Earth Tones | Classic, Natural, & Timeless Newborn Photography

5 Day Old Newborn Boy Jack + his classic, rustic and organic earth tone studio session by Sarah Borchgrevink Photography.

All Things Earth Tones for sweet baby boy

Howdy, friends! Happy Monday! I hope your day is having a great start, and I'm glad to see you've found your way to my little 'ol blog. This is where I preview the cutest newborn sessions in Houston and delight in sharing fun information about my studio baby sessions.

Today's blog post is all about earth tones and how to create rustic, timeless, natural and organic newborn photography sessions. They're absolutely some of the best colors and one of my favorite aesthetics with which to work. The texture, richness, and endless options are truly fantastic and are simply beautiful because they are classic, pure and fresh.

Earth tones are a "color scheme that draws from a color palette of browns, tans; any of various rich colors containing some brown. The colors in an earth tone scheme are muted and flat in an emulation of the natural colors found in soil, moss, trees and rocks. Earth tone colors come from natural things around us: brown soil, green leaf, sky, as well as the red sun. These palettes can create a warm, nature-friendly atmosphere (source).

Some of my favorite earth tone color hues are:

• amber
• beige
• bronze
• rust
• auburn
• copper
• hazel
• chocolate
• cinnamon
• chestnuts
• forest
• spinach
• olive
• apple
• fir
• willow
• sienna
• moss

plus many more! Color and texture are the ultimate newborn session inspiration.

Tans and Browns during Naked bean bag posing

For the first set up, I pulled a precious hand knitted bonnet and chunky knit blanket. Jack is posed in many different styles and looks so sweet, cozy and precious! Classic and natural newborn photography is the heart of my portraiture brand because they are timeless. 30 years from now when baby is married or graduates from college, you'll have the most stunning images of your little one. By removing many distracting props and themes, their true characteristics are showcased and nothing detracts from little one.

When working with little earth side cherubs, I adore when their hands are posed so sweetly! Jack's skin is completely gorgeous, too! I did not even have to air brush him, ha! In order to have natural newborn photography, it does take some time to pose them so baby looks very relaxed, but it is well worth the time to have lovely newborn galleries. Baby's are the epitome of innocence and their gallery should look serene and effortless. Newborn studio photos are anything but effortless (typically lasting 2-3 hours and that's a "fast" session) but the work is completely rewarding. 

Gorgeous, rich browns during floor props

This rustic wooden bed is a new prop I have in studio. I also have a cream one, too! However, for this earth tone inspired session, the rich brown felt classic - the perfect accompaniment to the natural styling of little baby boy Jack. This wrapped knit is also the perfect blend of softness so baby looks like they're nestled perfectly into a little cocoon. Newborns love to be wrapped! This makes them feel safe and secure. 

Stone during second portion of bean bag, squishy posing

Side Sleeper Pose

Womb Pose

Taco Pose

Forward Facing Pose

More muted stone colors can be seen here during this naked bean bag posing. Isn't this bonnet precious? :-) I have this style in nearly every color! 

Rustic, Classic and Timeless Newborn Portraiture

This deep, rich brown makes baby's skin look super creamy and buttery! The brown flokati is one of the many shades you'll find in my studio and I love all the different layers.

Greens and Dark Browns

It's no secret green is my favorite newborn color to use with both boy or girl babies. The hues are truly beautiful and it's an under utilized color scheme. Long, whimsical and organic wraps play a huge part in styling this wooden trench. The dark brown floors look perfect and add much contract and enbable to green to look even more vibrant.

Sienna Red | Texture and Layers 

Deep Brown with a Muted Chocolate

Stone Grey & Classic Wooden Bucket + Barn Wood Floors

This is the most requested floor prop you'll find in my studio and I'm not surprised! It's a galvanized wooden bucket and has a ton of character. Much of it has developed since I have used it many times for outdoor family or child sessions, too, so over time it's developed into a really cool piece for my clients to use. 

