Tips for Including Siblings in Your Newborn Photography Session | South Jersey Newborn and Portrait Photographer

Big love begins in the smallest moments

Photographing your newborn and their sibling captures the beginning of a bond you’ll want to capture forever, but if you’re a mom of more than 1, you might be a little anxious about how your older kiddos will behave during the photo session. Toddlers are full of energy and this is new time for them too. The idea of getting them to cooperate for newborn photos can feel impossible, but . take a deep breath- it is possible to get beautiful sibling portraits! I specialize in newborn photography AND family portraits, so I’ve learned a lot about encouraging toddlers and kiddos to participate and enjoy photo day!

Below are some tips that YOU can do to make photo day a little bit easier!

Give them time in the spotlight.

An older sibling of a newborn has often just become an older sibling, which means they’re still getting used to having a baby in the house. They may feel that their parents don’t pay as much attention to them with all the needs of their new sibling (We KNOW this isn’t true ;) ). Take time to make sure your older kids feel involved in the photo session, both in photos with your new baby and photos of the whole family together. Hype them up about important their job is as the cool new sibling and how important it is to let them hold baby! Your newborn session is a great way to let older siblings know that it’s not just about your new addition, but about your growth as a family.

Encourage them to snuggle up.

Your older child may feel unsure or uncomfortable around the new baby, and a photo session can be a great way to help them loosen up and get to know their new sibling. Some of my favorite photos are images of the older sibling holding, kissing, or snuggling the new baby. Encourage them to gently touch the newborn and to get close, which can lead to a lot of giggles and smiles and some great photos.

Let them do their own thing.

One of the most important things is not to force your older child to participate in the session. The last thing you want is a tantrum or a grumpy face in your photos! Instead, encourage them to participate without forcing them. I always suggest to maybe have their favorite song or show on standby and they can watch while/if they take a fun picture with their new baby!

You may be surprised how much they enjoy being involved on their own, and giving your older child space to explore and relax can result in more natural, genuine images of your family.

Talk to them beforehand.

It’s so important to let your older children know what to expect from a photo session. Whether they love to be in front of the camera or are a little bit shy, talking to them in the days before your shoot about how things will go can really ease their minds and make them more comfortable with the photographer. Be sure to sit down with your older child throughout the week before your session and talk to them about how you’re going to have photos taken and the importance of listening to both you and the photographer.

With a little preparation, you may find that they’re excited to participate, which makes for wonderful photos!

A Beautiful Jersey Beach Maternity Session | South Jersey Maternity and Newborn Photographer

As a photographer, I think stressing about the weather takes up half my time - Weather definitely can make a break a session, and if you know anything about New Jersey, you know it can be so unpredictable, but I always am determined to get that session in regardless.

This particular day was a RAINY/foggy one. Even my drive down to the Jersey Shore was drizzling. Would you believe that we stuck it out and still got THESE amazing photos?

While, yes, I absolutely love a good golden sunset, sometimes the cloudy days can give such a beautiful softness! There is beauty and magic in everything, you just gotta see it! Take a look at some of the absolute magic we made and don’t forget to reach out about your own beach session this summer!

Is My Newborn Too Old For A Photography Session? | South Jersey Newborn Photographer

As a South Jersey Newborn photographer, I often get the question- Is my baby too old for newborn photos? -

Short answer? NO! Not at all!

Most newborn photographers typically photograph newborn portraits in the first two weeks of baby’s life, however, life happens and sometimes we can’t get the session in until later. 2 weeks is BEST because newborns at this age tend sleep more deeply and are more comfortable in curled-up poses. They still have their day and night schedules mixed up at this age, so they sleep nice and cozy for our session.

But what if your baby is older than two weeks? What if they needed some NICU time, or life got ahead of you and you forgot to schedule something sooner- DONT WORRY. There is plenty of time after the two week mark to get beautiful portraits of your baby.

