As a photographer and mother of three, I understand the importance of having the right tools for making a newborn lifestyle session as smooth and effortless as possible for everyone involved, this means you, baby, parents, and toddler sibling. 

You don’t want to show up to your newborn session without a few tricks up your sleeve. In a lifestyle photoshoot, there are a few things outside of your control, like the lighting and tidiness of the home. Bringing these items along gives you more options for making the most out of the space and being able to capture all of the shots that you’re looking to grab.

In this blog post, I’m sharing the top five items every newborn lifestyle photographer should consider incorporating into their toolkit. From Moses baskets to baby shushers and swaddles, these essential items will take your photography session to the next level.

1. Moses Basket

A Moses basket is an essential prop that adds a touch of warmth and coziness to your newborn lifestyle photographs. They are also extremely versatile because they make it super easy to get clean detail shots of baby’s features. Or if you’re in a home with tricky lighting you can place the basket right next to the window while still capturing an aesthetic and beautiful shot. It makes things easy!  

2. Baby Shusher

You can use a white noise app on your phone but if you’re planning on getting behind the scene shots with your phone then the noise on the app can be a bit disruptive to your videos. If you grab one of these, it solves the problem. Having a baby shusher is nice because they keep  baby feeling at ease and helps sooth baby during the session. 

3. Swaddles/Wraps

I always have swaddles on hand for newborn lifestyle sessions. I typically get “photographer” style swaddles for my newborn photo shoots. These wraps are one long strip of fabric versus the more traditional square wraps. I like to use these because they’re a lot less bulky and it’s easier to capture how small the baby is. Most of mine are from this brand and they’ve held up great through a lot of washes between babies Swaddling also keeps babies calm and content, making it easier to capture those precious sleeping poses. 

4. Toy Camera

This is more for if there are older siblings, but bringing a little camera will give older siblings something to do when they’re not in the shot and get them excited to interact with you. I’ve had siblings go grab their own camera countless times and it makes it so fun for them and for you. 

5. Swaddle Pro

If you’re getting photographer-style swaddles, you need something like this underneath. It ensures a snug and secure swaddle, minimizing the chances of the fabric coming undone during a shoot. And makes switching swaddles so much easier and keeps baby happy until you’re all done. Get baby settled into a swaddle pro first and then wrap them up in the swaddle because it’s easier than trying to hold in all the limbs while you use a photographer swaddle. 

Incorporating the right tools into your newborn lifestyle photography can significantly enhance the quality of your sessions. These items have been a game changer for me and have elevated the experience for my client, which is a win-win.

As a photographer, it’s always important to manage expectations and make everyone feel prepared and comfortable for their session. Write a couple of blog posts that you can send to your clients like 3 tips for having a successful newborn session or What to expect at your fresh 48 or in-home newborn session. 

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