Heavenly back lit macro images of baby

If you liked checking out this post and seeing all the squishy, naked posing and wrapping you may like these posts, too:

1. 3 Adorable Styles of Newborn Wrapping
2. Best Newborn Poses for Bean Bag
3. Vintage Inspired Newborn Photography | Why I avoid Trends

As always, thanks for stopping by my blog, friends! I hope you enjoyed reading about gorgeous earth tones during a posed newborn session and how they result in natural, classic and timeless newborn photography. If you are looking for a custom newborn photographer in Houston, TX I would love if you would consider me for your portraiture needs. Wishing you a wonderful rest of your Monday!

Warmly,

Sarah

Specializing in timeless posed baby portraiture, Sarah Borchgrevink Photography is a Houston Newborn Photographer serving the surrounding areas including Houston metro & 610 area, Cypress, Katy, Spring, The Woodlands, Sugar Land, West University, Memorial & Galleria, Bellaire and The Woodlands, TX. See why Sarah offers the Best Newborn Photography. In addition to breathtaking newborn images, Sarah also offers stylish natural light family photography as well as dynamic outdoor maternity sessions for expecting couples.

 

Photo Tips Newborn Sessions | Create Variety through Simple Posing

Through the use of simple newborn posing, Sarah Borchgrevink Photography shares ways to create soulful, unique and breathtaking newborn images.

Hi, friends! Welcome! Today's blog post is full of some tips for posing during a newborn session and how to make the most of each set up through simple posing. This topic is especially important to me since my newborn packages are digitally based: this means clients purchase full resolution digital galleries as well as a print release from me. This also means my galleries need to be full of variety from naked bean bag posing, parent images, macro details, lovely floor props and also back lit set ups. 

Over the years I have learned a great session flow that works well in my own studio space. I have curated my collections so that they may be photographed in about 2 hours. Part of photographing a newborn session efficiently means choosing what's most important to document and reading the baby's queues. Another aspect of creating variety in your newborn galleries is making the most of each and every set up. 

You may be asking, "Well, what does that mean?" If you're a beginner in the world of newborn photography, this can seem daunting or not very clear. However, it truly is simple: focus on the set up in front of you and don't rush. This can be achieved by:

• Using many different angles. A prime lens (such as a 50 mm or a 35 mm) is the best way to become creative. Because a prime lens is "fixed", meaning the lens does not zoom and is instead of set focal length, it's a good plan to move around. Angel your lens to many different angels through standing, sitting, "zooming" with your feet, etc. This will create variety even during the most simplistic of poses! This is especially helpful to a newborn photographer who is in the beginning stages of building a baby portraiture brand because you may not have quite figured out your session flow. Have no worries. It will come in time. Your own studio space will influence this for you and you'll learn what works for your preferences. I currently photograph about 10 set ups in two hours. 
• Hats or bonnets are an excellent way to add variety to simplistic posing, too! This can add variety by adding a pop of color and make the entire image look completely different! 
• Add a wrap to baby, too! You can drape an organic wrap or textile over baby and this will change the look of the image as well. Parents love sweet photos of their little ones swaddled, wrapped, or simple covered so they're a little more modest. 

The images above, for example, are of sweet baby girl Sage who visited at 8 days new. Her parents came from The Woodlands, TX for their posed newborn session and asked for hunter green during our time together. Baby is wrapped with her cute toes out, but we also used a classic bonnet and headband for her images so two different looks resulted from a simple switch. 

• Communicate with your clients. Don't be afraid to try different things. :-) You can also ask Mom and Dad what their favorite preference is, too! For example, yesterday's newborn session visited for a full newborn collection; in her prep e-mail we chatted about what poses she liked the most and what styles of wrapping. This allows you to focus on what's important to the parents and make the most of that set up + your time in studio. If the parents dislike a set up, just don't include it. This is also part of having Top Notch Customer Service, too - double score!

Before we delve into the 3 set ups that result in the most variety, you may be interested in reading about these topics: 

1.  The Three Free Cloud Storage Systems you should recommend to clients
2.  5 Must Studio Newborn Props on Amazon Prime
3. Pricing Your Newborn Collections | Packages & Pricing for Houston Sessions

Let's get started! Here are my go to set ups that are more simple yet can evoke a sense of tender beauty, are favorites among my own clients, and also can be full of variety, thus resulting in an absolutely fantastic newborn gallery! Wow your clients! 

