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 Timeless Newborn Session | South Jersey Newborn and Portrait Photographer

I absolutely LOVE when a gallery is cohesive and all of the images can come together with similar colors throughout.

You don’t need a session full of props to have a gallery full of variety. While I do LOVE creating fun sets when parents DO request a theme, simple sets help keep the focus on the baby and maintains a timeless style.

Simple, minimalistic sets allow for less movement of baby, more variety (Yes, MORE), and the end results end up creating AMAZING wall art galleries in your home.

I always allow my clients to pick colors they love and want to display in their homes, and with those colors, I try and create simple yet full galleries, tying every image together. You’d be amazed at how many different images we can get with just a few sets..

Take a look at some of my favorite images from Mr. Andrew’s session! We look 2 colors that mama loved and created a variety of images to create the perfect gallery!

How to NOT Look Awkward in Your Family Photos | South Jersey Portrait Photographer

A huge reason that people put off having family photos done is that they are convinced they will be so awkward in the photos. I regularly have clients tell me “we are no models!” or “we have no idea how to pose! Guess what? Almost none of my clients are real models! And honestly, those still pose/forced smiles never photograph well! You can have beautiful, natural, candid family photos no matter who you are or how much “experience” in front of the camera you have.

Here are some tips on how to look and feel less awkward in your family photos. Make sure to read all the way through because I saved the most important one for last!

MOVEMENT

A huge part of my photography experience is genuine connection and movement. Sitting still or “posing” will make clients, especially children look stiff. Move around and loosen up! Lean into your partner, move your head from one family member to the other. Reach down ruffle your kiddos’ hair or whisper a secret in their ear. Tickle them a bit or give them a giant squeeze. Hold hands and run towards the crazy camera lady or walk in a giant field. These movements will help create REAL smiles and genuine connections without you feeling and looking forced/stiff.

TOUCH

Touch is everything! This is similar to movement, but will really bring that emotion/connection into the photos. Physical contact is what brings a photo from blah to WOW. Your family photo session should be a way to show off the love that everyone has for one another. Heads should always be close together, arms should ALWAYS be touching someone, not dangling to the side. No gaps in between each other.

Here are some examples of things to do:

• hold their hand

• rest your hand on their chest

• twirl their hair in your finger

• gently grab their chin or touch forheads

• snuggle them into a bear hug

• tickle their belly

• kiss their temple

The options are endless, and this adds so much connection to your images. This not only really brings out that emotion, but again, avoids those awkward, stiff poses.

Enjoy The Moment

This is a perfect time to take a mental step back and soak in some time with your family. Instead of focusing too much on the “perfect” family portraits, think about all the tiny details you want to remember from this stage. The things you want to remember about this moment, right now. The way your baby fits so perfectly into your arms, the way your toddler crinkles their nose, the way your partner looks at you or your babies. Focus on your family instead of the photographer. Just BE in the moment and forget about the camera. Love on your family and the emotions will shine right through in the final images. So lean in, soak it up, and be amazed at what your life has created.

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

A Beautiful New Addition | South Jersey Newborn Photographer

South Jersey Newborn Session - Nora

OH MY GOODNESS- the amount of joy I feel for this family welcoming their new baby girl is immeasurable!

Big sister Ava, mom and dad have been waiting years for this moment and I was so honored to be able to document this part of their journey for them!

A huge part of my job is not just “taking photos”, but truly freezing time. Its capturing these important milestones in you and your family’s lives so that in years to come, you can put yourself back in these moments and remember allllll the feelings. Its truly the best job in the entire world to be able to watch your kiddos and families grow!

Take a look at some favorites from miss Nora’s newborn session