When an expecting mom contacts me for a newborn photo session (usually sometime in the second trimester), I tell her that I will pencil her in 7 days after her due date. Once the baby arrives I firm up the exact time and aim for 7-10 days old, and usually before 14 days. There are many reasons newborn photographers aim for this small window of time (sleepier and easier to pose among other things), but I never turn away a client if their baby is a bit older.
(Four Month Old Triplets)
Often times, babies born early will need to spend time in the NICU, inevitably pushing back the photo session. When this happens, I just tell parents to let me know when baby (or babies!) is healthy and at home and we will schedule the session at that time. This could be an additional few days, weeks, or even months, but it is possible to provide a session similar to a "new" newborn at an older age.
(3 Week Old Twins)
While babies under two weeks old tend to like being curled up in womb-like poses and sleep for longer stretches of time, there are a lot of posing opportunities for older babies as well.
Here are a few tips to keep in mind when posing older newborns-
1. Bring extra wraps, pants, hats, etc- Older babies are not as happy being undressed, even if the room is warm. I usually start with baby in their diaper and swaddle them tight and cozy. They may start to drift off to sleep (great!), or they may be wide awake.
(One Month Old)
(25 Days Old)
2. Embrace the awake time!- Parents love shots of baby with their eyes open, and bonus points if baby is making eye contact with the camera. Since it is a bit tough to add a variety of awake poses, vary the props and backdrop. Put baby in a basket, add a bonnet, change the blanket, etc. This will add some depth to the gallery you present to the clients.
3. Use that pacifier- Soother, binky, miracle worker, whatever you want to call it, just be sure parents bring a couple ("Soothie" brand seems to works best). Even if mom says that baby hates it, I have found that babies will be able to soothe themselves at least a little (which makes all the difference sometimes). Babies aren't used to being moved as much as they will be during the session and popping in the pacifier for a few moments can really help get baby settled into the new position. Parents may worry that pacifiers will cause bad habits to form, but the few moments they are used during the session will not cause any confusion when feeding.
4. Mini lifestyle session- If baby is having a tough time settling, take a break from baby-only photos and include mom and dad for some lifestyle portraits. This way baby will be nice and cozy in mom's arms and you can still get some great shots of what life is like with a new baby including little details. These are always some of my favorites from newborn sessions!
I know I was a little overwhelmed with my first older baby (who stayed awake the entire 3-hour session), but now I know it is possible to get a great gallery with a lot of variety, that parents will love. I hope these tips will help make your older newborn sessions go smoothly and stress-free!
Her style is classic, natural, and simple.
