What is a newborn sibling photoshoot?
Many parents who come to me for a newborn photoshoot here in Leeds have an older child and perhaps even a couple of children, so when I introduce the idea of a newborn sibling photoshoot, it usually goes down well!
In a newborn sibling photoshoot, I create artistic newborn photos with a sibling, or siblings, depending on the dynamic of the family.
The age of the children is not important. I have years of experience photographing children of all ages and have lots of creative ideas around how to create sibling portraits regardless of the age gap between them.
Newborn and sibling photography
I like to offer the option of a newborn sibling photoshoot, if you have older children, because I know that most families would love to have photographs of their children together.
As a mother of three boys myself, I understand that you will want to have portraits of your newborn baby on their own, as well as newborn photos with siblings. Pictures I have of all my boys together at various times through the years are my most precious photos!
There’s certainly something wonderful about capturing a family at a key moment such as around the time of a baby’s birth. It’s a very emotional time and your shared joy is plain to see in your faces, particularly in that of the new big brother or sister.
I love to play a part in helping record those special moments for my clients.
Bespoke newborn and sibling photoshoots
In a newborn sibling photoshoot, don’t worry, your baby is still going to be the star of the show!
Most of the photographs will be of them, and I will create a variety of newborn portraits using different backdrops and props to ensure you have a lovely collection of images to choose from and purchase.
It’s always nice to complement the newborn portraits with sibling and family photographs though.
This is why I like to be flexible. My newborn and family portrait sessions are bespoke, in that I’m always happy to take into account the setup of each family I work with, and any special requests.
When you book me as your newborn photographer, we’ll discuss who is to be involved and which family photos are most important to you, and this is all done well ahead of your newborn photoshoot, so that there are no surprises on the day.
Related reading: Newborn photoshoot checklist: What to bring to your baby’s portrait session
What’s done first? The newborn or the sibling photographs?
You might be wondering which order we create the photographs in. The answer to this is that it’s up to you.
We can either do the newborn photos first, followed by the sibling portraits, or the other way around.
One thing I do say to parents with young children though is that the child is likely to get bored fairly quickly here in my small studio when they aren’t being photographed!
Because a newborn photoshoot typically takes lasts around 2-3 hours, it’s usually best that siblings attend just a small part of the session.
My suggestion is that they be brought to the session for half an hour or so, and then be taken home or to a local park (there are plenty in Boston Spa) once the sibling portraits are done, perhaps by the dad or a grandparent. Or, they can be brought to the studio later, after the newborn portraits have been taken.
Related reading: How long will a newborn photography session last?
Newborn photos with siblings: How I make it work!
Most families who come to me for a newborn session have children around the ages of 2-3 years, although I have experience of photographing much older children with their siblings too.
Depending on the age of the sibling, I’ll ask them to ether lie or sit alongside the baby or, if they are older and capable, I may position the baby safely in their arms.
At all times, I invite parents to sit closely beside the child. That way, there's never any risk of harm coming to the baby should the older sibling get distracted and not be paying as much attention to the baby as they ideally would.
If necessary, parents’ supporting hands can be removed from the portraits in post-production as well – I have developed some clever photo editing skills that do sometimes come in handy!
One thing I’m keen to emphasise is that I’m extremely careful to ensure every baby’s complete safety throughout my sessions.
Related reading: Newborn photography and baby safety
Photographing babies and siblings together
If the idea of newborn photos with a young sibling makes you nervous, please don’t worry! The portraits I’m sharing here will hopefully reassure you that it really is possible to create some beautiful family portraits with a newborn baby and their young sibling.
While toddlers can be temperamental, and so there is no knowing how the session may go until the day itself, I have lots of tricks up my sleeve to get a young child’s cooperation, even if just for a few moments!
The truth is, I only need a few seconds to capture the perfect newborn photo with a sibling – most of the hard work is in the preparation and the moments leading up to that shot being taken!
What should you wear to your baby’s newborn photoshoot?
If you’re planning to have sibling and family portraits taken as part of your baby’s newborn session, I do recommend that you consider your outfits and aim to match them if possible.
Neutral colours and plain clothes work best - no busy patterns or overly branded clothing please!
Should you have any questions about what to wear though, please just ask.
Book your newborn sibling photoshoot
If you have a baby on the way and an older child, or children, that you would like to involve in their newborn photoshoot, then please get in touch.
I assure you, photographs that show your children together, and that tell the story of your family at this major milestone, will prove wonderful to look back on in years to come.
I’d love to do a newborn sibling photoshoot for you and to create portraits that capture this special time.
Contact me either by phone or via this form. I look forward hearing from you!
Newborn photography 101
If you'd like a free copy of my newborn photography guide, simply enter your details in the form below.
I've created it especially for parents in Yorkshire, like you, who are considering a photoshoot. In it, you'll find lots of useful information as well as my top tips on how to prepare for your baby's portrait session. It includes a handy packing checklist too!
Andrea
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