Should I bring Props to my newborn photography session?
You’ve just booked your newborn session and you’re super excited to have your brand new little bundle of joy professionally photographed. You know you obviously need to bring in your new tiny human, but is there anything else you need to bring with you to your session? Do newborn photographers provide props? Do you need to bring in outfits? What exactly do you ned to bring along? Let’s discuss!
Will my photographer have props ready for my newborn photography session?
Your newborn photographer will have everything you need for your session. Photographers invest a TON of money into not only purchasing props, accessories, and sets, but generally, established newborn photographers will have newborn-specific props, made specifically for newborn photography. Your newborn photographer typically spends about an hour prior to your session preparing for your arrival, making sure all of the different setups are ready. So in short, do newborn photographers provide props? YES! Your newborn photographer will have all of those fun props and accessories ready to go for your photography session.
How many props will my newborn photographer use?
That really depends on a few things and varies from photographer to photographer. Some newborn photographers like to shoot more lifestyle shots, which means they use less props but focus more on candid, unposed shots. Some photographers prefer the more posed approach, and love getting artistic with not only the props they use but the poses as well. I own and operate a newborn photography studio in San Diego, specializing in safe and artistic posed newborn photography. For me, I use quite a few different props for each of my newborns. I roughly go through three different blanket setups for those ‘beanbag’ shots and 4-6 physical props that I use to carefully pose baby in or on. This seems like the average amount of props for our community of professional newborn photographers that specialize in posed newborn photography.
Do I need to bring outfits for my newborn photography session?
If you’re considering hopping into your newborn’s photography session for a few family photos (and I recommend that you do), then yes – bring outfits for the rest of the family to wear. I always recommend sticking to solid, neutral colors to keep focus on baby for the session. You won’t need to bring any outfits in for your newborn unless there is a specific, heirloom, or significantly important outfit you absolutely must have your newborn wear. Some parents like to bring in their vintage baby outfits, passed through the generations within the family, and that’s such a beautiful thing, to continue the tradition. If there isn’t anything of significance you need to have incorporated, leave the styling to your photographer. Your newborn photographer will have tons of knit wraps and outfits that will color coordinate with what the rest of the family is wearing.
Should I order a crochet outfit from Amazon or Target for my newborn photography session?
Please no. I mean, if you show up with one of those chunky knit diaper covers with matching bonnet, I am not going to turn you away, but I will let you in on a little secret: most of us professional newborn photographers despise those crochet diaper covers and matching themed bonnet. Why? Well for starters, the yarn used tends to be more on the shiny side, making photographs with them not that soft and warm. Second, they NEVER FIT WELL! They may say ‘newborn size’ or ‘0-3 months’ in the description, but I am pretty certain they are referring to the newborn size of a rhinoceros. They are always too big and bulky, and they just don’t have the movement of a more delicate, custom created newborn outfit made from a newborn specific small business. I can tell you from experience that the majority of the time that I incorporate one of these mass produced crochet outfits into my workflow, parents see right away how unflattering the outfit really is, and opt to just skip it and go with what I provide instead.
What are the most popular props for newborn photography?
I would say that hands down, the most utilized props in my studio are the wooden boxes or baskets. What makes them so popular? Well, they can be used in so many ways! Is baby a little fussy and not ready for posing just yet? That’s when the basket can be used to place a well swaddled and supported newborn inside. Is baby totally asleep and ready for intricate posing? Stuff a wooden box almost to the top with pretty layers and carefully pose baby in a side laying position on top. The box style props get used with every single one of my newborn photography sessions .
Another popular newborn prop is the bucket. There was a time that my studio housed about ten different buckets. What? Yep! I needed one in every color. Nowadays, I have one simple bucket with interchangeable ‘skins’, to offer an endless amount of possibilities in terms of colors and themes. If you’re a newborn photographer and you’re interested in this concept, I can’t praise Hello Little Props enough for their unique and clever newborn photography posing aids and products. The bucket pose is a very popular one that can be used for older newborns too.
The mini bed is also a popular choice… it’s essentially a miniature sized wooden bed with a small ‘mattress’. Since newborns are so tiny, it makes sense to photograph them posed on a little bed that has been scaled down to their size.
Other popular props include a doll sized high chair. Although baby needs to be asleep and ready for posing, I love getting the head on hands or froggy pose in these props!
Big wooden bowls are pretty popular. We are not talking your salad bowl from home, but rather a very shallow, wide wooden bowl that you can add a few layers to and have baby laying comfortable on their backs on for a sweet, rustic look.
Flokati rugs are a big hit as well. These rugs are super fluffy and allow for baby to be laying flat on the rug in a swaddle or upright in a ‘potato sack’ type pose.
Do in-home newborn photographers bring props as well?
Do newborn photographers provide props when traveling to your in-home newborn photography session? If your newborn photographer does not have an established baby photography studio, and travels to you for an in-home session, they typically will indeed bring a few props, but keep in mind that they likely drive a car the same size as yours, and can’t fit a ton of things in there. My advice is to ask your home newborn photographer in advance to bring a particular prop that you have your eye on from their portfolio to ensure that it makes the cut into the car. I remember when I first started my newborn photography career and didn’t have a studio, lugging all of the storage bins and bulky props to my clients’ homes was exhausting! I always felt like I was playing a game of Tetris when packing my car lol!
So in summary, the answer to the question ‘Do newborn photographers provide props?’ is YES! We have it all, and we can’t wait to capture these special moments for you!