On Tuesday I left off with key images to capture while you’re sleepy newborn is still a newborn. I mentioned how I always like to get into the client’s home the first ten days after birth. It’s amazing how fast these little ones grow in their awareness with eyes opening and even head control. Hopefully you’ve been able to get some fun shots with the exercises provided. It’s such a magical time of life!

Here are some other “must have” shots when I’m shooting a newborn.

#4 This is a shot I like to call “The Fleeting Baby Grip.” You’ve got to move super fast on this shot because they can’t always grip your finger that well when they’re newborns. I’ll do a dozen of these shots to make sure we caught the right one. Usually what happens, the mom or dad takes the baby’s hand and wiggles their finger into the tiny fist. The baby holds it for a split second, wiggles, and the grip is gone. If you can catch the “Fleeting Baby Grip,” it’s so worth it!

#5 The classic “Baby Feet” Shot. When Blaze was born I wanted to do a baby feet shot that was a bit out of the box. So I had my husband hold a big piece of Lycra fabric (stretches and molds around the baby’s body), and we put Blaze inside with his feet hanging out. This is what we caught! 🙂 He slept through the whole thing.

For his birth announcement, we wrote, “On May 5th, our family grew by two feet.” We made postcards out of the image and sent them to all our family, friends and clients. It was a hit! Feel free to steal the idea, but be sure to send me one! 🙂

#6 The “Puckered Lips” shot. This is a great one to do at the end of the photo session (before the meltdown begins) when they’re getting ready to eat again. Have mom hold baby on her chest so the baby can smell her milk, and you’ll get the best expressions from that sleepy newborn. 🙂 Their lips pucker right up as if they can taste the milk. Sometimes their eyes even open.

I hope these tips and different shots are helpful for you. The first ten days of your baby’s life can be so overwhelming and tiring. But if you can put 30 minutes aside and try some of these ideas, you won’t regret it. Try and limit it to 30 minutes so you and your baby continue to get the rest your bodies so desperately need.