How to keep baby happy during their photoshoot

Marnie’s Sitting Baby Photoshoot

Jade brought her little bundle of cuteness into the studio recently for her Sitting Baby Photoshoot. Her Mum had brought her the photoshoot as a gift voucher - big up to Nanny for thinking of such a thoughtful gift!

Marnie was feeling a little under the weather on the day of her photoshoot. This isn’t uncommon and can be for a number of reasons; teething, tiredness, they’re hungry or thirsty. Or perhaps they’re just having a bad day (we all have them!)

If babies aren’t really ‘feeling’ it on the day of the session then please don’t panic, there are lots of things that we can try to help them warm up to the idea of having photos taken…

Toys

I have lots of lovely wooden toys in the studio to keep little hands busy. They have been chosen carefully so that if little one is happiest playing, they’ll look nice in the photos.
Bringing a favourite toy/comforter from home is also encouraged.

Bubbles

I always have a supply of bubbles - they are every baby photographers best friend! A great distraction and a calming activity.

Snacks

Milk/snacks is always a good idea. I still carry emergency snacks with me wherever I go and my eldest is 8! Sometimes a little nibble on something yummy is all they need to get back in the zone.

Teething gel/granules

If your baby is teething then feel free to bring anything along that you to ease the discomfort. Teething gel is great, as are the teething granule sachets (I swore by these when mine were babies!)

Singing

Be prepared to join in with singing their fave songs/nursery rhymes. Clapping/dancing/silly noises/fake sneezing are also encouraged.
Basically get ready to make a bit of a tit of yourself - it’s basically how I get most of my best photos!

Staying Calm

As a parent your baby will pick up on how you are feeling. If you’re stressing out at the thought of coming to the studio then they will undoubtedly feel the pressure and feel unsettled.
So relax! Think of it as going round to a friend’s for a playdate and cuppa. No pressure, no stress - it will be fun!

Be prepared to join in

If your little one is struggling with the pressure of being in front of the camera solo I’ll ask you to get in there with them. Sometimes having a play with Mum or Dad helps them relax and distracts them. I’ll continue to photograph while you’re playing so that they get used to the sound of the camera, then once they’re happy we’ll gradually move you out of the frame and take it from there! It’s not a problem at all if they don’t want to be sat on their own, you can see from below that holding their hands from the side or above make really cute photos so please don’t worry if you really don’t want to be ‘in’ the photos - your arms are usually enough!

So what do you think? Would you think that Marie was having a bad day from her photos?
Not at all!

If you’ve got a baby aged between 7-10 months and would like some super-cute photos like these then pop over and find out more about my Sitting Baby Photoshoots here. Want to see more? Take a look at Molly’s stdio session here