We get it. It can be hard when you’re trying to take photos of your newborn photos. Putting your newborn in a place both you and they are unfamiliar with can be a daunting endeavor for a young parent.
Fortunately, this is an area where you’ll be more knowledgeable than your newborn photographer, so there are several tricks you can use to get your baby to nap through the photo session. With the help of just a few tips, your newborn will be sound asleep through the entire photography session.
Use Limited Lighting
Babies sleep better in natural lighting, but you won’t be able to provide much of that during a professional photo session. The lighting will mostly be under the control of the photographer, but that doesn’t mean you can’t provide your own insight into your baby’s needs. Babies, particularly newborns, sleep very easily in darkness, and creating that kind of atmosphere in the photo studio is essential to keeping them asleep.
To put them asleep, simply dim the lights in the studio or use an adjacent room to put them down for a nap before the session begins. Using less focused lighting will keep your baby’s face in darkness without sacrificing visibility in the photos. Your photographer will likely have plenty of suggestions for creating the illusion of natural light, so talk with them directly about your needs.
Wrap Them for Specific Poses
Swaddling your baby is a surefire way to put them to sleep, and fortunately, it also makes for great photography. Using a soft fleece or cotton blanket is best for soothing your newborn. When deciding on the theme for your photo session, work with the colors that soothe your baby the most, especially if they have toys or blankets of the same color.
For example, if you have a light blue blanket that your newborn loves, consider asking your photographer about an ocean or beach theme for the photo session. What’s important is that your baby’s comfort should come first, so make sure that the wrapping works with the rest of the colors in use while also keeping your baby comfortable. If your newborn is happy, they’ll make you happy.
Play Soft Music in the Studio
One thing that you won’t have to account for in the photos is sound, so playing music is an easy and stress-free method to help your baby stay calm throughout the photo session. The first step is finding out what sounds soothe your baby most effectively.
Experts suggest classical music, as its predictable melodies and soft instrumentation is conducive in the infant’s brain to both calmness and brain activity. Most studios will already have ambient sound, so make sure to ask if you can request specific music for your session. This is another scenario where communication with your photographer is key to both the outcome of the session and the comfort of your child, so be sure to open this up for discussion.
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