Best Poses for Newborn Photo Sessions

Whether you’re looking for new poses or inspiration for an upcoming photo shoot with newborn photographers, here is a list of poses you can use for inspiration. With the various directions and views, you will gather all the right angles to capture the perfect newborn photography memories.

Newborn Photography Poses: Our Favorites

You can use many poses during a newborn photo shoot. Some of these provide a full-length view of the baby, while others focus on specific elements with accessories like a blanket or wrap.

Newborn Photography Poses Alone

While you can also incorporate a whole family photo opportunity during the same time as your newborn photography session, you will also want to prioritize a time for just baby photos. 

Frog Pose

The frog newborn poses will have the baby balanced between their bottom and elbows. Typically they will have their face in their hands. You will want to ensure that the baby’s wrist is well placed for safety reasons.

This position is one that you don’t want to keep the newborn baby in for too long. Having them in this pose for a few minutes at a time is fine. 

Full Length

Being able to look back at how tiny your child was in the first month of life will be something you refer to often throughout their life. Full-length first newborn poses where they are having tummy time or lying on their side in a sleeping pose display this perfectly.

Another way is to lay your baby on their back while they are asleep and sprawled out. 

Close Ups

Newborn babies come with the cutest wrinkles and dimples, and on the days that come with a lack of sleep, you don’t want to forget about the smallest of details. Getting close-up newborn photos of their face, baby’s hands and feet provide memorable reminders of who they were in the beginning. 

Another thing you will want to zoom in on is the baby’s tiny fingers and little toes. You can place them next to the newborn’s face in a hand pose variation. You will sometimes see a close-up shot in combination with the parent’s wedding rings or with the baby lying on top of a customized baby blanket. However, the images are just as valuable when the sole focus is on the baby itself.

Yawning

Is there anything sweeter than a newborn yawn? Not only is there a cute little scrunched-up nose that accompanies the movement, but they put their whole body into the effort. It’s essential to get shots of this action when you can.

It’s best to have the baby on their back on a blanket to get a great vantage point in the photo.

Huck Finn

Offering a throwback to a famous literary character, the Huck Finn pose has the baby’s knees up in the air with their arm folded off to the side in a way that can firmly hold a prop. This newborn position works best when the infant is asleep. After the baby wakes, the movement will cause them to move sporadically while also coming out of these newborn poses.

It’s best to use this pose in the earliest days when the baby is sleepiest. As infants adjust to real life and become more active, adding complex newborn poses like this can be challenging.

Wrapped Pose or Potato Sack Pose

As we highlighted above, having several infant wraps and swaddles on hand is essential to getting snuggly and sleepy photos of an otherwise unpredictable newborn. Being warm and confined reminds babies of being in the womb. Therefore, this pose calms them and provides an opportunity for multiple photo angles.

It may take time to calm the baby while you wrap them in the swaddle. Waiting until the baby is already asleep may help this process, as you can move them around easier with less fuss. 

Chin on Arms

One of the cutest newborn photo poses is having a baby sound asleep or with their eyes wide while sitting in a position typically reserved for older children and adults. You’ll often see these newborn poses while the baby wears a cute outfit or for a detailed setup.

Some photographers will have a small chair or bed on which they place the baby while asleep. Once the baby is there, they will maneuver their arms to assume the position. If done carefully, you will yield adorable results in the photographs.

Taco Pose

As you can likely tell from the newborn poses we list in this guide, infant babies appreciate positioning that resembles what they were used to for the past nine months. The taco pose, similar to the womb pose, brings the feeling of being held. This pose is done with the baby’s legs up and closer to their chest. 

The baby is held in place by a fluffy blanket and pillows that form around the body. These accessories also provide a backdrop to the photo. At times parents will place a teddy bear or stuffed animal next to the child or a fun headpiece or hat on the baby’s head.

On the Side

As we mentioned above, being on the side can provide an opportunity to get a full-view photo. However, you can also get a snapshot of the scrunched-up look that infants often go to when you use this pose. 

Providing a peaceful space and some back support will help the baby feel like someone is holding them in a natural pose. This position also allows you to take close-up photos as well or to include members of the family around the child.

Newborn Photography Poses with Family

While it’s vital to get individual photos of the baby, you want to mark the occasion of gaining a new family member by taking the time to get family photos of the expanded group. To optimize the outcome, consider these newborn poses.

With Parents

Having a photo of the parents with their newborn baby is a pose every child will treasure in the future. In a world where most family pictures include all the children and the parents in each of the photos, having a newborn photography shot that is just the three of them will be highly cherished.

Whether you get a picture of the parents snuggling their new addition or the parents are off to the side, peering down at the latest family member, both options will prove valuable and show the love and connection between the baby and the parents. One way to get an incredible picture with parents is through the arms pose, where the baby is resting on one arm of a parent.

With Siblings

Bring all of the brothers and sisters together in a photo with their new sibling is another priceless photograph that will live in a frame or scrapbook for many years. There are several options to get the perfect images, with all of them having extraordinary potential for a valuable group shot.

One pose that people love is having the siblings sitting down with the new baby in the oldest’s lap. Another idea is placing the newborn baby in the taco pose with the other kids peering down around them.

Looking at Each Other

It’s not hard to pose this way when you are already infatuated with the newborn baby in your life. Getting a photo session done where the infant is in the center of the family members gives off one look. However, getting the people in the image to look lovingly at one another reflects the period and their emotions.

While everyone looking at each other instead of the camera is a unique approach on its own, you can also try various angles to get new perspectives. Shooting from above, off to the side, or below gives an advantageous viewpoint.

Looking at the Camera

One of the most common newborn photo poses is one in which all subjects look straight at the camera. This position allows a direct shot of each person’s face and eyes and the emotion that comes with the experience.

Even with everyone looking at the camera, there are many different angles and poses that you can experiment with to get the best picture possible.

Final Thoughts

In summary, there are many different poses that photographers use when photographing newborns. The more popular ones tend to be:

• Laying on their back: This is a classic pose that allows you to capture the newborn’s sweet face and tiny features.
• Laying on their stomach: This pose can be a great way to capture the newborn’s chubby cheeks and adorable expression.
• Laying on their side: This pose can be a more natural and relaxed way to photograph the newborn, allowing you to capture different angles of their face and body.
• Wrapped in a blanket: Wrapping the newborn in a soft blanket or swaddle can create a cozy and intimate feeling in the photos.
• Being held by a parent: Capturing the newborn being held by a parent or sibling can create a beautiful and sentimental image.
• Propped up on a pillow: Using a pillow or beanbag to prop up the newborn can create various poses and angles.

It’s important to note that newborn photography requires patience and a gentle touch, as newborns can be unpredictable. It’s also important to work with a photographer who has experience with newborns and is familiar with safe posing techniques.

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