All Mama’s envision beautiful portraits of their newborn baby and toddler together. And let’s be real here, this is no simple task! Some toddlers don’t want anything to do with this new sibling and others want to smother them with love and affection.
Here are a few tips to get great photos with your newborn baby and toddler:
Make sure the toddler is well rested and well fed ~ This is key! Make sure they eat well and nap prior to attempting photos.
Make sure the environment is clean and calm ~ No loud noises, colorful toys or electronic distractions, etc.
Ask if they would like to hold the baby like Mommy ~ (No pressure here). If they agree, position the baby between their legs and ask them to hold the baby with their hands. You can use the cushion from the couch to support the baby’s head or use a tiny pillow for head support underneath. Make sure the parents are within an arms reach at all times.
Get them involved and interactive ~ Ask them to hug, kiss, snuggle, look at the baby’s eyes, touch their fingers & toes, etc. Don’t focus much on getting them to smile for the camera but instead look more for opportunities to capture that organic interaction and bond between these new siblings.
Photograph them together with their parents ~ Each parent can hold a baby and then you are able to capture them together. This is usually the best way to do it with toddlers who refuse to hold or touch their siblings.
Incorporate the toddler into fun prop shots with the baby ~ Only if they are interested and so they do not feel left out. I love to use the large Design Dua Bassinet. This particular bassinet is great for capturing newborns alone but also doubles up as a safe way of capturing older toddlers with their
Don’t forget to photograph the toddler alone too ~ With so much attention and focus being put on the new baby, it can be easy to forget to capture that bouncy toddler! Definitely get them alone in a few shots too. They won’t be that little forever so you have to capture it. This helps them to feel involved.
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