Ideas for Family Photos with a Newborn

Welcoming a baby to the family is so exciting!

Those first moments go by so quickly, and I'm grateful to live in a time period where cameras are plentiful. Can you imagine sitting for a artistry portrait with a newborn? The hours that would take? No wonder people frowned in those old oil canvas paintings. Even when cameras were first developed, the subjects had to sit still for some time to allow the image to process. There is no way toddlers could hold still for that long! No wonder people didn't smile in those pictures either. . . I am glad today's cameras can snap a photo in milliseconds, and that we can immediately see a digital image to know whether or not the picture is a keeper.

Make sure you have a camera at the hospital or birthing center to capture those first tender moments with your little one. Your first "official" family photo with your newborn will look something like these:

Above was our oldest child, Simon, after 20 hours of labor

Below is Ruby, our youngest, after only 5 hours of labor.

As sweet as these pictures are, it's nice to take professional pictures later. . .

when you're not fresh out of labor . . . and your face isn't swollen. . . and your husband isn't wearing the t-shirt he was sleeping in . . . and you don't have sweaty makeup on (or have no makeup on).

Here are some photo inspirations for newborn family portraits. Enjoy those precious moments!

Newborn photos need to be taken before your baby is older than 2 weeks. After this, the sleepy photos are harder to arrange, and your baby won't let you pose him or her easily.

For ideas on baby portraits click here.

(Can you tell I love sharing photo ideas?)

Get the parents looking at each other: