Sibling Shots at a Newborn Session

Parents are often worried about how we will accomplish sibling shots during newborn shoots; especially with toddlers!

Today on the blog, I’m writing about some tricks and sibling shot options for newborn sessions.

Are Sibling Shots Included?

Yes! I always include parent and sibling shots in my newborn sessions. I think it’s really important to document the entire family during this time, and especially document the relationship between family members and the new baby.

My Toddler is Too Little To Hold the Baby Alone

Many times, the newborns in my studio have older siblings that are still babies themselves. I still love to document these siblings with the new baby. The key is to do this in a safe way.

Toddlers that don’t mind holding their new baby can do so safely a few different ways.

One of my favorite poses for toddlers and newborns is the newborn on the legs shot. The baby isn’t technically being held by the toddler, but can still interact with the baby. I have the parents on both sides to make sure the baby’s head is still being supported by a pillow, and this makes a super cute shot. The toddlers are typically super proud of themselves for holding the baby too!

Another favorite shot is the looking straight down at the siblings lying on a blanket.

Leaning over the baby is another great setup for siblings and new babies. They can interact without having to actually hold the baby.

“My Toddler Wants Nothing To Do With The Baby”

And then sometimes, we have the sibling who wants NOTHING to do with their baby sibling, and that’s ok too! For toddlers that are just “over it” with their new baby sibling, we can still achieve shots of them “together”. One of my tricks is to place a piece of tape under the baby for the toddler to go find.

Another one of my favorite tricks is to actually photograph the toddler and the baby in two different shots and then merge them into one later in Photoshop. That way, they are both in the same picture, but they were never really next to each other. Magic!

So, if you’ve been hesitant to book a newborn session because of having a toddler or other sibling, have no fear! We can still get great shots of the siblings and baby, whatever the circumstances might be!

Book here!

www.katieballantine.com