Why Most Newborn Photos Are Done Asleep | Best Newborn Photographer | Cleveland, Ohio
Why are most newborn photos are done asleep? I’m sure you’ve looked over many newborn photos and noticed they are usually sleeping. You might also be wondering will my baby sleep, what if they don’t, what if they cry most of the session. I hear these exact questions from many moms who are worried the session might not go well. I can reassure you, that 95% of the time the baby does fall asleep and I’m able to capture some amazing photos.
Best Cleveland Newborn Photographer
The truth is with a little planning and timing this will equal the best newborn session! I also recommend the sessions to take place anytime from day 5 to day 15 of their life. Why is that? During that time period, babies are just more naturally sleeping and easier to sooth back to sleep. Once the baby gets closer to the 1 month age, they are more alert and harder to settle for sleepy poses. Why are sleeping poses so important?
Newborns, by definition, are brand new and still figuring things out.They also clearly have no motor control so while there are opportunities for them to stretch in a cute way, its a lot more likely that their arms and legs will move around somewhat randomly. Given that they’re used to being all snug and they have no idea what arms and legs are so they’re just random things moving near them, this can make them feel a bit unsettled. Anytime they are not wrapped, chilly or able to move their arms or legs around they are most likely to get fussy and harder to photograph.
Do I have some tip and tricks?
Of course! I always tell the parents to plan on the baby to eat more, mess their diaper more, and want to sooth more at the session than at home. I don’t know why this is, could be the constant handling during the 2 hours but they do seem to eat a lot!. I always recommend to bring a pacifier. Even if they don’t take it at home, it can be very helpful to sooth them just for 5 seconds to get the shot. Sometimes that is all I need!
What if the baby is fussy?
If I know the baby has ate, clean diaper and still fussy? This is when the baby is wrapped nice and snug and we focus on the family, mom and dad shots. I can create many cool shots with mom and dad and you would never know the baby is crying! Also, during the family shots the baby is constantly being moved and handled and this usually helps them fall asleep. Its always a win win because we didn’t wast tons of time trying to the sooth the baby for their solo shots and we were able to finish all of the family shots!
Once the baby is sleep I then can move quickly through the solo shots of the baby and macro detailed shots.
Cleveland Newborn Photographer
It’s also important to note all of my Newborn sessions are baby led! What does this mean? I’m never going to force them to go in any position or spend tons of time soothing them to sleep. I will follow their cue. If they are fussy, it’s the best time for family shots or sibling shots. Honestly, it’s nice to have a little mix of both awake and sleepy photos. I can guarantee this will happen for your newborn shoot as well.
Have more questions, or learning more about my style of photography? Please check out my gallery here and I’d be happy to chat with you about the process of newborn photography with me.
Take care,
Danelle