My Tips for an Easy Newborn Session with Siblings

I have photographed many newborns and have figured out a few things to make things go a little better for the older kids who are getting used to having a new member of the family. This is a hard time for those kids. Their world has been turned upside down. They are going from an only child to the oldest, or from a duo to a triple, or even more! It’s a big time of transition, and everyone deals with change differently. Some kids are happy and oblivious and some are down right annoyed.

I know you are adjusting to a new family dynamic after you bring home a new baby, but this is a special time that deserves to be photographed. If you worry about it being chaos, and it might be, but that’s ok!, here are some of my tips I’ve learned along the way for having a smooth newborn session with siblings:

1. Don’t have any expectations for their behavior. They are going through something really big and their mood might not be great on the day we have the session and they might not want to participate, and that’s ok. I don’t want to push kids to do something they don’t want to do.

2. Schedule a maternity session with me before the newborn session. This will really help get the kid or kids used to me and to trust me. It will really help with their comfort level, and that makes things so. much. easier. Trust me, kids who already know me are excited to see me again and really comfortable in front of my camera.

3. In-home sessions help kids feel comfortable too. When I go to a person’s house to photograph their family, especially if I have already met the kids before, they get so excited to show me their room and their toys. They are ready to participate.

4. I always tell parents to tell their kids that they are going to have a really fun time. Really build it up. “Guess what we get to do tomorrow? A really fun lady is coming over!” You get the idea. Stay away from saying things like, “If you smile for the camera we can get a treat.” This one is common, and I understand why parents say this, hey I’ve even said it before. But the reason I suggest not to is because that sounds like it’s going to be a chore, or a hard thing to get through and then they will be rewarded. It will make your kids dread it, and getting out of that mindset can sometimes be challenging. I’m not against treats after though!

5. Don’t give kids treats to eat during the session. I see a lot of people suggest giving your kids lollipops to make it fun, but then you end up with photographs with them sucking on lollipops, and it will be the longest lasting lollipop. When I first photographed kids I would bring smarties because they are quick to chew, but I found kids don’’t need that during a session. They are usually good with waiting until after for a treat!

6. Lastly, in-home newborn sessions are great because little ones can take breaks and can play with their own toys while they regroup. I like to start with pictures of the family together, then depending on how the little ones are doing I’ll either give them a break then or do sibling pictures then move on to mom and baby, etc. Having the flexibility to give breaks is key for getting little ones to participate.

This family is a perfect example of this. I photographed them in the fall and then again a few weeks ago when their son arrived. The girls were excited to see me and were so excited to have their picture taken. We were lucky to have mild weather and the sunset was gorgeous. I loved getting to photograph this family again.

Are you expecting? I’d love to chat! Connect with me here

What Should I Wear for My Lifestyle Family Session

I know what it’s like to worry about what your family will wear for a photo session. Dressing an entire family and making sure it all looks great together can be stressful!

My best piece of advice for you is to wear what you love. If you don’t love what you are wearing chances are you aren’t going to love the photographs. 

Here are some of my other tips for choosing your family’s outfits that I hope are helpful to you.

1. Dress up but not formal. I like to dress the girls in dresses that are slighly casual. You want to look like yourselves but just slightly more “put together”. Suits and formal dresses are not necessary :) Somewhere in between your Sunday best and your casual weekend outfits is great.

2. Wear something flowy. Flowy clothes photograph beautifully. If you have looked at my photographs before you may have noticed that I like to photograph families moving around, not sitting still. Clothes that move tell more of a story in your photograph and add visual interest. I always suggest women choose dresses, long skirts or a flowy top.

3. Avoid super tight clothes. I ask parents to sit, dance, snuggle. Make sure your clothes can do that! :)

4. Don’t be afraid of color and patterns. Just like material that moves, color makes photographs interesting! Mix it up! Avoid wearing all the same color and/or print. I know, I know…. it’s easier to pick a color and be done with it, but I’ll be honest, and I’m sorry, but it’s a bit boring to the eye. Your pictures will be more interesting if you have a variety of colors and add a prints in there too. It looks great! Have fun with it!

5. Choose colors that coordinate well together for your family, not matching. I always suggest 2-3 colors for the family. I guarantee adding a few colors will make your photos pop with fun and create beautiful images. My one caveat is to avoid bright red and bright orange. They can overshadow and overwhelm the image.

6. Don’t forget to accessorize. Big earrings and bracelets look great and really add to your overall look. And, please leave your Apple Watch at home or in the car. Trust me, you don’t want it in the pictures.

7. Choose shoes that go well with the outfits, but make sure your kids have broken them in first :) Sometimes new shoes give kids blisters and quick(!!), and then it’s all the kids can think about. That can be a bummer during a photo session. It’s better to go with broken in shoes as long as they aren’t too broken in! :) Little booties are always cute for girls in the fall.

   But you don’t have to do all of this alone! I’ve created a Pinterest board for ideas for the whole family. Go to to my Pinterest board here. And, when you book a session with me I will offer styling advice. Send me your ideas and I will help style the family!

   
   Interested in booking a lifestyle family session in Raleigh? Get in touch! Send me a message to start the process. I’d love to hear from you!

Michelle Panek Photography is a Family, Newborn and Branding Photographer in Raleigh NC Serving Raleigh, Durham, Cary and Wake Forest. Visit the homepage here.