Newborn photography is a well-known genre of photography that captures the beauty and innocence of a newborn baby—and something I had no experience with…until now.

Earlier this month, my sister gave birth to my first nibling Yakov and in doing so, provided me with the ideal first model.

Luckily I had a few months to prepare for this photoshoot and enough time to do some research. Here are some of my key take-aways:

Safety

Let’s be real— newborn photography can be very intimidating. Newborns are delicate and vulnerable. During my pre-shoot research, someone even referred to newborns as “malleable” which is not only terrifying but also nerve-wracking. Not being a mother myself and having very limited experience working with tiny babies, I approached this project with an overly cautious technique. Do your research on poses and always be gentle. If a pose isn’t working, don’t push it. Move on to a new one. Switch things up. Also have the parents or caregiver present, especially if you are new to newborn photography! No one knows their baby better than they do.

Timing

Something that constantly came up in the research was the importance of timing. The best time for newborn photos is within the first two weeks of life. During this time babies are usually very sleepy and easier to pose. If you wait too long, the older babies get the more alert and active they become which can make it challenging to get the desired shot.

Start Small

If it is your first newborn photoshoot, keep it simple. I found that shooting with my sister’s child took off a lot of pressure that normally comes from working with clients. The less stressful the shooting situation is, the more comfortable you will feel working with unfamiliar methods.

Work with What You Have

I did not have access to a studio for my foray into newborn photography. What I did have access to was my sister’s living room, a few tablecloths, the content of her apartment for props, and my limited purchase of newborn photography equipment. Before flying out to visit my sister I did purchase some very basic posing pillows and a small knit blanket that was recommended to me, but everything else used was scavenged from throughout the apartment.

Because of the limits within the space, we also had to experiment with lighting. I did not want to use my external flash since I prefer working with natural light which brought about a slew of new limitations. Taking note of sunrise and sunset during winter restricts the ideal shooting window, not to mention the position of windows in the apartment allowing in light.

Newborn photography can be challenging; babies are unpredictable and may not always cooperate. It is important to have patience and take your time to get the shots you want. Take your time and be prepared to work around the baby's schedule. Newborn photography is a beautiful way to capture the early days of a baby's life. I am proud of the final product from this photoshoot. I do not think newborn photography is my forte and will probably not be something I want to pursue in the future, but I am glad to have the experience.