As a new baby enters a family, that may mean a sibling becomes a big brother or sister. It is so beautiful to be able to capture the first moments of a newborn being invited into a family. These are some of the most cherished pictures as they are the first moments of a lifelong relationship. Including siblings and/or parents in the newborn session adds another level of complexity and with a different set of risks and procedures.
Often siblings are not sure what to think of their newest family member and are a little unsure. One tip to prepare siblings for the session is to have parents practice taking snapshots with the new baby before the session1. When practicing at home, have a parent help the child to hold the baby. The main goal of practicing at home is to familiarize the child with the new baby and get them comfortable with touching them.
For sibling poses, I often like to have them lay on the ground and hold the baby. Many photographers use this technique to keep the baby close to the floor and to help weigh down the sibling’s arms to prevent the child from dumping the baby on the floor when they decide they are “all done”2. For particularly younger siblings I will often do composites of the baby in a bucket or on a bench for one image, and then another image with just the sibling and the prop. This prevents the older child from knocking over the baby or hurting them. This also works well for siblings who are unsure of the baby. Swaddling can be helpful to keep the baby still and comfortable, and I always recommend it for sibling images. It is also important to make sure that someone is assigned to always watch the baby, as siblings can be distracting for everyone.
I love capturing the connection between the family and the baby, and the joy of new parents. Parents are usually pretty tired at the newborn session, and many of the family and parent poses are not how parents normally hold their baby. Showing the parents what you are wanting to do, and communicating with them, will be key to your success. Sometimes dads, in particular, feel a little uncomfortable or awkward trying to pose with the baby. Having unsure parents practice the pose with a baby doll first before putting the baby in their arms can help them to feel more comfortable and keep the baby safer. It is also good to remind parents to move slowly to keep the baby calm and sleeping1.
As parents are tired, and siblings can be unruly, it is best to get the family images quickly and build upon or subtract for other poses. For example, take a picture of the baby with mom, then add in dad, and then add in the sibling(s) to create a family picture. Then switch to a family picture with dad holding the baby, and then remove sibling(s), and then remove mom for a picture just with dad. Using this technique, the baby is only moved once and 6 different “set-ups” happened. You can also get a lot of variety within the same pose by having them look at the camera, or look at the baby. Parents’ arms may get tired quickly and some poses are more demanding on the parents. Be sure they know they can tell you if they start to feel uncomfortable.
Be attentive and communicate with each family member to keep safety the number one priority. It’s so fun to be able to share in this experience with families. It’s rewarding knowing that this is the usually the first professional photo session with the addition of their newest family member. The family and sibling images are usually some of the parent’s favorite.
Sources
- Long, R. (2013). Newborn posing. Natural Newborn Baby Photography: A Guide to Posing, Shooting, and Business. [electronic resource]. Peachpit Press. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.uvu.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=cat07712a&AN=flc.303455&site=eds-live
- Buckman, S. (2012, November 08). Newborn Safety Week 2012! Retrieved from https://www.napcp.com/2012/11/08/newborn-safety-week-2/
