TIPS TO CALM YOUR BABY DOWN FOR PORTRAITS

Incorporating your baby in your portraits, or even just photographing your baby individually, can be a bit tricky. Babies are very unpredictable - you cannot predict if they will be happy, crying, or just straight up miserable. However, I am here to give a few tips on how to calm your baby down for portraits. Of course, every baby is different and as a parent, you typically know what works best for your baby. Here are a few tips I recommend during the session, and some things you may want to consider bringing:

PRIOR TO THE SESSION:

  1. Schedule the session AFTER nap time. This sounds like it may be obvious, but I can confirm that so many parents look past this tip. Just like everyone else, we all need to sleep (and occasionally take naps!). Napping is crucial for babies (and children as well), and I strongly recommend scheduling your session after their nap time. It is best to not push your luck and schedule the session before or during their nap time, because it can disrupt the baby’s routine and may ruin their mood.
  2. Make sure they are well fed and hydrated prior. Another tip that may sound silly, but it is seriously IMPORTANT. Do not rely on feeding your baby right when you arrive for your session. Make sure your baby is well fed and hydrated before so they have nothing to whine about!
  3. Dress them up in comfortable clothing and make sure they are warm (not sweating hot though!). If you have a cute outfit planned out for your baby that may not be comfortable, I suggest dressing them quickly at the session (so they don’t stay in the uncomfortable outfit for too long).

DURING THE SESSION:

  1. Bring them food/milk to the session, in case they DO need it. However, I still recommend following tip #3 in addition to this tip!
  2. Consider playing music on their phone. Often times, music is very soothing to babies and can help them get out of their funk.

BONUS TIP:

If you notice they have a favorite toy or stuffed animal, it could be super beneficial if you bring it to the session. Not only will it possibly calm your baby down, but it also will be a cute prop to incorporate into the session to remember their favorite toy!