How to Dress for your Newborn Photography Session
Well, baby has arrived and you’re counting down the days until your newborn photography session. This will be your very first time taking professional photos as a family with your newest little addition. You may be wondering what on earth to wear for such an occasion. Well, here are my top five tips for newborn photos what to wear – a handy little list of tips to prepare for the big day!
Tips for what to Wear for your Newborn Photography Session
1. What should my newborn wear for our newborn photography session?
Even though baby will be the main star of the show, your newborn baby won’t need to have any special outfits brought to the studio. Your newborn photographer will have everything ready for your little one, including a variety of knit, footed rompers and swaddles in every matching color. There are actually three different options for what your newborn will be wearing for those family portraits.
– Baby can go totally nakkey – yep, no clothes, but posed and positioned properly so that all you see is one perfectly posed newborn. Be advised that as baby will be without a diaper, you may possibly have run in with a bit of pee or poop. It happens quite often! No need to stress, my magical Photoshop will fix any rapid fire poop-splosions on mom and dad’s outfits!
– Your newborn can be swaddled. As a professional newborn photographer, I have quite an array of knit wraps that I use as swaddles. I would say that this is the most popular choice among parents for their family photos with their newborn. Baby will be snug in a comforting swaddle in a color that coordinates with what mom, dad and siblings are wearing. The most popular colors of choice are cream and white knit wraps.
– Your baby can be dressed in a solid colored, footed, knit romper that your professional photographer should have on hand. These knitted rompers are found in specialty newborn prop boutiques on Etsy and similar shops online. These knit rompers are footed and come with a matching bonnet or sleepy cap. Knit ropers are great if you prefer to have your newborn posed but are afraid of explosive poops or you just simply prefer to have your newborn clothed for those family photos.
2. What should my other kids wear for the newborn photography session?
Newborn Photos What to Wear: Your new baby may have toddler siblings and sometimes, toddlers just don’t want to wear what you want them to. Don’t stress! If big sister, Sally doesn’t want to put on that cream colored dress, let her pick a solid colored tank top or shirt with no logos or patterns. For siblings, I recommend light, neutral colors. I find sibling photos to be the most timeless photos, and I love to see neutrals especially. If you are able to get big sis Sally to put on that dress, may I suggest that she also wear a pair of bike short underneath of the same color. Little kids can be super active during the sibling photo portion of the session and may accidentally move their legs into positions that could otherwise be revealing of their undergarments. As much as I can try to fix wardrobe malfunctions in Photoshop, it’s easiest to have those bike shorts on.
3. What Should my Husband Wear for our Newborn Photography Session?
Ok hear me out – I know this isn’t for everyone, but if dad is on board, I love capturing a newborn baby posed against daddy’s bare chest. It makes for such a timeless and artistic shot!
Going shirtless not for you? No worries, I would say the majority of my dad clients prefer to wear a shirt. So what kind of shirt should he wear? Well, I like short sleeved button up shirts. Solid colors with no logos or patterns. We want to keep the focus on that connection between baby and father/family, and patterns and logos can be quite distracting.
4. What Should I Wear for our Newborn Photography Session?
If you haven’t already caught on to a pattern of what colors I recommend wearing, I will say it again – solid colors with no logos or patterns. We don’t want to distract from the beauty of your newborn baby. In terms of colors, that is entirely up to you! I always suggest neutral colors such as cream, gray, black, and in moderation, white. When I photograph families, I generally like to shoot close up shots of baby perfectly posed high on mom’s chest, with a crop from the waist up. For this reason, there is no reason to stress over what to wear below the waist. A great idea for your wardrobe is to wear the dress your wore for your maternity session. These are typically form fitting and made of comfortable material. If you don’t have a maternity dress of your own, as a San Diego Maternity Photographer, I have a few in the photography studio that you are welcome to wear for the newborn session! Are you not a ‘dress’ person? No problem! A simple solid colored tank top works perfectly too!
5. Should my family all wear white for my newborn photography session?
Many photographers secretly cringe when the mention of wearing white comes up. Why is that? Well, although it sounds great to have the family all wear white, it really is not the most pleasing to the eye. With everyone wearing the same white color, family members begin to get washed out and all look the same. A good photographer will be able to avoid this issue but it can indeed be an issue – blown highlights on that white shirt. When the image is overexposed or the light is a bit too bright on certain areas of the white shirt, it can ‘blow out’ the color, leaving certain patches with bright, splotches, missing detail and texture. If you really want to wear white, try off white or cream, or only have one member of your family wear the color instead of all of you together.
Well, there you have it, Newborn Photos What to Wear – a quick guide to help you get ready for your newborn session! I hope this guide has helped you plan for your upcoming newborn photography session. Are you interested in booking your Newborn Photographer in San Diego? Send me a message below and let’s get started!
Newborn Photos What to Wear – a handy little blog post to help you plan your family’s wardrobe for your newborn photography session.