I get this question asked a lot, “How do you keep newborn babies asleep for their photo session?”
After the sessions I have lots of parents comment on me being a baby whisperer and asking if I could come over to them at night to give them a break!
The short answer is – patience, love and years of practice. I’ve been photographing newborns for nearly 10 years now and have learnt lots of tricks on the way.
- Timing: Newborn photography sessions are recommended first 14 days of the little ones for a reason. Babies still presume womb-like behavior and sleep through the sessions at that stage. That allows beautiful natural posing and less fussiness. After two weeks babies do tend to get stretchier and more curious about the world. Some have colics. So coming early is key to give yourselves more chances for relaxing and faster sessions.
- Patience: In newborn photography patience is key above anything. Working with babies one has to go with their flow. As I often say “they are my clients”. We need to ensure all their basic needs are met, whether it’s changing the diaper or offering as many cuddle/ milk breaks during the sessions as needed. Sessions with Sasha Gow Photography are never rushed and are focused around the baby.
- Baby-Led: Saying that, I always go with the flow of the little ones and their comfort. I do warn parents that I will do a mixture of wrapped and unwrapped setups. Sometimes I end up having to do mostly wrapped setups based on what the baby needs. Regardless if the baby is mostly wrapped during their session or not, the galleries parents receive are absolutely beautiful.
- Professional Tricks:
- I always ensure that the room is well heated before the start of the session, especially if beanbag posing is involved and we do change our little clients in outfits. If newborns are wrapped I make sure the temperature is adjusted.
- I do use the Sound Sleeper App a lot. White noise , especially with womb sound, may help a lot during the session.
- Baby Shusher is an effortless way to create some constant shushing effect during the newborn photography session.
- Lulla Vibe Vibration Pad Game changer for me once I discovered this! That newborn photography product works wonders for some babies – especially ones who do not take a pacifier.
- Posing Beans are incredibly helpful to secure babies during the shot and make them feel comfortable and beautifully posed
