Baby Warren | Midland Mt. Pleasant Newborn Photographer

Let's talk about color story and designing a newborn photo session! I have made a few simple tips here that you can follow if you're a photographer to create timeless images that won't look like a fad in years to come.

Baby Boy in Blue | Newborn Photography

1. COLOR:

One of my favorite things about newborn photography is designing the sets that reflect a color story. When I design a set, I start with the parents preferred colors, which I ask them to choose 2-3 colors they love. For baby Warren, mama loved blues and greens. I never use more than 3 colors.

Choose 2-3 tones that look great together!

Also, I usually recommend parents to choose neutral or soft tones for babies, rather than loud colors like neon! Soft neutrals keep the mood of the image quiet and peaceful and draw attention to baby.

Olivine Gorga Hello Little Pro

Olivine Gorga Hello Little Pro

Newborn on Teal

Newborn in basket

Then, I choose the tones within that color family to work with, that match the baby's skin tones. You can read a blog I wrote about skin tones here.

Choose a monochromatic color story like seafoam! Bucket: Hello Little Props, Bonnet: Cream of the Prop

Finally I recommend that all the colors in all your set ups work together cohesively, so if displayed together, they will look great as a wall art gallery or in an album.

Froggy Pose, done as a composite, on Olivine Gorga from Hello Little Props

2. TEXTURES

I am a texture freak when it comes to fabrics and textures! I obsess over the exact right fabrics to choose for the table poses and whatever props I use. My biggest advice: Cheap props = cheap looking. INVEST in high quality props and it will show in you images. I'll share a few of my favorites here!

Sleepy baby on Olivine | Gorga by Hello Little Props

For fabrics, I choose solid colors that have a bit of texture or character, but are also very soft and stretchy. I avoid ribbed fabrics because the lines are distracting in the image and can often vary in size depending on how you pull it! I like fabrics with a fuzzy or plush texture for the table poses for many reasons, but I think they give a soft emotion to the image and baby loves it. Cheap fabrics show, so always purchase from a vetted newborn vendor. My favorites include Hello Little Props and Red Owl Photo Props.

Teal Blue | Gauzy Wrap by Red Owl and Handmade Wool Layer by Lavender Dreams

One more note about texture: Don't have too many textures! I typically have ONE or maybe two similar texture elements in an image. If you have too many props or things in the image with lots of different textures, then it distracts the eye away from the main focus, which is baby. And mamas....put away the crochet hat and crochet pants....Here's the secret that no photographer wants to tell you: We hate them. LOL. They are typically BIG stitches, really colorful, ill-fitting, and have too much texture...all distracting in the image. Those are cute for candids, but not for timeless photography.

Bonnet: Cream of the Prop, layer: Red Owl Photo Props

3. PROPS

My last note is about choosing props. Again, this is an area I am super fussy about. When I choose to include props, outfits, and bonnets, I think about several things.

Chin on Hands pose Teddy bear bonnet: Just me Lulu

👉Look for props that fit properly. Nothing overly big. It should not be more important than baby in the image.

👉Choose props that are an exact match to the tones in the image.

👉Avoid "colorful" props or use multi-colored props sparingly (this can be a bit of preference, but my opinion is that too colorful means distracting)

👉texture, texture, texture. Choose small textures!

👉Think SMALL! Newborns are small! I like my felted props and stuffies to be as small as possible.

Color controlled deep sea blues

Finally, use props sparingly, if at all. The main idea with newborn photography is.....the newborn! Adding props distracts and can also make your image dated in a few years. Keep it classic and timeless, and this allows the viewer to see those important details! My fav prop vendors: Dreamy Lavender Props, Just Me Lulu, & Cream of the Prop.

Do you live in the Central Michigan area? We serve Lansing, Midland, Mt. Pleasant, Alma, Clare, and more! Contact us to schedule your session!

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