A guide to Newborn Poses

I aim to achieve a number of poses throughout my newborn sessions.
With all things at Susan Sharpes Photography, safety is the top priority. This means that poses that present a risk will be composites with hands on or near baby at all times.
All babies are different and some will prefer one pose over another... and as a photographer specializing in newborn photographry I can read those cues very easily and quickly, enabling me to choose the best for your baby.  So, because of this not all poses are attempted at every session. 
I work with your baby and with what bubs is happy to do. 
Calm, relaxed baby means a  calm relaxed mumma (and photographer ).

Tauranga Newborn Photographer

Tauranga Newborn Photographer

Tushie or Bum Up: This would be the most requested pose from parents. It's such a cute little pose and is actually one of my favourites.

Tauranga Newborn Photographer

Tauranga Newborn Photographer

Side Lying:  A nice pose to follow on from the tushie.

Tauranga Newborn Photographer

Tauranga Newborn Photographer

'Relaxed' Chin on Hands:   Haven't we all tucked our head down like this at sometime trying to snatch a few extra zzzzz's? 
The head is relaxed and semi-supported on the back of babys hands. This pushes the little cheeks up and makes them look so full and cute.

Tauranga Newborn Photographer

Tauranga Newborn Photographer

Chin on Hands: A cute pose that allows us to see the whole face and it's little details.
This pose needs the help of an assistant to help support the head and avoid the risk of strain on babys little neck. Once in post production the assistants fingers are removed. Not all babys want to do this one... sometimes they don't like their little arms out this way.

Tauranga Newborn Photographer

Tauranga Newborn Photographer

Taco Pose: This pose reminds me of how baby may have lay in the womb.
It is important to be super careful when putting baby in this position, making sure there is no tugging or pulling on the little legs. I just lift and scoop... and if baby doesn't like it I move on.
This makes for sweet little detail shots as those little toes are nice and close to the face.

Tauranga Newborn Photographer

Potato Sack: This pose is a great one to start a session with as baby is all snuggled up and supported so they often drop off to sleep pretty quickly once wrapped. This pose can transition into many other images, especially lying in other props to give a different look and feel.
This is another pose where baby is supported at all times by an assistant and then their hands are removed in post production.

Tauranga Newborn Photographer

Froggy Pose: This pose can be tricky to get baby into. It involves lots of hands-on work by both myself and assistant. Several images are taken with the assistants hands supporting the baby in different places at and then combining those images in photoshop to create a single image. Not all babys are comfortable going into this pose and they have to be really sleepy.

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Tauranga Newborn Photographer

Tauranga Newborn Photographer

Sleepy Time or Beddy Byes: This one looks so simple but in truth not every baby will do this pose - some just startle too easily while lying on their back. Hands can be varied to give different looks including hands tucked in, fingers peeping over the blanket or just laying their arms up by their head.

Tauranga Newborn Photographer

Tauranga Newborn Photographer

Props: Many of the above poses can be recreated in a prop.

Tauranga Newborn Photographer

Tauranga Newborn Photographer

Tauranga Newborn Photographer

Wrapped: Sometimes we wrap to help baby feel secure and to settle them. Some babys hate being unwrapped so they are wrapped for almost the whole session.  If we do start wrapped I try to progressively unwrap baby as we get further into the session.

Tauranga Newborn Photographer