16 Newborn Poses for Unique Baby Photos

Newborn photography offers a unique opportunity to capture the very first moments of a baby’s life. Infants are highly flexible since their bones consist mainly of cartilage. They can bend into poses that adults or even older children cannot even try. Take advantage of this stage to obtain interesting newborn poses for your album. Whether you have a girl, boy, or even twins, we have easy newborn photography poses that you can try. You can use simple DIY props to assist with the baby poses. Include the siblings in the baby posing as well. Remember how delicate a newborn baby is. Even as you scout for the best shots, remember that safety in posing newborns comes first. 

Basic Newborn Photography Poses

Newborn photography is one of the most tasking yet fulfilling facets of photography. With an infant, it is up to you to select and arrange the poses. Don’t rush it. Baby photo posing takes time. Posing a baby is not easy, but with some patience, you can come up with the most creative shots. Whether you’re dealing with the basic newborn girl or newborn boy photos, or the rarer twins, here are simple newborn poses that you can try: 

1. Chin on Hands

Here the baby wears only a diaper, and the lower torso is covered with loose fabric. Some newborn poses have the baby posing without a diaper, but that increases the chances of soiling the set. A boy could even spray you with pee in the process. And yes, it does happen; it’s all part of the job. Handling a girl is safer in this particular baby posing. Here you let the newborn’s hands pose on a small pillow when lying on the belly. The chin is then placed on the hands. From there, you can shoot from different angles. 

2. Swaddled

This simple newborn pose reminds the baby of the womb position. Swaddling is pretty easy: wrap the baby into a bundle with a soft blanket. The specific swaddling method may differ slightly. For instance, some swaddle the baby with arms across the chest while others prefer them down to the sides. Let the parents help you swaddle their baby as they deem fit. The newborn baby poses comfortably as you snap away. 

3. Little Frog

Baby photography is simply incomplete without this classic newborn pose. The baby literally poses like a frog. Place the baby’s belly down. Fold the hands at the elbow with the palms cupping the chin. Fold the legs forwards at the sides, with the feet peeking just behind the elbows. Such flexibility can only be achieved by a newborn. This pose highlights the baby’s facial features. For a girl, you can include a cute flower crown. And you don’t have to buy one - an easy DIY option will do just fine. 

4. Fallen Froggy Pose

Here’s a nugget to add to your newborn photoshoot tips. Try to achieve different positions with one newborn picture pose. The fallen froggy pose is just one step away from the little frog pose. Here you lay the baby’s head on the side as opposed to supporting it with the hands. The rest of the posture remains the same.

5. Tucked-in Pose

Here you tuck the infant in a bed face-up. Place a small prop under the head. The hands should be slightly visible. You can also have the baby hold something like a flower. This pose, along with the ‘frog’ poses above, is great for newborn portraiture as the focus is on the baby’s facial features.

6. Tushy Up

Here’s another form of sleeping babies photography. Cross the baby’s feet and tuck the knees under the belly, leaving the bum in the air. Fold the arms at the elbow with the hands resting under the chin. With his or her face down and behind poking into the air, this is an adorable and silly way to make loved ones smile with your pictures.

7. Taco Pose

This is one of the newborn poses for pictures that attempt to replicate the womb pose. The baby is practically folded into two, just like a taco. The hands and feet are folded under the upper torso. The pose focuses on the face, fingers, and toes.

8. Laying and Curling

This is one of those easy newborn poses. Simply place the baby on the side, preferably the right side, and tuck the hands under the chin. You can add a hat for a boy or a flower band for a girl for an extra highlight.

9. Back Pose

Natural baby photo posing does not come better than this. Lay the infant on the back with the hands and feet folded above the upper torso. You can use a reflector for extra lighting. Just avoid shining the light directly into the baby’s sensitive eyes. With the back pose, you can achieve amazing newborn portraits highlighting the face. Consider using a diaper for a boy to avoid a pee-spray incident.

10. Tummy Pose

Here you have the newborn laying on his/her tummy. From there, you can achieve different variations of this pose. You can shoot from different angles to highlight various features. Remember to be extra careful when adjusting the head. Make sure to always provide the baby’s neck with proper support. The neck muscles should turn freely. If there’s any tension, give the baby a moment to relax and try again. 

- Top-Down

Here you can use a newborn posing basket. Place the baby on the tummy with the bum raised. Adjust the hands underneath the chin. You can then shoot from the top, side, and any other angle that gives an interesting newborn baby portrait.

- Front Side Portrait Tummy Pose

Here you place the camera overhead for a top-down shot of the baby’s body. The image captures the flowing body shape plus the newborn photography basket. For this perspective, you’ll have to remove the reflector as you’ll have to stand over the baby.

Family Photos with Newborns

Family photos with newborns are even more fun with everyone involved. We have creative newborn photography with parents, siblings, brothers, sisters, and even grandparents. The more the participants, the more newborn family poses you can come up with. 

1. Facing Each Other

This pose comes naturally in newborn photography with parents. The parents are gazing lovingly at their little bundle of joy, who is either asleep or looking back at them.

2. Looking at the Camera

This is another classic for family portraits with newborns. Everybody faces the camera, and you take a conventional portrait. The parents hold their boy or girl upright facing you. Turns out even better if the baby is awake. You can check online for more newborn poses ideas and interesting props for this particular pose. 

3. The Cradle Hold

Parents love to cradle their newborns, making this one of the favorite newborn baby picture poses. The parent cradles the baby at the chest, either facing the camera or looking towards the baby. You can take different shots where parents touch the baby’s hair, hold fingers, or gently kiss the forehead or the nose.

4. Keep Heads Close

You can do the cradle hold with both parents with their heads close together. They could face the camera or look admiringly at the baby.

5. With Siblings

For this one, an elder brother or sister (or both) poses with the baby. In most cases, the elder sibling is a child as well, so you have to be cautious when handing them the baby. Let the sibling sit comfortably, then give them a swaddled baby to hold.

6. Lifestyle Newborn Poses

Here you aim to capture the whole family spending time together. They could be posed or not. Either way, you should end up with a lovely family portrait.

Are you ready to try these newborn poses on your young one? Remember, newborn shoots can be unpredictable. The baby might not respond as you expected. Either way, go with the flow. You may not always achieve the pose you were aiming for. That’s okay. You can also end up with a different but equally beautiful one. Finally, remember to keep researching on newborn photo poses ideas so that you can bring a unique aspect to every shoot.

Credits: https://101photography.net/