BABY LED POSING - WHAT IS IT? WHY DO I THINK IT’S THE BEST WAY TO PHOTOGRAPH NEWBORNS?

Baby led posing or sometimes called natural newborn sessions - have you heard those terms and are wondering what they mean or if it is right for you? In this blog post I am going to share with you what those terms mean to me, why I photograph newborns that way and why I think it’s the best and safest way for newborns to be photographed.

There was a time when newborn photography was about babies being posed on a swing or hammock, in a wooden box or flower pot and so on, however in more recent times there has been a shift to a more natural and realistic type of photos with the focus being on the familie’s connection. As cute as some of those posed photos can be I don’t think most people realize what it takes to get those shots, those images are heavily photoshopped, the parents are most likely right there next to the baby with hands holding it and I don’t think they are necessarily safe or comfortable for the babies or their parents. Posed newborn sessions can take hours because there is so much time spent quieting the baby and getting them into sometimes awkward and unnatural positions and for me I just don’t see the value in so much time and effort being put into a photo that’s to me - a bit strange. Why is the baby in a flower pot and not cuddled in it’s parents arms? There seems to be a disconnect there and I am not a fan of it, you would never do this in your day to day so why would you want the first professional photos of your baby to be unnatural when having a baby is one of the most natural things we do.

Once I started using baby led posing I knew right away it was the perfect choice for not only my photography style but also my beliefs, so what is it? Baby led posing means that I don't ever put a baby in an unnatural or strange pose, that I don't spend hours calming babies to put into buckets or wooden boxes, and that ultimately, I don't really pose babies at all. They are photographed right where they are happiest, snuggled up in your arms or laying on your chest, for the most part no calming needed. Sure, I do place newborns down for a few solo portraits, but only if they are happy to do so and I don't "pose" in the way that is uncomfortable or unnatural to them.

Baby led posing works amazing with siblings (even the furry ones) because it doesn’t force anyone to be posed in a way that’s uncomfortable to them. We ask big brothers or sisters to interact with their newest sibling in the way that’s fun and normal to them, kiss the baby, count their toes, hug them, we prompt them which is much more appealing to a toddler than posing. This makes for a session that is more fun for everyone. When you look back at your photos you will see genuine smiles and expressions on your toddler’s face.

I also really love baby led posing because it’s easy to include the whole family, I like to make sure that your baby is the centre of attention, so each session has a minimalistic and natural focus, this captures the essence of who your baby is and how perfectly they fit into your family. It’s always inevitable in each session to have mom laugh and say something like, she makes that face all the time or we have an ultrasound picture of him in that exact pose! Those poses are the start of their personalities, and capturing them is the start to creating their history. Imagine looking back over the years, and seeing that personality unfold over time. It all starts with capturing your baby just as they are with baby led posing.

Best of all, baby led posing is done during in your home newborn sessions or newborn sessions done in my Lake Country studio with babies up to 2 months old which is ideal for newborns who can’t come in right away or mothers needing to stay home a little longer to recover. It makes both session locations feel relaxed and natural. You show up at my studio or I show up at your home and with ease of baby led posing you’ll cuddle your baby, I’ll take the photos and we will both oooo and ahhh over how perfect they are - no flower pot needed.