Being a newborn photographer for many years, I’ve photographed hundreds of Glasgows newest residents. Over time, I’ve discovered that there are a few things that are most effective when it comes to soothing and calming babies to help them fall into a nice deep sleep, which allows me to pose them. Part of my job as a newborn photographer is to help babies settle and relax for the session. Continue reading to find out my Tips for soothing newborn babies during photography shoots.

It’s normal for babies to cry, it’s their way of telling us that they are hungry or cold or need their nappy changed. The key to a successful newborn photography session is being able to calm babies quickly when they get upset. Here are the techniques that I find work for me and why they work.

Introduction to Newborn Baby Care

Caring for a newborn baby is a delicate and rewarding journey, especially during those first precious weeks of life. For both parents and professional newborn photographers, understanding the unique needs of newborn babies is essential for creating a calm and secure environment during a newborn session. Newborn photography is all about capturing those beautiful images and precious moments that families will cherish forever. To achieve this, it’s important to use gentle soothing techniques—like swaddling, white noise, and soft, rhythmic movement—that help calm babies and encourage them to relax or sleep. When newborns feel safe and comfortable, it’s much easier to capture their natural beauty and innocence during a newborn photo shoot. By focusing on the well-being of the baby, parents and photographers can work together to create a relaxed atmosphere, making every session a joyful and memorable experience.

Pre-Session Preparation for Newborn Sessions

A successful newborn session starts long before the camera comes out. Pre-session preparation is key to ensuring your newborn baby is calm, content, and ready for their close-up. One of the top tips is to feed your baby just before the session, so they have a full tummy and are more likely to drift into a peaceful sleep. Many professional newborn photographers provide a prep guide to help parents get ready for the big day, including advice on keeping the baby awake for a little while before the shoot and dressing them in easy-to-remove, comfortable clothing. By following these simple tips, parents can help create a relaxed and soothing environment, making it easier to capture those beautiful images of their newborn. Working together, parents and photographers can ensure the session runs smoothly, allowing everyone to focus on capturing those precious moments that will be treasured for years to come.

Creating a Comfortable Environment for Calm Babies

A comfortable environment is the foundation for calm and happy newborn babies during a newborn session. Professional newborn photographers know that maintaining a warm, cozy studio helps babies feel secure and relaxed, which is essential for capturing those timeless images. Using soothing techniques like swaddling and white noise, along with gentle movement, can help settle even the fussiest little ones. Minimizing distractions and keeping the space peaceful allows both parents and babies to feel at ease. By creating a nurturing and calming atmosphere, photographers can help newborns feel safe, making it much easier to capture their natural beauty and innocence. Every detail, from the temperature of the room to the softness of the background music, is carefully considered to ensure a relaxed and enjoyable session for everyone involved.

The 5 S's tips for soothing newborn babies during photography shoots

Swaddling

Babies like to feel secure, and swaddling or to swaddle them helps to recreate the feeling of being inside the womb. Swaddling keeps the baby from flailing their arms around and upsetting themselves even more. I will generally wrap babies at some point during their session. Babies who are swaddled tend to settle more easily. Swaddling also helps prevent the startle reflex, which can wake babies during a session. This technique helps the baby feel safe and secure, making it easier to pose them. Wrapping babies is much more than making a pretty feature in an image, it’s a key tool to helping babies settle and fall into a nice sleep.

Side or Stomach pose

For parents at home, laying babies on their back is the only safe position for sleeping, but for soothing babies it can be the worst. I find that babies are most relaxed when they are placed in a stomach pose or tushie/bum up pose, as newborn photographers refer to it. During a session, I will often maximise this pose by using different props on the baby because they are most calm in this position, ensuring the baby's well-being and proper positioning. These poses often result in some of the most cherished shots from the session. At home, you can try laying baby on their stomach across your shoulder (in the burping position) to help soothe her before putting her down.

Shushing

Babies don’t need complete silence to fall asleep, you shouldn’t tiptoe around your baby. When they are in the womb the sound of blood flow is louder than a vacuum cleaner so babies will be used to this noise. During my sessions I use the baby shusher which plays a rhythmical shushing sound which activates babies calming reflex. You can buy other white noise machines that will play sounds similar to womb noises which also work well. These techniques are highly effective in promoting baby sleep during sessions.

