High quality, professional newborn portraits are an absolute must-have, but the urge to take newborn photos at home every day almost seems like part of the maternal instinct package. We can’t help ourselves – we have to snap photos of our sleeping babes from just about every angle or attempt a rapid fire photoshoot to capture that adorable sneeze, stretch, or smile. Newborns may not do much, but we sure know how to max out our phone storage with pictures of the sweet little bundles! Most of us are taking these pictures anyway, but here are a few of my top tips for taking newborn photos at home.

1. Lighting is everything

Don’t worry, you don’t have to invest in a professional lighting setup to take newborn photos in your home. But those monthly milestone pictures will turn out far better in a room with natural light coming through the windows than in a dimly lit bedroom. Good lighting can greatly improve the look as well as the quality of a photo. Often indoor pictures turn out grainy or blurry if the lighting is not good. If the lighting situation just isn’t working out, taking photos outside (at least during the day) is almost always an instant fix. Lay the baby on a blanket in the yard and snap away!

2. Make sure the background is clean

Capturing real life is important, so don’t feel like all your pictures need to show a Pinterest-worthy house. Confidently snap photos of the mess, knowing one day you will look back on those pictures with fondness for the days of little people, big messes, and lots of love. However, you may not love looking back at pictures of your babies if every picture shows a mess in the background. And it can be hard to share photos with others if you’re self-conscious about clutter in the frame. One solution is to quickly clear the background before taking a picture, or you could try having a designated room in the house that is more minimal and thus easier to keep clean. The nursery and primary bedroom bed are often good choices!

3. Keep your phone storage clear

Some moments are too quick and too adorable to have to worry about deleting old pictures or apps to free up space. Phone storage seems to disappear a lot more quickly once you have adorable children to photograph constantly, but if you can stay proactive about keeping storage space freed up, then you’ll avoid the frustration that can come with missing a camera-worthy moment.

4. Make sure that you are in some photos

It can be all too easy to hide behind a camera and never be in the photos ourselves. Trust me, we photographers get it! But these are the good ole days and there’s something special about seeing images of yourself actively participating in them. You may not always look or feel the way you want to, but having your spouse or a tripod capture precious moments of you with your babies is so worth it, and it’s important for your children to see as they grow.

5. Take different kinds of pictures

There is something to appreciate about both photos of candid moments and photos that are posed. Fill your camera roll with both! Capture real life images of casual moments in the middle of a mess as well as images that are more thought-out and planned. They serve different purposes, and both are nice to have and to share.

6. Improve your newborn photography skills

Look up tutorials for iphone photography tips on YouTube – you never know what you might learn! You may not aspire to be a photographer, but it could serve you well to learn a few tips that are easy to integrate into your natural iPhone photography life.

7. Create a shared photo album

By all means, enjoy scrolling through baby pictures at night after you put the baby in bed, but why keep the cuteness to yourself? Consider creating a Shared Photo Album through the iPhone Photos app and inviting your closest friends and family members to join. They can like and comment on the pictures that you upload, and stay up to date on baby milestones through captions you can add.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

As a photographer who has the privilege of photographing sweet newborns on a regular basis, I know the joy you must feel when capturing those everyday moments of your own precious baby. When you are ready for professional portraits of your baby, do not hesitate to reach out and book a session! You deserve high quality images of your little one to look back on and enjoy for years to come, and I would be honored to provide those to you.

With my personalized newborn photography sessions, I can travel to you (Pittsburgh, Greensburg, and surrounding areas) so that you can have your newborn photos done in the comfort of your own home, or you can relax in my comfy Greensburg photography studio for a posed newborn session. The choice is yours! Let’s chat!