The Magic of Froggy Position | Step by Step & How to Safely Pose

Located in Houston, Sarah Borchgrevink shares newborn posing tips on how to safely composite the popular & precious "froggy" pose.

“Sarah is AMAZING! The time and care she takes setting up everything for the newborn session to be perfect is great. She was so patient and careful with our son like he was her own. You can tell she has so much fun doing her job and loves what she does. Dont waste your time calling other photographers, Sarah is the person to go to document you little one. What Sarah does is truly a gift! She is outstanding!!”

— Deborah

Please note the following: This post is intended to show parents how we safely creating this classic newborn pose that is commonly requested. 

See Behind the scenes images of newborn posing in a studio atmosphere 

Greetings and welcome! Today's blog post topic is an overview on the popular froggy pose. This is the most requested pose by parents and one that I truly enjoy doing. There's something super sweet & special about baby's chubby cheeks being showcased and seeing their darling little tootsies! However, this pose is very advanced and requires special training.

Moreover, parents typically ask, "What do you mean by training?" Newborn safety and training, for instance, is mentoring and taking hands on workshops in which you learn how to safely handle and pose a newborn baby. While newborn photography should look effortless, as if baby posed themselves even, it is anything but. It requires much safety, skill and time.

As one of the best newborn photographers in Houston, I do pride myself on always being respectful of my most petite clients. Part of this is creating beautiful fine art images of brand new cherubs through the use of safety techniques. 

A few things to note:

• Not every baby likes froggy pose. If baby resists, we move on.
• This is best achived with a new baby who is 5-8 days new 
• If baby is not flexible enough, we do not force this pose
• This pose is ALWAYS a composite. 
• Do not EVER try to do this on your own. It is not worth the risk of hurting a new baby.

What is a composite?

Froggy pose is always done as a composite. A composite image is when two or more images are merged together in post processing software, such as Photoshop. It's sort of like building an image: you take multiple photos in which baby is fully supported and then through the magic of editing, a beautiful image is created in which we're able to truly showcase the stunning aspects of a new baby. 

Hands on Baby at all times

Once baby is in a very deep sleep, I place baby on my bean bag. I ensure baby is completely supported through the use of posing beans, which are the must have safety tool for all photographers.

Tips to ensure baby is sleepy:

• White noise machine playing (mimicking the sound of the womb)
• Warm environment - typically around 77 - 80 degrees 
• Lots of patience and soothing
• Pacifier is a huge help

Step One: Hands supporting baby's chin from beneath

The baby you see here is Sebastian. He was very laid back and easy to work with; because he was also very new and flexible, we were able to quickly pose him into the froggy pose perfectly. As you can see, he is sleeping peacefully and my hand is holding him in place. At no point did I ever remove my hand from the baby. I took two images here. He is supported on my bean bag and then has posing beans beneath and behind him to ensure he does not slide forwards or backwards.

Step Two: Hands Supporting Head From Above

After baby is in a very deep sleep, I place my hand on his head from above. I am holding his weight and he is supported beneath through the posing beans I linked in an earlier paragraph (above). 

Merge your images in processing through photoshop composite

Switch up the angles for more interest

When working with a newborn baby, it's fun to do a profile angle of baby during froggy. If they're very laid back, I am often able to  do more than one angle, such as straight on or side view. I like side view, however, because it shows off baby's face better and is more interesting, in my opinion. However, I do like front on, too, and this is the preference of most parents so I include both if possible. 

Check out other recent froggy poses that I've done in studio.

Thanks for stopping by the blog to read how to safely pose a newborn baby in the perfectly precious froggy pose! I hope you enjoyed reading a little bit about the magic of Photoshop and how we achieve these fine art looks! While froggy is a stunning image and makes for gorgeous portrait of your baby, please remember this is an advanced pose and should never be attempted without taking a workshop and hands on training. Parents: also remember this looks easy when you see behind the scenes photos, but it's not anything you should attempt at home. Do not ever risk your baby's safety for a DIY photo shoot. Always trust professionals like myself! :-) 

If you liked reading about newborn safety, these posts may pique your interest, too!

• Tricks to Implementing  Bean Bag Posing into your Workflow
• Striking a Pose: How to Add Vibrancy to a Newborn Color Scheme 

Specializing in posed baby portraits, Sarah Borchgrevink Photography is a Houston Newborn Photographer serving the surrounding areas including Houston metro area, Cypress, Katy, Spring, The Heights, Sugar Land, West University, Bellaire, and The Woodlands, TX. In addition to breathtaking newborn images, Sarah also offers stylish natural light family photography as well as dynamic outdoor maternity sessions for expecting couples.

 

Rainbow Baby Girl Calista | Cutest Houston Newborn Photography

Sarah Borchgrevink Photography offers timeless, fresh and unique baby photography. Calista + her sweet parents visited the studio at 11 days new.

Hi, friends! Good morning to you! Happy Friday! Today is a great day here in Houston. The sun is shining, it's about 80 degrees out, and I have a full calendar of fun shoots geared up for this weekend. However, up first is an adorable studio session focusing on a precious baby girl. If this is your first time at my blog, welcome! I'm excited you're here. 

