Tips for Shooting a Family Portrait with a Newborn

Newborn Photography  •  Photography Tips  •  Portrait Photography

Adding a new member to your family is a pure delight. It’s only logical that parents will want to take family portraits with their new bundle of joy. But getting these tiny new humans to sit still is a whole other challenge: they squirm and wiggle constantly, and their eyes are rarely open. In today’s video, we have photographer Kelly Brown demonstrating how she has her clients pose for a family portrait with their newborn:

As Brown demonstrates in the video, the big trick is to guide the parents into pose so you can get a photo taken quickly. Compassion is also critical: new parents can look frazzled, and postpartum mothers may be uncomfortable about their bodies. As a photographer, it’s up to you to try and convince them that these memories will be worth commemorating in a beautiful photo.

“When people are in front of the camera, they don’t know what to do. You’ve got to tell them, guide them and communicate with them get the interaction between all of them.”

Pose the family in a way that emphasizes the family’s intimacy, love and excitement. In the process, also pay attention to how you’re lighting the family. Since you’ll be shooting a group, make sure you set the aperture right. You’d want all of the family members to be in focus, and not just the newborn.

Be sure to go through the entire video to see how Brown works with a family of four. As an additional challenge, she also has a two-and-a-half-year-old in the set. You’ll be amazed by how quickly she gets the shoot done.