Tootsie Wrap

Tootsie wrap is a wonderful way to create variety in your session! This sweet baby girl is named Zoya and she visited my Houston Newborn Portrait Studio when she was 17 days fresh and new; she slept beautifully for me and we used many gorgeous textiles from my favorite vendor for wrapping. The sage green is the perfect color on her gorgeous skin! I also paired this set up with a dainty, feminine and stunning newborn tie back from another great vendor named Violet Loves Me. 

Variety was created in this set up through the use of a floor prop (check out my favorite newborn session styling tips with vintage inspired floor items), and then also moving baby to bean bag. This was a simple adjustment that still looks cohesive, but also makes an impact since you have the wooden floors in one shot but then the soft, muted, classic sage green backdrop in another image. 

The second way to create variety here is to take the time do some macro images. When photographing my macro images, I like to wait until baby is nice and sleepy. I use a 100 mm f/2.8L macro lens from Canon. Macro images are especially near and dear to my heart because while I am a professional Houston newborn photographer, one of which works full time, I am also a mommy to three little ladies (Emma, Lucy and Amelia) and one dashing fellow (Jack) so I can attest how important these images are to parents. 

Through this one simple style of wrapping called tootsie, baby remains calm and content; you can take your time, capture these macro details and make your clients' heart sing when they see the beautiful work you've created. Simple posing is best because it showcases baby in the most lovely of ways; removing distracting pieces is truly the heart of my custom newborn portraiture because this preserves baby for a timeless and classic look.

Back Lit

Back lit images during newborn photography are some of my absolute favorite. So much, in fact, you may be interested in seeing which lighting equipment I have in studio and how I create gorgeous light with artificial lighting.

Back-lit images are also a great way to create absolutely breathtaking images in your newborn galleries because they're ethereal and ever so special as the soft, white light surrounds baby. The heavenly look is perfect for macro images, too! 

My favorite macro details are always profile, hands, lips and cheeks. 

Potato Sack Wrap

Baby girl Shelby visited my studio at 2 weeks new for a wrapped session. She looks lovely on the green backdrop of flokati rug. 

Potato sack pose is truly a stunning syle of newborn wrapping! Not only is rustic, fresh and organic, but it also can be done with both boy or girl babies. You can do a variety with potato sack pose from flokati rug, seen above, macro images, or even styling with different headbands or bonnets. This pose is versatile because it also may be used on bean bag, floor, or during parent shots. 

Specializing in timeless posed baby portraiture, Sarah Borchgrevink Photography is a Houston Newborn Photographer serving the surrounding areas including Houston metro & 610 area, Cypress, Katy, Spring, The Woodlands, Sugar Land, West University, Memorial & Galleria, Bellaire and The Woodlands, TX. See why Sarah offers the Best Newborn Photography. In addition to breathtaking newborn images, Sarah also offers stylish natural light family photography as well as dynamic outdoor maternity sessions for expecting couples.

Sarah's Studio is located in Northwest Harris County

 

Why I Chose To Photograph My Own Son’s Session | Jack Alexander

Sarah Borchgrevink Photography, located in Northwest Harris County, is a full time newborn portrait artist serving Houston and surrounding areas. See more fun details about the latest squish, Jack Alexander, and why Sarah chose to do his posed newborn photos.

Introducing Jack Alexander  | The Chief to the Tiny Tribe of Wild Women

Good afternoon, friends! I am really excited about this particular blog post because it's all about introducing the latest member of the Borchgrevink family, Jack! This post also shares why I chose to photograph his posed newborn portraits myself.

If you follow me on Facebook or Instagram, you may remember we announced this pregnancy in July when I was around 20 weeks pregnant. We purposely waited to find out the gender before telling everyone since we already have three little girls. They’re named Lucy, Emma and Amelia, however, we lovingly refer to them as the Tiny Tribe of Wild Women.

It turns out baby number 4 is a BOY! This was a really fun surprise and while all babies are wonderful and ultimately, the goal is a healthy bundle of joy, we truly are excited about adding a chief to the little tribe because parenting a boy is a new experience.

