can transition the baby from a beanbag to a newborn poser ‘Create-a-Nest’™ keeping the baby in the same Chin On Hands Pose. This particular newborn baby boy didn’t want to go into this pose, so I skipped it. Next step is the Back Pose.

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