Swinging

Your baby is used to being jiggled around in the womb so this is another great technique to help soothe them. It’s why babies always fall asleep in the car. Once baby is fed I gently rock them in my arms to help them relax and drift off to sleep. Rocking and swinging motions are often used to help settle a baby to sleep before or during a session, making it easier to capture peaceful photos. If I have a fussy baby who starts to wriggle mid pose, I use fast, tiny motions to rock them back and forth gently to simulate the jiggly womb feeling. Supporting the babies head and neck with one hand, I can use my other hand to gently jiggle their bottom to help relax them again. Patting your babies bottom also helps. For safety, never, ever shake your baby

Sucking

The technique that often works the fastest after swaddling is sucking. Babies suck because it provides them with a feeling of comfort and reassurance. Doctors refer to breastfeeding and bottle feeding as nutritive sucking, and call pacifier use non-nutritive sucking (as it provides no nutrition). Pacifiers are a helpful tool for soothing and calming newborns during photography sessions, as non-nutritive sucking (using a dummy/pacifier) helps lower the heart rate, blood pressure, and stress levels. Some parents are against the use of a pacifier; however, for the short few minutes that pacifiers are used during a session, they will not cause any nipple confusion.

Applying Newborn Soothing Tips During Your Shoot

When preparing for a newborn shoot, it's important to encourage parents to bring plenty of feeding supplies and ensure their baby is well-fed before the session. A well fed baby is more likely to be calm and cooperative, and a happy baby makes for smoother sessions and better photos. Creating a soothing environment with gentle motions and calming sounds can help ensure the baby sleeps peacefully during the shoot. Capturing a cuddle between parent and baby can create emotional and memorable images, highlighting the special bond with your little bundle. The involvement of the parent in calming and posing the baby is essential for both comfort and authentic moments. Planning for a newborn shoot often starts when the mother is pregnant, and maternity sessions can also be part of the photography experience. Managing temperature changes in the studio is important to keep the baby's comfort and well-being as a top priority throughout the session.

The more you practice using the 5 S’s tips for soothing newborn babies during photography shoots at home you will find that there may be a particular combination of techniques that your baby responds to best. Some babies love sound and will respond well to the shushing or white noise, with other babies you might find that the gentle swinging activates the calming reflex. Dr. Harvey Karp, who coined the 5 S’s recommends swaddling babies first to help the baby feel secure and then use a combination of the other techniques to settle your baby. For some babies it might be swaddling and shushing, or swaddling and swinging. For really fussy babies it could be a combination of 3, 4 or all 5 of the tips for soothing newborn babies during photography shoots.

I hope this blog has been helpful to you and I’d love to hear about which techniques work for you.

Working with a Newborn Photographer

Choosing to work with a professional newborn photographer is a wonderful way for parents to ensure their newborn session is both safe and memorable. An experienced newborn photographer brings not only technical skill but also a deep understanding of how to soothe and calm babies, making the photoshoot a positive experience for everyone. Parents can trust that their newborn baby is in caring hands, with the photographer offering helpful tips and gentle techniques to keep the baby comfortable throughout the session. This partnership allows parents to relax and enjoy the moment, knowing that every precious detail is being captured. With a professional guiding the session, families can look forward to beautiful images that reflect the love and joy of welcoming a new baby into their lives.

Capturing Timeless Moments in Baby Photography

There’s nothing quite like capturing the first days of a newborn baby’s life through the art of baby photography. A newborn session is a unique opportunity to preserve those fleeting, precious moments—whether the baby is wide awake and curious or peacefully asleep in a gentle pose. Professional newborn photographers use a variety of techniques, such as swaddling, white noise, and soft movement, to create a calm and relaxed atmosphere that brings out the best in every little one. By skillfuly capturing a range of poses and expressions, from sleepy cuddles to alert gazes, photographers help families create a lasting record of their baby’s earliest days. These beautiful images become treasured keepsakes, celebrating the magic and joy of new life for years to come.