His due date was originally 12/15, which was super fun since my birthday is 12/14 and Amelia’s is 12/9, but he decided he wanted to cook longer and hung out for over a week before making his grand entrance!

Jack Alexander Borchgrevink was born at Cy Fair Hospital on December 23rd, 2017. His official birth time was 1:57 PM. Weighing 8 pounds, 4 ounces he is the perfect little man; he was also 20 inches long and his head was 14 and ½ inch, his chest 13 and ¼ inch. All in all, things went very smoothly! While you're here: check out what I recommend for packing a hospital back + must haves for delivering at Cy-Fair Medical Center. It's my fourth baby here, after all, ha! 

When it came to deciding on professional newborn portraits, I did book a fantastic in home lifestyle newborn photographer. After all, I am very excited about adding a new baby to our family and the lifestyle session will have a lot of family photos. I want to be in the images and I am looking forward to having truly lovely sibling shots, too. 

Nevertheless, for the posed portion it felt really personal. Jack is my last baby and this is my gift to him; to photograph him in his most precious state. There is a plethora of amazing newborn studios in Houston Texas, so this decision is not based on lack of talent by any means. The options are endless and I'm thrilled to be friends with many newborn artists who truly shine. While I was pregnant with Baby Boy Jack, I planned his session from the moment I saw the positive (+) sign, ha! I did not know his gender then, but I knew I could not wait to meet baby.

Being a mommy myself truly helps me identify with the exciting emotions surrounding the joy of bringing home a new baby. Whether it's your first or last baby, you spend months dreaming of their face, talking about names, decorating the nursery, preparing your home for this precious little life, and your heart is exploding because you already love him or her so much. It's unconditional love. Hearing the heartbeat for the first time is the most beautiful sound to a mothers ears; seeing their profile on the ultrasound makes you so happy, and sharing that experience with your spouse or partner leads you to feel closer to them. 

This in mind, I had a whole session set up for Jack before he even arrived. I made lists and wrote out a session plan. I broke his session up into about 4 days so I was able to concentrate on different aspects without feeling rushed. 

Day 1: Cozy and unique wrapping such as tootsie, potato, and womb. Check out my three favorite ways to wrap newborn babies, too!

Day 2: Macro Images (up close details like lips, toes, his chin, baby magic, ahhh!)

Day 3: Floor props like bucket, bowl, crate, and a wooden trench.

Day 4: Flokati rugs and naked bean bag posing 

Working with Jack was my love letter to him: one day, when he is married or graduates college, I will have timeless and gorgeous newborn portraits of him, the most precious and tender time in which he entered the world. I spent about 6 hours on these images, but they'll last for a lifetime and I will always have these images in an album to look back on and cherish. Newborn photography is *absolutely* an investment, however, you're commissioning an artist to preserve this incredibly special time for you - it is fleeting and one you can never capture again so by booking someone who specializes in posed newborn portraits you're selecting someone who will treat your baby's session with the utmost care, respect and love. 

Without further delay, present Jack Alexander Borchgrevink + my favorite images of him. If you check back in a few weeks I'll be blogging some wall art options and how we will be displaying these images in our home.

Wishing you a wonderful Thursday. All my joy to you friends!

Warmly,

Sarah

Thanks for visiting my blog to see more of Jack Alexander + tips and tricks to photographing your own newborn baby!

If you liked reading about newborn session ideas and why I liked documenting his first professional session, these topics may pique your interest, too! Enjoy, friends! :-)

• The Magic of Froggy Pose | How to Safely Create Magic + Step by Step
• Setting Your Business Apart Through Awesome Customer Service | Nine Ways to be the Best
• How to Incorporate Your Clients Newborn Props from Home

Specializing in timeless posed baby portraiture, Sarah Borchgrevink Photography is a Houston Newborn Photographer serving the surrounding areas including Houston metro & 610 area, Cypress, Katy, Spring, The Woodlands, Sugar Land, West University, Memorial & Galleria, Bellaire and The Woodlands, TX. See why Sarah offers the Best Newborn Photography. In addition to breathtaking newborn images, Sarah also offers stylish natural light family photography as well as dynamic outdoor maternity sessions for expecting couples.

Here's Where Sarah's Newborn Studio is Located: