Three Safe and Easy Dad and Newborn Baby Poses to Try

My favorite sweet and simple father and newborn photography poses during a studio newborn session.

Three Dad & Newborn Baby Poses | My Go To's 

Good morning, friends! Thanks for stopping by my blog to see three really simple, safe, and easy ways to pose Dad's during a newborn session. Welcome!  

I cannot stress enough how important newborn safety is during a session. These poses are my "go to's" because they're simple, easy for parents to understand, and also do not take much time. I encourage you to always begin with what's simple because it allows you to build from here; by posing your parents in more basic manners, you're able to focus on the foundation of safety, lighting, and making sure everyone has a great experience. 

I should also note these poses focus on wrapped images because this is a cornerstone to all of my newborn portraiture. These can certainly be done is baby is naked, though! If you try any of these, feel free to let me know if they worked for you or perhaps some tips you'd like to share back!

Pose Number One

My absolute favorite pose of father and newborn baby is Dad holding baby against his chest, with baby sweetly wrapped. This is my favorite dad and baby pose because it shows how small baby truly is, and this is the only time in life where your sweet cherub will truly fit in the palm of your hand. Baby is just a few days old when you visit the studio; they're fresh and new and you're completely in love with this darling little bundle of joy! This portion of your newborn session takes place right at the beginning. 

To achieve this pose, it's very simple. Wrap baby in whichever style you like. You could also do this as a naked posed, however, I prefer the look of newborn wrapping so I do not offer naked newborn posing at this time during the family portion. This also allows us to leave baby's diaper on, ha, and have much fewer messes during the session. 

I utilize the wood wall in my studio and will have the light angled 45 degrees from Dad. I will have Dad place his hand on his belly button and I will gently place baby in his hands. I always tell Dad, "I am not going to take my hands off baby, but I will tell you where to place your second hand." Then, to make sure baby is safe, I tell Dad he will place his other hand across baby's chest and use his thumb to support baby's head. As you know, a newborn session takes place during the first 14 days of life, and so baby cannot yet hold up their head. No worries! Top safety methods are implemented to make sure your baby is never in danger. 

This pose is simple, safe, easy, and feels timeless. It also is easily communicated to parents and is something they understand. I like to do a few shots of Dad looking and smiling at the camera, then him looking down at his sweet baby, and of course an image of his chest with baby as the focus. 

Another tip for why this pose is my favorite: baby can be awake or asleep for this pose. Baby is wrapped and their adorable little hands are out of their face. So if baby has still not fallen asleep it's not a big deal. :-) It keeps baby content, too! 

Pose Number Two

The second pose I will typically implement into my dad and baby portion is a back lit image. I love the ethereal white light to be behind my subject. Like baby against dad's chest, as shown in the first pose above, this is a fantastic way to showcase the baby's portfolio and also do a family photo, too. For example, when beginning this pose, I tell Dad that baby's feet will be against his chest and he'll smile downward at baby. I place him where he is completely parallel to the light. If he is wearing a wedding ring, it's nice to see that, too. :-)  

For variety, my second tip during this pose would be to just rotate Dad about 40 degrees and do an up close cropped image of Dad's chin and chest with baby as focus. I love the way Dad's arms look broad as they hold their brand new little one closely. 

As you may have noticed, this wrap is my favorite during newborn family photos, ha! I love the way their little feet poke out so sweetly and curl up towards their chest.

Pose Number Three

The third pose is by far the easiest and a great way to begin if you're unsure of where to put baby. Baby likes this pose because it is close to Dad's heart and they can feel the heartbeat. When working with a newborn baby, we want the environment to be warm and cozy for them so they're reminded of the womb they spent 9 months in. 

To achieve this pose, simple place Dad where he is perpendicular to the light. Have him place his elbow against his side and then carefully place baby in his hand. Keep your hands on baby. Then tell Dad he will support baby's head with his chest and also will bring his second hand behind baby's back and keep his thumb near their cheek so if baby does startle, baby is safe.

Thanks for stopping my blog to see three simple, safe, and easy Dad and Newborn Baby Poses to try in your own time! I hope you found this post informative. If you liked reading about dad and baby posing, you may find the following posts really informative, too! 

• Sweet, Timeless and Simple Parent Posing during Newborn Session

• Houston Family Newborn Studio Session

• How to Wrap a Newborn Baby for Posed Photos

Maternity Photography Tips for Naturally Posing Expecting Couples

Located in Houston, Sarah Borchgrevink Photography joyfully offers beautiful maternity sessions for expecting couples and mothers to be. Through connected posing and lifestyle portraiture, Sarah authentically preserves your pregnancy.

Tips for Posing Expecting Couples during a Maternity Session

Booking a maternity session is often very exciting! It's a time to document your motherhood journey and to preserve this time in your life as you eagerly await the arrival of your sweet cherub baby. Part of booking a natural light and on location maternity photographer is checking out many portfolios, reading their photography philosophies and selecting someone who is the perfect fit for the final look you envision. If you're looking for sweet, timeless, simple and naturally posed images, I'm the gal for you! 

This sweet couple originally contacted me when they were in their second trimester. They booked both a natural light, maternity session and a posed newborn collection with me. This is very common since many parents like to work with the same person for both sessions.

Posing Couples in a natural way

When photographing an expecting couple, the final look should be connected, natural, and not at all stilted or awkward. When I first began photographing couples during pregnancy portraiture sessions, I sometimes felt a little stuck and unsure of how to keep the session flowing smoothly. For example, it's often the first time you've met the couple. In this case, for instance, I did meet Mom in advance since she came for a studio tour, however, it was my first time interacting with Dad. This couple is about as kind and gracious as they come, so it is my job to make sure they look happy, in love, and comfortable together. Posing couples, however, can be challenging because they must be at ease. When they're in a public setting and outside of their normal routine, the posing can make them feel a little bit nervous since it's not the normal routine for them. After all, I photograph many clients per month, but this is a new experience for them.

Have Patience with the client

Once you greet your client and get them settled, be patient. Ask them about their day and make sure they like the location you're working at that day. Give them the opportunity to ask any questions they may have before you begin. Always have Dad take everything out of his pocket, too, such as car keys or his wallet. If he's wearing a fit bit, go ahead and have him remove that unless he'd like it in his final images. You'll be the one doing most of the running, especially if you shoot with prime lenses, ha! Give your client a little bit of time to warm up. By being friendly and courteous to them, it helps them relax. By answering any questions, it removes the "unknown" and let's them feel more comfortable. You want your client to love the images!

Give clear direction and communicate clearly

Now that you've started the session, give clear direction to your clients. Don't say, "Um...yeah, scoot over a little bit, um..stop, no, go left, no go right, no I mean forward, etc." When you fumble and act unsure of what you're doing, it creates uncertainty during the session. Instead, take charge. Be friendly yet assertive. Tell the parents, in a clear voice, exactly what you'd like them to do. Guide them through positive instructions. For instance, you might say, "Alright, guys! Now let's smile at one another. Dad, gently touch the top of Mom's stomach. Let's make sure you're on the same focal plane. Alright, now let's have mom bend her front leg." Effectively communicating with your client will help you naturally pose them because they understand what you're asking of them. If you cannot clearly communicate, everything will be lost in translation and you can expect your client to just pose themselves. That's why they've hired you. 

Have them Kiss or interact together

Sometimes friends will tell me they're unsure of how to get Mom and Dad to kiss. It's simple. Just ask them to, ha! This couple is young, in love, and super excited to meet their baby girl. They often adore one another and are looking forward to the session. This is the time in their marriage or relationship when it's just the two of them and it's a great oppurtunity to capture romantic, intimate, and sweet shots of them because they'll look back on these images and see how their love shines through. 

Keep them moving

Another simple way to naturally pose your clients is through movement. By moving, it gives them a natural action they're familiar with, such as walking. You can ask them to walk, smile at one another, and look back into their partner's eyes. 

Cozy up and cuddle

At some point, it adds variety to the final gallery to have the clients sitting together, all cozy and cuddled together. I usually bring a quilt of some sort and take the time to do individual images of Mom, but also of both parents together. If you have Mom lean back into Dad, he can support her, while touching the baby bump, and they can interact together. Don't focus too much on them looking at the camera. It's nice to have images that are a little more lifestyle in nature, which will add laid back posing to your collections.

Thanks for stopping by my blog to read about simple, effective, and natural ways to pose couples during an outdoor maternity session. I hope you visit again! If you'd like to keep looking around, I'm sure you'll find other topics to enjoy! If you liked reading about posing couples, you may like the following posts or find them informative:

• How to add pets to a family photography session
• Creating Meaningful images in your maternity portraiture
• Posing Families with Older Kiddos or Teens
• Tips for a maternity session on a dark, cloudy or overcast day

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. Connect to chat with Sarah today! Please consider booking your session at your earliest convenience in order to secure your appointments on the calendar.

Bringing Your Fur Baby to Your Outdoor Family Photo Shoot

Outdoor Family Photography Session Featuring Adorable Family Pet, Yukon

Houston Family Photographer, Sarah Borchgrevink Photography, welcomes pets in all outdoor family sessions

Greetings, everyone! Thanks for visiting my blog where I showcase the recent sessions I've had in front of my camera. Today's blog post gives an overview on a really popular topic I encounter: bringing your family pet to the photography session. As a Houston Family Photographer, one of which offers outdoor sessions featuring gorgeous natural light, I completely acknowledge pets are part of the family. In fact, many pet owners consider the fur baby to be their first child. Pets hold a significant place in our lives; we bond with our fur babies and it's only natural you'd be curious if pets are welcome during family sessions.

The answer is always YES. These photos are meant to be special to your family. You will fondly look back on these images and your entire immediately family should be. If you'd like to bring your fur baby to our session, just let me know in advance so I can make sure I recommend a pet friendly location. 

When working with animals, I like to use somewhere with open space and trees. For instance, for this outdoor family session we used a lovely location in Northwest Houston that features many walking trails, clearings, a bridge, and a creek that babbles while we're working, ha! It's the perfect spot for timeless images due to all of the nature surrounding us. It also has incredible morning light. I decided to have my own family photos here this year, too, so I am excited to have this location on my own walls. 

This family, moreover, started out as baby plan clients so I've had many wonderful sessions with them and always enjoy seeing them. They're some of my favorite clients; seeing them puts a huge smile on my face and I am very fond of their sweet pup, too. He is always very well behaved and fun to photograph, too! 

Here are some of my favorite images from my time with this beautiful family. :-) 

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. Connect to chat with Sarah today! Please consider booking your session at your earliest convenience in order to secure your appointments on the calendar.