Newborn Photo Session: How To Dress Your Baby

deciding on what your baby should wear for their newborn photo session has never been easier…keep it simple.  while i am sure you have spent months building a dream closet for your tiny baby, as a photographer there is nothing worse than having a baby too dressed up for a newborn photo session.  the purpose of newborn photos is to document your newborn and all their tiny features.  even though newborn clothing is so much fun, it can detract from the purpose of the session and be too distracting in the final portraits.  when planning how to dress your baby for your newborn session, remember the following 5 tips.

babies change so fast!  want to know how to take pictures of your baby to document their growth?  be sure to check out baby’s first year: 3 monthly photos you must take.

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Newborn Photo Session: How To Dress Your Baby

while the first weeks with your newborn can be a little overwhelming, your newborn photo session should be something you look forward to.  your baby will be getting their first professional portraits taken and you will cherish these photos for the rest of your life.  while many parents stress about getting everything just right for the session, choosing what your baby wears is super easy.  don’t overthink it, just keep these 5 tips in mind.

1. Keep It Simple

while frilly dresses on girls and collared shirts with suspenders on boys are darling, they are way too much for a newborn session.  even though these items are adorable, they are also high maintenance and will cause you to fuss over straightening collars, pulling up pants and straightening dresses throughout the entire session.  it will drive both you and your photographer crazy!  fussing over clothing is also very frustrating for your baby, creating a stressful environment during your session that will negatively impact your final photos.

a basic onesie is the very best outfit for a newborn session and i recommend it to every newborn client i photograph.  yes, it’s that simple.  not only is the onesie easy and low mainenance, but it showcases your newborn’s small body.  the whole idea of getting newborn portraits taken is to document how tiny they are, so onesies are absolutely perfect for this.  babies tend to get lost in dresses, jeans, and sweaters so opt for the simple onesie and you will be amazed and how well your baby photographs while wearing it.

2.  Avoid Loud Prints On Clothing

prints are something that tend to be a fad, so avoid using them when dressing your baby.  when deciding on an outfit, a basic white onesie is something that is classic and timeless.  it’s something that won’t make you cringe in 30 years when your grown children are looking back on their first portraits.  while prints on the baby’s outfit should be avoided, incorporate them in other ways like through the use of a swaddle.  the wonderful thing about a printed swaddle is that it can easily be put into or taken out of the photo, without having to undress the baby, which can upset them.

willowee sent me this beautiful swaddle when my little baby girl arrived and it’s one of our favorites because it is so soft and the print is so darling.  i love that i can easily wrap her in the swaddle for a couple photos to incorporate color and print, then easily take it off for the rest of my portraits.

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3.  Dress Up With Accessories

if you are a girl mama like me, chances are you love how cute your little one looks in headbands.  baby headbands are the subtle and classic way of dressing up your baby.  by keeping it simple with a basic onesie, you are allowing the headband to be the dress up factor and make a statement.  cammi and co sent me some of their stunning headbands for my little girl and they are honestly the best headbands i have ever used.  i love that the base is nylon, making it both soft and comfortable for the baby, while being neutral and allowing the bow to be the focal point.  these headbands photograph beautifully and are a must have for all baby girls.

4. Forget the Shoes

don’t even worry about finding a pair of shoes for your baby to wear during their newborn photo session because your photographer will want to take them off.  there is nothing like tiny baby toes to document the small size of newborns and they are one of the most photographable things your photographer will focus on.  plus, shoes imply a maturity that looks odd on a baby and the main focus of a newborn session is to document your baby’s brand newness and how young they are.  there is nothing more innocent than bare feet.  save the shoes for another occasion and let your photographer gush over those baby toes!

5. Keep it Neutral

this goes for both the baby and the parents…keep it neutral.  focus on neutral colors such as whites, creams and grays.  avoid dark colors like black, as it provides such an unflattering contrast compared to newborn skin and doesn’t photograph well.  it’s also really important to avoid bright colors in general as they create color casts on the skin.  color casts occur when bright colors are bounced off of neutral surfaces.  for example, if you are wearing a bright green shirt and holding a baby, the green color will reflect off of the baby’s skin and therefore make the baby appear to have a greenish tint to them.

it’s really important that both your baby and you wear neutral tones, as they photograph so well and allow us to capture that sweet pink newborn skin.  by dressing your baby in white, cream, or gray, you are also ensuring that their skin photographs accurately without harsh and unnatural color casts.

you will look back on photos from your newborn photo session for years to come, so dressing your baby in the most successful way for photographs is really important.  remember, just keep it simple.  if you have a meaningful item of clothing that you really want your little one photographed in, your photographer will most likely be willing to accommodate your request for a photo or two, but know that simple clothing is what will create the best newborn portraits.  it’s all about the baby anyways, right?

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