How to perfectly introduce your baby to the world

Written by Tina Stobbs, January 2018|Newborn Photographer at Captured Forever

After the long-awaited anticipation of what your baby looks like, they are here. Whether your birth has gone to plan, been long, short, brutal, or a breeze, you are normally exhausted and faced with the next part of your parenting journey, getting to know them - sharing them with your family and friends.

The small amount of time that you have with them in hospital, if that is the birth you have chosen, is such a precious bonding time. Everything is so new for you both, and sometimes it doesn’t go all that smoothly.

You may well be visited by a commercial photographer during this time. I must admit, I'm am not in agreement with this. I think this time should be for you and your baby and it is no place for commercial gain. Did you know you can say no? You can do it yourself and save money and I’m going to show you how.

You may have been warned they will come and see you before the birth, and to take a cuddly toy or something with you, which, in principle, before the birth sounds fine, but the chances of them arriving at the right time for you and your baby is such a lottery. It’s bound to be when you just manage to settle them. I want you to have control and here are some quick tips to do it yourself with your mobile phone.

So, it’s all about that face; who do they look like? Do they have hair? Whose nose? Etc. But, it’s also about the details such as their wee hands and feet.

Here are five easy shots you can take on your phone to introduce your little one to the world – you don’t have to pay for it, do it when you are ready – and if that is 3am, then its 3am. You could use some or all of these ideas, but remember that your baby might still be quite puffy, and their colour might not be right just yet either, so if in doubt, go to a black and white filter!

Before we start though, consider your background – look out for bits of medical equipment or things from your hospital bag lying about; just give the background a once over in each shot. For most of these you will be able to just use a smoothed out blanket on your bed to give you space to get around your baby. Shooting in the plastic hospital cribs can be challenging. It also means if your baby keeps turning to one side you can pop something under the blanket to prop their head in the right place for you.

Shot one: the face.

Babies sometimes have a bit of bruising, so if they have a better side, focus on that. Imagine their face is a clock with their forehead at 12 and chin at six (as below). You need to have your camera pointing from either 10 or two and should use their temples as a guide so that you are not shooting up their nose. If you shoot from below these points you can distort their face making the bottom half look much bigger than reality.

Shot two: size.

How big is this baby? It is important to take this shot with something that everyone recognises as the same size. Yes, you can use their new teddy, but no one has an idea how big that teddy is. So, here are a couple of ideas: a pound coin on their chest, a 50p in their hand, a newborn baby shoe on their belly, or even a litre bottle of water next to them. Or, be creative with your hobbies and choose a boxing glove, a watch, or a bit of jewellery you always wear. It’s important that this shot is relative for the person who hasn’t seen your little one yet to make an immediate comparison.

Here, you can see we used Mum’s Pandora bracelet on his chest.

Shot three: those hands.

This is an easy shot and is also useful if you don’t quite want to share your baby’s face yet. The positioning here is key as it is about their little fingernails. Get your little one to hold your index finger, the trick here is to go either right hand to right hand or left hand to left hand. You will get a better roll on the fingers around your finger to get a snap of those nails.

Also demonstrated here is how important it is to crop your image to the detail that you want in the shot.

Shot four: those toes

At this age they should be able to put the soles of their feet together, so just hold them together with your hand and either take from the top or side, whichever is your preference. Just be really careful what is in your background, you may need to use a blanket to cover anything distracting (like a nappy). Again, I have cropped to the detail and left out the distractions in the background.

Shot five: the hair

If you have been blessed with heartburn and your baby has a bit of hair, then it needs capturing as well. Sometimes this hair will change colour from birth so make sure you catch it. Again, if we go back to our clock face image, this is a shot from 12 directly at the top of your little one’s head. You can raise up a little so that you also capture the tip of their nose if you like.

And there you have it, five easy photos to do yourself and make a lovely wee collage to introduce you new wee person to the world. You’ll notice in these shots they are quite red and yellow from the lights. You can convert them to black and white to make them more flattering as well. You can do all of this on your phone.

Oh,and here is a handy printable sign for your door – just pack a bit of blue tac – this can be a job for your partner job. Good luck and please show me your results!!

M any Thanks to Bailey Williams, 2 days new, for expert modelling!! Below photos from his newborn shoot at 7 days.

Tina Stobbs: Owner - Captured Forever, Photography by Tina Stobbs