5 Tips for Calm and Sleepy Babies for Newborn Photographers
I know it can seem frustrating if every baby you photograph is wide awake and not wanting to co-operate while trying to pose them! However there are some important things you (and parents) can do to help assist a baby in falling and staying asleep for his/her newborn session.
Let’s dive in!
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1. Parent Preparation is Key for Calm and Sleepy Babies
I re-iterate this sentence in my parents email when they book, after their maternity session and before their newborn photo shoot. It makes ALL the difference if they follow these instructions!! Here’s what you can say,
“The most important thing is to try to keep baby awake for a couple of hours prior to the session (I know this is tricky though!!), they can have bathtime, then a little play and if they can have a full feed before coming, they will hopefully fall asleep in the car and we can get started!”
This is arguably the most important tip in having a baby arrive sleepy to the session. Parents want sleepy pics too so they can be great helpers in this area.
2. Room Temperature For Your Newborn Photo Shoot
Always make sure the room temperature in your studio is comfortable. Not too warm and not too cool. You can add a little space heater just near baby to be a little warmer but be very careful that it is not too close to the baby -those heaters can get pretty toasty!
3. White Noise or Baby Shusher to Keep Baby Sleeping
A little white noise machine adds just enough noise into the area that you can still chat with parents and baby can comfortably stay sleeping. For very fussy babies I will sometimes add in the noise of the ‘Baby Shusher’. For some babies this is too much noise so you will just have to experiment with what works best with adding that extra sound machine.
4. Keep Baby Wrapped For Your Newborn Photo Shoot
If you want the majority of your newborn photos with baby to be sleepy, you can securely wrap them up in your prop images. Keeping babies arms and legs tucked in towards their torso is a great way to keep baby curled up and comfortable. You can unwrap them towards the end. As soon as they start to stretch their little arms and legs they will begin the waking process. This is a perfect time to capture those yawns, stretches and wide awake images.
5. Be Calm While Photographing Baby
Babies pick up on everything! If you are tense, anxious or nervous they will sense that and be uncomfortable. Make sure you are all set up before parents arrive. Have your prop set ups ready to go and everything you need within arms reach. Take a few deep breaths before you start. Settle the baby in your arms so that they are peacefully sleeping prior to putting them into your first set up. If they wiggle in one of your set ups just gently pat them while they are wrapped to let them know that you are still there nearby.
If this is one of your first sessions, things will get smoother with every newborn session you do! Stick to my simple workflow (or your own) and you will find a good rhythm with your newborn sessions.
KNOW that if you are not able to get the baby calm and sleepy it may be something that is out of your control. Sometimes babies have suffered birth trauma, some have their days/nights mixed up, some have gassy bellies and some have colic. Whatever baby chooses to do, capture as many images as you can and remain as calm as you can. Parents will love the images of their babies even if they aren’t all sleepy ones!
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BEST NEWBORN PHOTOGRAPHY WORKFLOW
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