Planning a baby photoshoot is just as important as actually taking the pictures. It can also be just as tricky. You want a photo shoot that showcases the baby’s personality while also capturing their adorableness. In this blog, I’ll show you exactly how I do it.

Step 1: Conversing With Parents. Most of the time that a photographer takes pictures of a baby, they don’t know the baby. This is why it’s always good to talk to the parents to get an idea of what the baby likes and what the parents would like to see the baby doing in the photos. For example, the baby might really like a TV show or movie. By talking to the parents you can learn this and plan a theme around that television show or movie. The parents might also say the baby has trouble sitting up on its own, this will help you prepare to prop the baby up so it can look s though it’s sitting up on its own.

Step 2: Finding The Dress Code. A lot of times parents will have an outfit or two in mind that they want the photographer to take pictures of their babies in. The photographer should ask the following questions in regards to what the baby is going to wear on the day of the shoot: What color will the outfit be? Is it a dress? Skirt? Pants? Jumper? Or nothing at all. (Sometimes parents might want babies to be naked but swaddled in a blanket for a picture or they might want the baby to look like they’re taking a bath in a picture. This could require the baby to not be clothed.) Will there be any accessories such as bows, headbands, ties, etc? By finding out this information you can start to plan how the scene behind the baby will look in the photos. For example, in the photo above you’ll notice the baby matches the green decor. That’s because I asked the mother what color the baby would be wearing and she described a green and white dress. So I decided I wanted green and white to be the theme in the background. I also learned that the baby could sit up on her own so I didn’t have to bring a special baby pillow to make her sit up in the fake bathtub.

Step 3: Finding The Right Props. Now that you have talked to the parents to learn bout what the baby will wear and a little about the baby’s personality, it’s time to find the right props for the photoshoot. If the theme revolves around Christmas you might want to pick out green and red props to give it that Christmasy feel. If the theme is around the 4th of July you’ll probably want colors like red, white, and blue to give it that holiday feel. If the theme is around a TV show or movie, you might want to order a backdrop, plush props, or balloons that show off that movie or TV show. You’ll also probably want to make sure any additional props match the color of those TV or movie props. For example, I did a photo shoot for a baby that loved Cocomelon. I ordered some Cocomelon plush toys and some colorful balloons that matched the color of the plush toys to make the scene come together. For the picture above, Since I knew we were doing a green and white theme, I ordered some green and white flowers and vines to add so that the colors of the baby’s outfits would pop.

Step 4: Set Up The Scene. This is our final step before taking the actual pictures. You’ll want to set up the scene early so you can make any adjustments you need before the baby arrives at your studio. For example, if you set it up and it doesn’t look up to your standards, you’ll be able to run to your local store or find other props in your studio to fix the scene to your liking. I usually try to set up 30 minutes to an hour beforehand.

That is all my advice on planning a baby photoshoot. I hope this was helpful and be sure to check out my other baby photoshoot tips!