Is three weeks too old for newborn photos?

Absolutely not!

At three weeks, most babies are still pretty sleepy. Some are starting to have longer wake times and be more alert to their surroundings, and some still pass out cold after a feeding.

If your 3-week-old newborn is awake for a portion of their session, we will likely get better eye contact with the camera and most 3-week-old babies are still comfortable in curled-up positions.

Is four weeks too old for newborn photos?

Nope!!!! At this age, your baby will likely be awake and alert for a good portion of their session, but that’s okay! I’ve actually had plenty of 1 month olds get a good nap in! Some one month old newborns still like to be curled up, but if they seem to be more into kicking/stretching, we can focus on a more wrapped session.to help keep them calmer

Is six weeks too old for a newborn session?

It’s pushing the “newborn” look a bit, but still 1000% doable! At six weeks, we can still get beautiful newborn portraits. I can usually get your baby to sleep for at least some of the session but we may need to focus on more “awake” shots. Family portraits with mom, dad, sibings etc and some cute awake poses on their backs. I often will even suggest an in home lifestlye at this age as well- to keep it even more laid back. 

No matter WHAT age your baby is at the time of your session, we can definitely create magic and capture lasting memories

7 Things Your Newborn Photographer Wants You to Know

Congrats!! You’ve chosen a newborn photographer and can’t wait to get photos of the precious new addition to your family! But if you’ve never had a newborn session before, you may not be sure what to expect from the experience. That’s why I want to let you know a few things that newborn photographers wish all their clients knew.

Every newborn is unique.

Just as every family is different, no two babies are exactly alike. One newborn might be perfectly comfortable posed laying on her belly, while another might absolutely hate it. Your photographer will work with you and your newborn to find the positions they’re most comfortable in and will definitely not force your baby into any poses they aren’t willing to do.

We’ve seen it all. TRUST ME.

If your baby pees on the photographer’s set, throws a fit, or just wants to nurse the whole session, don’t be embarrassed. Chances are your photographer has experienced everything from poop all over their props to being peed on. As a newborn photographer, this is their everyday life, and they’re totally understanding. After all, your baby’s needs come before your photos. So, don’t feel like you have to apologize for every little thing that goes wrong. Your photographer is there to support you and work with you.

We have a lot of tricks up our sleeves.

It can be tempting to swoop in and pick up your newborn as soon as they start crying, but most photographers know a variety of ways to sooth little ones. It’s important for parents to use their newborn session as a time to relax and to trust the photographer. If your baby is truly upset and can’t be calmed down, we’ll be sure to pass them on to you for feeding, diapering, or comfort.

You should feel free to take a break.

As the parent of a newborn, you probably haven’t had a moment to yourself in a while. Well, your photo session is the perfect chance to just sit back and relax. Most of the images will be of your baby, so you get to sit on the sidelines, have a cup of coffee, and maybe finally check your email or return some phone calls. And no judgment if you doze off during the session! I’ll wake you when I need you.

 We want you to share our photos.

Photographers take images for you to cherish and enjoy, and we want you to share them! Post those photos of your newborn all over social media and send to family and friends. We want our images to be seen! Just be sure to credit your photographer when you share their images on Facebook or Instagram and feel free to recommend them to other expecting parents!

Our work doesn’t end with your session.

Since everyone has a camera on their phone these days, photographers hear a lot about how anyone can take a photo. But a professional does so much more than simply click a button. We set up backdrops and lighting, and we know all the tricks of the trade to make your photos turn out amazing. And once the session is over, we spend hours editing your photos to make them the absolute best they can be, providing you with images you’ll cherish for a lifetime.

Simple Studio Newborn Session | South Jersey Photographer

Ohhhh look at this sweet face! Mr. Landon slept amazing and made my job easy! Mama picked neutrals for her photo session and wanted everything pretty simple, so we came out with such a beautiful, cohesive gallery! Take a look at some of my favorites from his session