Creating Simple Poses for Newborns
When viewing images of sleeping babies they always look such a simple thing to create, almost as though the baby naturally sleeps in those positions, but the fact is that a lot of patience and knowledge is required to achieve such positioning.
Posing newborns is a real honour for me but it is essential that the new arrival comes first. Once they are happy and comfortable, posing becomes much easier. I use a number of tricks to ensure a happy baby - firstly, that the little baby is warm! I always use a heater, whether in my home studio or at the parents home, as it is very important for baby to be warm as they are yet to be able to regulate their own temperature. My next step is to ensure they are nice and full before I start trying to pose, and a good swaddle is a great way of easing them into a shoot; this keeps them nice and snug and then, once they are relaxed and really sleepy, I can move onto naked shots and positions that are a little harder to achieve.
The simple shot above is where I'm sure many newborn photographers begin their journey into this rewarding but challenging profession. A simple hand under a baby's cheek is a relatively easy pose to create if baby is in a nice deep sleep, and really does transform an ordinary picture into something far more special.