Hello my beautiful photographer friends! I wanted to focus this week’s blog post on newborn posing—especially for at home lifestyle newborn sessions. I know a lot of photographers don’t have a studio starting out, so client’s homes are where they schedule newborn sessions.

New photographers often feel that this is a limitation, but guess what? It can actually be a major selling point and a great way to serve your clients. I have a newborn photography studio, but I still offer lifestyle newborn sessions in client’s homes—and this is one of my most popular options. Some new moms don’t want to leave the house yet with their new baby, and so I just come to them! If they have big windows and natural light, an at home session is a beautiful way to capture these memories from the comfort of the living room, master bedroom, or baby’s nursery.

Newborn baby curled up against mom's chest

If you’re a newborn photographer who doesn’t have a studio just yet, or you are a little unsure how to make a full gallery from an at home session, this newborn posing guide is for you! Here are the portraits I make sure to capture, plus tips and tricks to make sure your posing feels natural and that you get a beautiful variety of baby portraits.

Lifestyle Newborn Posing

Family Portraits

This may be a newborn session, but to me, the family portrait is always the most important picture. If mom and dad’s bedroom is available, have the whole family pile up on the bed and sit really close. Tell them “Make sure you’re touching!” If a bed isn’t an option, I love to have mom sit in a chair (maybe a comfy rocker in the nursery) with the rest of the family gathered around her and leaning in close.

Newborn posing for at-home lifestyle newborn sessions: the family portrait

There’s no need to force poses for family portraits. I use mostly verbal cues to guide my families into poses that feel comfortable and natural—and that look beautiful! Some of my favorite verbal cues are:

“Everyone look at the baby.” This brings the focus onto that sweet newborn. Faces will almost always light up in natural smiles or sometimes expressions of curiosity. (This often happens with toddler siblings.) Either way, you have a lovely family portrait!

Ask the parents to kiss. Siblings will almost always look either at their parents or the baby at this point, so you don’t have to worry about posing them at all!

“Can you smell the baby’s hair?” I use this for young kiddos. Asking them to smell baby’s hair results in a really sweet pose that looks like they’re kissing the top of baby’s head.

“Look at me!” For that traditional portrait where everyone is looking at the camera.

 

 

Sibling Portraits

I often start sibling portraits without the baby. It doesn’t matter if these images actually get purchased or not. They’re mostly to help older siblings feel special! Once the kiddos are warmed up, it’s time to bring baby into the picture too.

With younger siblings, I often have them lie on their tummies next to baby on the bed or a soft rug. Older siblings can sit on the bed, in a chair, or on the floor to hold the baby.

Little boy lying on bed and leaning his cheek against his new baby brother's head

I like to have the parents nearby for safety, in a position where they are nice and close in case any assistance is needed, but where I can easily photoshop them out when I do my editing.

Parent and Baby Portraits

Just as with the kiddos, having mom and dad pose with their newborn on the bed is great. Or, if you have a chair near a window, angle it towards you and do some seated poses.

Backlit profiles are also beautiful—I love to get a few of these near a window while mom and dad stand together holding their little one. They can put their foreheads together or just look down at baby.

Houston newborn posing guide, parents bending over new baby boy

Individual parent and baby portraits are lovely too. With mom, I usually just have her sit in a chair or stand near the window or crib and love on her little one while I move around and capture portraits from a variety of different angles. Dad is similar, but I also always like to use his hands to show how tiny baby is, and how safe and protected they are being held by their daddy!

Baby Only Portraits

Only once I’ve captured all of these beautiful images do I spend some time taking pictures of just the baby. I usually bring along a travel beanbag, but you can also use the master bed or the nursery. Anywhere baby is safe and comfy is great!

As you get them situated, always make sure the light is going down over baby’s head—not up towards their nose! This is the best opportunity for detail shots showing those tiny fingers and toes, that precious face and nose, and that soft downy hair. Again, there’s no need for fancy poses here. However baby seems happy and comfortable is the best pose.

Detail of baby's hands tucked under their chin

There really is no place like home, and you truly don’t need a studio to provide your clients with a newborn photography experience they will cherish forever. I hope this newborn posing guide has given you some ideas for how you can use whatever space is available to create beautiful and lasting memories for these precious little ones and their families.

Let me know if you have any questions! As always, I’m happy to help! And don’t forget to join the Shannon Reece Jones Photography community for more tips and access to courses and resources designed especially for you.

Lots of Love,

Shannon