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8 Tips for a Perfect DIY Newborn Baby Photoshoot
Plus bonus tips for taking the best pictures using your phone
&
a Free lightroom preset download
If you’re considering a newborn photo shoot, I highly suggest it. Many of my friends and family used a professional photographer for their newborn photos, and while the pictures are beautiful, it can be expensive. In this article, I want to share with you the tips that helped me create the perfect DIY Newborn Photoshoot. These tips helped to get the perfect pictures of my newborn and I am positive they will help you!
One of my favorite things to do when I was pregnant was to look at all the cute baby pictures on Pinterest and I couldn’t wait to have a session with my little one. The cost of a newborn photo session was something I wasn’t expecting. You are paying for the time with the photographer as well as the pictures themselves. This can vary but generally newborn baby sessions average anywhere from $500-$1000 (or MORE).
Spending that amount of money was just not the right decision for our family at that time. I was on an unpaid maternity leave, and now had lots of diapers to spend on. This was disappointing, but I decided to why not try it myself. I love a good DIY project! So I researched, read up on some tips, and decided to create my own newborn baby photoshoot.
All it took was a few props, cute baby outfit and my iPhone.
So if you are considering trying to do your own DIY Newborn Baby Photoshoot, you will want to check out the tips I have below!
Now let’s talk baby pictures!
8 Tips for a Perfect DIY Newborn Baby Photoshoot
1. Research Poses
My first tip for your DIY Newborn Photoshoot is to research and look up different poses you might want to try. Look for inspiration and the styles to create. Pinterest, Facebook, or Instagram will have tons of pictures to get ideas from. Make some a board on Pinterest, or screenshot what you like and save it for your photoshoot day!
2. Get Props
Once you decide on the style of pictures you want to reproduce, you might need to acquire some props to make that picture happen.
- Baskets for baby
- Small pillows
- Teddy bears
- Fluffy blankets
- Silk flowers
- Special swaddles
- Hats
Amazon has some great options. If you just search baby photoshoot props, you’ll get a variety to pick from. I kept it simple with a swaddle, teddy bear and a hat I found on Amazon and it worked out perfectly.
Or get creative with things you may already own. I also used a basket and faux fur area rug from our nursery.
The total cost for props and baby clothes was under $25.00.
Here are some other great prop ideas and outfits I loved.
You will also want to plan out your backdrop. That may be a fuzzy blanket over the couch, a basket big enough to hold baby, or a furry throw rug like I used. And clear the space where you will be shooting as best you can. You can always edit out unwanted areas, but the cleaner your space is, the easier those edits will be.
In hindsight I wish I had used a tripod camera stand. This would have allowed photos with both parents. I have since purchased an iPhone tripod stand and it’s perfect for taking family pictures, or social media pictures.
It comes with a ring light and remote, making it quick and easy to get that frame-worthy picture!
3. Location. Location. Location.
My next tip is to choose the best location for pictures. Using natural daylight gives the best lighting for pictures, so pick a room that gets the best sunlight. Avoid using overhead light or the flash on your camera. Plan to take pictures on a nice sunny day and during the time of day when your room gets the most light.
Position the baby so the light is to their side or at a slight angle over the top of their head will help avoid any harsh shadows. Try some test photos using a toy, or another person and see which position is best. Don’t worry if it is not perfect, you can always edit later.
4. Take pictures while baby is asleep.
This tip is one I wish I had done. But when I did my photoshoot my little guy was almost 2 months old. The younger the baby is, the easier they will sleep through just about anything you do. I still got some great pictures of my son, and of his bright blue eyes, but it was challenging with an awake, squirmy baby.
The beauty of being your own photographer is you can always try both!
One day try it with them awake and then try to get them sleeping.
Tips to get baby sleeping through your photo session:
- Have a fresh diaper on.
- Get baby nice and milk drunk!
- Keep a sound machine on.
- Keep the room warm.
- Keep baby nicely swaddled.
5. Shoot, shoot then shoot some more.
Take endless pictures! Just keep snapping away and review them later. It is common for most photographers to shoot hundreds of photos but only get a few quality images. And you can do a lot with editing so don’t get too hung up on the initial picture. In fact the photo below is one I almost deleted but look at the difference after some quick edits using Lightroom and Photoshop.
6. Change up your position.
Generally speaking, you will get the best pictures when you are standing directly over the baby. But try other positions too. Shoot from above mostly, then try some close ups with baby’s face, eyes, lips hands and feet. Have the baby hold mom or dad’s hand and play around with different ideas.
Here are some pictures I took of my son’s features. I actually did these on his changing table. It was much easier for me to get close to him that way. I just cropped them and decided to use the black and white edit. Which brings me to my next tip.
7. Use photoshop express and lightroom.
I use the mobile versions of Photoshop express and lightroom and love them both! These editing apps are perfect for blogging, Instagram pictures, or in this case personal photos.
I like using them in tandem. Photoshop express’s free version allows you to remove “blemishes”, where as Lightroom’s same feature is only accessible with the paid version. So if baby has any acne, spots or rashes you can easily edit those out in Photoshop Express. Then finish the lighting edits in Lightroom.
8. Split it up.
The last tip I have is to split it up of you need to. It doesn’t have to get done in one session. If your baby happens to be fussy, or the light changes, try again another day.
I took photos of my son in his swaddle with his hat one day, and then at a different time took close up pictures of his features. This will help avoid wearing you or baby out!
Doing these pictures yourself gives you the flexibility to take them when the time is best.
BONUS Tips to taking great pictures with your phone
- Make sure the lens is clean
- Don’t use zoom, get close, and crop later.
- Take a video instead and capture stills of the poses you like.
I am confident you can have a great DIY newborn baby photoshoot using the tips in this article. I have ZERO skills or knowledge when it comes to photography, so if I can do it, anyone can.
Freebie Time
To try out the lightroom preset I used click here!
