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I'm Kate, a photographer of motherhood and all of the love and change that it brings. Photographing your connection with your children brings me such joy, and I am so grateful that this career has chosen me.
Hi there!
Many parents get nervous about successfully getting newborn photos with siblings. Especially when those siblings are toddlers. A new baby is a massive adjustment for everyone in the family and toddler siblings are no exception. They have gone from being either the only child, or the baby of the family who received all the attention, to not being able to get the attention they are used to because of the needs of the new baby.
Sometimes toddlers flourish in this role as older sibling, friend, and protector. And sometimes they need to warm up to the idea. Both are perfectly ok, and I have plenty of tricks up my sleeve to make sure we capture beautiful photos of your children.
One of the biggest considerations when doing newborn photos with siblings is the safety of your newborn. Toddlers especially, can be unpredictable and can decide very quickly that they no longer want to hold their sibling.
When photographing a newborn session with siblings, I always ask the following questions during the Styling and Planning Session to make sure I am prepared and can create beautiful images that ensure the comfort and safety of everyone involved.
1) Do the siblings still nap, and if so, what time?
2) Have they held the baby before and how?
3) How does the transition seem to be going?
Rest assured that however you answer these questions, I am not judging you, your child, or your family. My goal is to create beautiful memories and photos for your family and in order to do that, I need to create a safe, relaxed environment for everyone.
Knowing if and when your children typically nap allows me to plan the flow of the session to ensure we incorporate your children before they start to get tired. A well-rested, happy child is more likely to want to be involved in newborn photos with siblings. If your child(ren) no longer naps, what does their morning routine typically look like? Is there a time of day when they are happier?
I like to know if your other children have held the baby before so that I know the best way to position everyone during newborn photos with siblings. If your children are older and comfortable with holding the baby, we can place your newborn directly into their arms. If they are younger, or are less comfortable holding your baby, we can prop your baby on a pillow on their lap or lay them flat on their backs on the bed or floor.
I always want to be respectful of your other children’s comfort level with their new baby sibling, as well as making sure everyone is safe and supported during the session. We can always adjust the positioning to make sure all of your children as happy and comfortable!
With toddlers especially, I always have mom and dad just off-camera as an extra safety precaution.
Knowing how the transition is going also allows me to determine the safest positioning for your baby. Very frequently, siblings will decide very abruptly that they are done holding the baby and will move quickly to get away from them. If the transition is going well, we can try to get newborn photos with siblings and no parents. If the transition has been a little bumpier, or your other children are wanting to stay close to you, we can do newborn photos with siblings and parents. This can be a great option to get some sweet photos of mom holding the baby and the siblings kissing their nose or holding their hands – all while ensuring the safety of everyone involved.
First, talk to them about the session. Explain that it will be fun, and that it is a celebration of them becoming an older sibling. Putting the focus on them helps them to feel like an important part of the session.
If you are comfortable with it, help them practice holding and supporting your newborn before the session so that they have experienced it before we begin photographing.
Finally, ask them if they would like to hold the baby for the photos – and be respectful and understanding of their decision. Photo sessions can be a bit overwhelming for children so asking them how they feel and then being respectful of their decision will make for a much smoother session.
The older brother in this session was SO excited to take photos with his baby sister. He had held the baby previously with the assistance of a pillow to prop her up, so we used this same method to make sure he was comfortable, and she was safely supported. Using various prompts like “can you find your sister’s toes?” “can you touch your nose to your baby sister’s nose?” “do you see her eyes?” we were able to get adorable images of the sweet sibling duo.
Safety measures in these photos:
All of these little things add up to ensure that your children are all safe.
This sweet brother was still excited to take more photos so we moved to the nursery and had him lie down on the floor. We then placed Baby next to him and had Mom and Dad stand on either side. We used similar prompts, worked quickly, and showered him with praise. We could tell when he was starting to get fidgety and was done so I wrapped up and we all told him how amazing he did. You can click here see more of this beautiful newborn session.
When photographing newborn photos with siblings, the key is to know your child’s comfort level with your newborn, as well as to respect their boundaries. Remember that this is a huge transition for them and understand that while they may not be up for solo photos with your newborn, we will still get beautiful photos of your children during your session!
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Kate Voda Photography specializes in in-home newborn lifestyle photography sessions and lifestyle maternity and portrait photography sessions. Kate serves New Jersey and the surrounding areas. View Kate’s Portfolio here or view more of Kate’s work on Instagram.
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