After seeing so many baby-propped-up-on-his-own-hands, baby-in-arms-of-shirtless-dad, baby-tucked-into-knitted-cocoon and baby-in-giant-floral-headband photos, I wondered if there weren’t some alternative newborn baby shots out there.
Let’s face it, it’s hard for a newborn baby to take a bad photo, especially in her parents’ eyes. But there is definitely a common vocabulary to many newborn photo shoots, and I was convinced I could find some incredible alternatives if I just looked hard enough. I wanted to find photos that also had a sense of humour and that would still make beautiful keepsakes that grandparents would be proud to frame.
And I didn’t have to look all that hard—it turns out there are many non-cheesy newborn photography options!
Here are seven of my favourites. And if you’ve found more fantastic ways to photograph newborns, please share a link (to the original source) below!
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- <h1>Baby on Whiteboard</h1><br />
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<p>Photography by <a href="http://jenjohnson.typepad.com/family/" target="_blank">Jen Johnson</a></p><br />
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<p>Not only does this sweet little baby have an adorable expression, I love this idea for recording all kinds of milestones—simply add the date to one of the corners, and you'll have a sweet new way to create a baby book. It'll get significantly harder to manage once your baby is mobile, but while they're wee, this is an adorable idea.</p>
- 7 Beautifully Adorable Ways to Photograph Newborns
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- https://canadianfamily.ca/kids/pregnancy/adorable-ways-to-photograph-newborns/slide/whiteboardbabyweb/
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- <h1>One Onesie, One Year</h1><br />
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<p>Photography by <a href="http://www.ericasbloggityblog.com" target="_blank">Erica Grover</a></p><br />
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<p>I love this way of showing how much babies grow in the course of the year. And I love Erica's description of how much laughter was involved while putting her baby in this onesie every few months.</p>
- 7 Beautifully Adorable Ways to Photograph Newborns
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- https://canadianfamily.ca/kids/pregnancy/adorable-ways-to-photograph-newborns/slide/oneyearsameonesieweb/
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- <h1>Inside and Out</h1><br />
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<p>Photography by <a href="http://natalie-david.blogspot.com/2010/07/mr-beck.html" target="_blank">Natalie Fenn</a></p><br />
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<p>The pregnant belly part of photo was taken the day before this little guy arrived. Natalie says on her site that the shot was a bit of an afterthought, but that it occurred to her to shoot the mom in the same shirt, but this time with baby in her arms. I've seen a few variations on this "in and out" idea, but I like this head-on version the best.</p><br />
- 7 Beautifully Adorable Ways to Photograph Newborns
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- https://canadianfamily.ca/kids/pregnancy/adorable-ways-to-photograph-newborns/slide/beckweb/
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- <h1>Once Every Month</h1><br />
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<p>Photography by Amanda Hawkins, <a href="http://ahhh-design.com" target="_blank">Ahhh-Design.com</a></p><br />
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<p>This is another great way to showcase the progression of time as baby grows. In this case, photographer Amanda used the same letter P to photograph her daughter Pepper once a month. I love that she didn't worry about whether baby was in the same pose or position—I think the variety of poses is really sweet.</p>
- 7 Beautifully Adorable Ways to Photograph Newborns
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- https://canadianfamily.ca/kids/pregnancy/adorable-ways-to-photograph-newborns/slide/1to6monthsweb/
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- <h1>With Pups</h1><br />
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<p>Photography by <a href="http://www.studiotran.com/?postID=811&metairie-newborn-photography" target="_blank">Leslie Pendleton, Studio Tran</a></p><br />
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<p>We don't have dogs, but if we did, I'd want to take a picture like this. There's something so serene and almost... regal?... about two calm doggies watching over a sweet little bundle. A little bundle who will—in a matter of mere months—be yanking on their ears and pulling their tails and generally testing their doggie patience. I've seen how lovely the bond can be between young kids and the dogs who were in the house before they arrived—this would be a lovely keepsake to have around long after the dogs have passed.</p>
- 7 Beautifully Adorable Ways to Photograph Newborns
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- https://canadianfamily.ca/kids/pregnancy/adorable-ways-to-photograph-newborns/slide/babyjordanwithpupsweb/
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- <h1>Mustache Time!</h1><br />
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<p>Photography by <a href="http://www.mabyn.com/portrait/masons-first-photo-shoot/" target="_blank">Mabyn Ludke, Mabyn Ludke Photography</a></p><br />
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<p>This is an instance when I fully support the use of props in newborn photography. These photos made me laugh so hard the first time I saw them. The best thing about this is the fact that the baby really seems to find it hysterical as well—he's totally hamming it up for the camera! What you don't see here (but can see if you click the link above) is another image of Dad laughing out loud as he's holding little baby Mason with his mustache on. It's cute, funny and original. I love it.</p>
- 7 Beautifully Adorable Ways to Photograph Newborns
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- <h1>A Moment Between Baby and Mom</h1><br />
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<p>Photography by <a href="http://www.amelialyon.net/personal/lucy-in-the-sky-with-diamonds.html" target="_blank">Amelia Lyon</a></p><br />
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<p>I love this one. Quiet, sweet and absolutely gorgeous.</p>
- 7 Beautifully Adorable Ways to Photograph Newborns
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This story is part of our New Baby Guide. Check it out for more info on bringing home, planning for and surviving having a new baby.
I like the close-ups of baby features so you can remember exactly how every little part of your baby looked when he or she was first born. See this link:
http://kindlight.ca/?page_id=180
for some close-ups.
Take care,
Susie