In case you're interested, C's parents booked both a natural light, outdoor maternity session that took place during sunset . This is a huge treat for me because it's fun to work together before we document your newborn baby's session. This is also a great idea for clients because it ensures the editing style is the same so all of your wall art is cohesive and matches, plus it means you've met the person who will be handling your new baby. As a mama, I completely understand who you choose to photograph your newborn is a huge deal! I am currently pregnant with baby number 4 and just booked me own newborn session for him; I did a TON of research! 

Also: before we dive into the session I have to brag a little bit. Mom is a super talented hair and make up artist serving the entire Houston area. I refer her to all of my clients so here's a little more information about her professional beauty services in case you're ever looking for someone to make some magic, ha! She also is extremely sweet, giving, kind and a joy to work with. I cannot recommend her highly enough. She's located close to my studio, too, so it's really convenient. 

Let's get started, shall we? :-) 

Family and Parent Images 

For family and parent images, I like to wrap baby in a soft neutral color so as not to detract from baby's elegance. For little boys, I generally leave them without a bonnet or hat, however, for little ladies, like Calista, I will adorn their sweet heads with a lovely flower crown, headband or tie back. In this particular instance, I used a pink and purple headband by one of my favorite newborn prop vendors since this reflects the colors in baby's nursery. This vendor is located in the UK, but makes amazing items! Check her out. :-) 

Rainbow Baby Girl | Calista at 11 days fresh & new

You may be asking yourself, "What's a rainbow baby?" According to kick's count, a rainbow baby is:

A “rainbow baby” is a baby that is born following a miscarriage, stillbirth, neonatal death or infant loss.In the real world, a beautiful and bright rainbow follows a storm and gives hope of things getting better. The rainbow is more appreciated having just experienced the storm in comparison.

The mama natural blog also elaborates explaining that:

Like the miracle of a rainbow after a storm, many mamas refer to babies born after loss as their rainbow babies.  The rainbow doesn’t erase the storm, nor does the arrival of a new baby eclipse the tragedy of previous pregnancy loss.

Calista and her parents stopped by for a full newborn collection when she was 11 days fresh and new. Weighing over 9 pounds, her chubby cheeks and adorable features truly made my heart melt. I could not help but marvel at her beauty and tell her mama how lucky she is. 

This collection is about 2 hours long. This gives plenty of time for baby to be fed, soothed, etc., and also allows for diaper changes and a relaxed atmosphere. 

There's something especially fresh and pure about using white during a newborn session. While I am a really big fan of all things vibrant, I do include neutrals here and there since it adds a timeless element to your gallery. All of my headbands, tie backs, bonnets and hats are custom designed by small business owners so there's a huge selection.

This super cute floor prop is a dream! I wish it was mine, but Mom did bring it in. It looks perfect again the burgundy! 

Followed by the vintage Dr. Pepper box, we used one of my favorite buckets. The sage green looks lovely on her. Green, you see, is one of those colors parents don't always consider. That's part of my job during session design: coming up with neat combinations for you. 

The vintage cradle is one of my other favorite props. This is because the prop can be styled to reflect the gender of baby. In this case, we used a soft mauve that's muted. Pink is not my favorite color but I will use a mauve here and there. While there is nothing wrong with the color pink, it's a common color and my goal is to create interesting images that are dynamic, fresh and authentic through the use of texture, color, and vintage inspired props and items. :-) If you like pink, however, no worries! I always make sure it is showcased at some point in your collection. In case you are interested in some alternatives to pink, feel free to read away!

After floor props, this is where we do the bean bag posing. All of these are done with care and usually take about 45 minutes from start to finish. Baby does call the shots here, so if she is not comfortable in a pose, we move on and try something else. If you would like to read more about my favorite newborn poses, too, you'll find tons of great information on newborn safety, posing and handling. 

Sarah Borchgrevink Photography is a Houston Newborn Photographer specializing in gorgeous posed newborn sessions. Her studio is located in Northwest Houston. In addition to breathtaking baby portraiture, Sarah also offers stylish natural light family photography as well as dynamic outdoor maternity sessions for expecting mothers and couples. Sarah joyfully serves the entire Harris and Montgomery county areas including North Houston, Cypress, Tomball, Spring, Jersey Village, The Woodlands, Magnolia, Conroe, Willis, Montgomery, Humble, Kingwood, Porter, New Caney, Waller, Memorial & West Houston, Katy, Fulshear, Sugar Land, Pearland, Hempstead, Richmond, West University, Rice Village and Porter TX. Sarah has also been ranked among the Best Houston TX Newborn Photographers on the criteria of reputation, credibility, experience, availability, professionalism and engagement. Connect to chat with Sarah today! Please consider booking your session at your earliest convenience in order to secure your appointments on the calendar.

Connect With Sarah | Let's Chat

Here is where Sarah's Houston Newborn Studio is located:

 

Outdoor Family Photos Houston TX | Charlie's Sitter Session

Candid and laid back outdoor family session featuring Charlie's 6 month milestone photos. Located in NW Houston, Sarah Borchgrevink offers gorgeous outdoor family portraits to both new and returning clients.

The perks of a baby plan membership:

• Same photography style throughout so editing and professional products look cohesive

• A portrait artist you've grown to know and someone who works well with your children

• Easy booking process

• Similar props used throughout sessions to showcase baby's growth

This in mind, I have immensely enjoyed getting to know their sweet family. So far, I've had the honor of photographing their outdoor, natural light maternity session and the posed newborn photos, too.