10 Tips for Natural Looking Newborn Photos

Our clients love the ease and convenience of having our photographers come to their home to capture beautiful newborn photos. Making sure the photos look natural is an area we specialize in, as it’s not as easy as its sounds. Our photographers are experienced in taking the right steps that result in this natural, unposed look, while still ensuring everyone looks their best, important details and feelings are captured, and the image quality is high.

If you have an upcoming newborn photo shoot, here are some ways we will ensure your photos have that natural look our clients love.

1) Make it FUN for kids

Instead of telling kids to sit and smile at the camera, we love to have fun and make a game out of it. This always ends up in genuine smiles out of everyone, and some real, authentic moments captured that will bring a smile to the families faces for years to come.

Lifestyle newborn family photo on bed

2) Include pets

Some pets will sit nicely for the photos, while others instill a bit of chaos - either way, the adorable moment when your furry family member is captured always results real smiles (and laughter) which loosens everyone up. Not to mention the photos are even more meaningful when ALL family members are involved!

Natural lifestyle photo of parents, baby and dog

3) Capture you and baby where you spend the most time

Forget that studio backdrop! The rocking chair, the crib, or your bed make the perfect setting. We love to find perfect pockets of light in the areas you spend the most time with your baby. This instantly creates a feeling of comfort and familiarity, and makes the photos extra sentimental.

Lifestyle newborn session in Vancouver featuring mom holding baby

4) Capture baby while they’re AWAKE

So many people assume that perfect newborn photos require a sleeping baby, but with our style of photography we want to capture your baby doing baby things. So even if they’re not sleeping peacefully, an awake baby might do some of the cutest things - yawn, stretch, look right at you - which you’ll be so glad we captured.

Baby yawning, lifestyle newborn photography in Vancouver, BC

5) Focus on the details

We make it our mission to capture the tiny details that make your baby unique. If your baby has luscious lashes or curly toes, you better believe we will snap some nice photos to commemorate those details. Put all of these photos together, and you get a more natural, storytelling vibe that paints a picture of this fleeting time in your life.

Fist bump closeup of baby, Vancouver BC photography

6) Interact with baby and each other

We love to give prompts like having you kiss, nuzzle or tickle your baby with your nose. Parents always smile, and we see their shoulders relax and expressions lighten up as their love for their baby shines through.

Mom holding baby closeup, natural in-home photography, Vancouver BC

7) Frame baby with the parents

A natural style of photography is perfect for families who don’t want to be the focus of the photos, but still want to be included. We usually focus on baby, with the parents as a part of the photo but not the main event. This takes the pressure off the parents, and feels more natural than staring at the camera.

Lifestyle newborn photo focused on baby, Vancouver, BC

8) Light from behind

We LOVE backlighting! By putting the brightest part of the image (ie. light shining through the window) behind the subjects, this creates a lighter airy look, which instantly softens the photo to lend to a more natural style.

Newborn photo shoot, Vancouver, BC

9) Use your own items as props

We have a few simple baskets we can bring along to our sessions, but if the family has a special prop or basket at home we can use, the photos are even more authentic and meaningful. By posing baby in items that belong the family, we can tie in the more posed baby closeups with the natural lifestyle photos of the family.

Lifestyle newborn session, siblings photo, Vancouver BC

10) Coordinate neutral outfits

We always suggest COORDINATING, not matching, within a neutral colour palette. By wearing a variety of textures or shades within a range of light neutrals, like whites and beiges, everyone looks styled and cohesive for a more polished photo without looking overly staged.

Vancouver BC lifestyle newborn photography, family and baby

Have we missed any tips for natural looking photos? What helped your photos to look more natural? Share in the comments!