Preparing Siblings for Newborn Photos
Including siblings in a newborn photography session can create some of the most heartwarming and memorable images. However, you might be feeling a little overwhelmed or worried about how it will go. Will my kids cooperate? What if they don’t? As a Northern Virginia newborn photographer offering both studio and in-home sessions, I get these concerns all the time.
Tips to prepare siblings:
- Talk about the session beforehand: Let them know the session is coming up, and that we’re all going to have so much fun together as we take a few photos with baby! You can talk about how they might help hold or snuggle the baby safely. This can alleviate any nerves and make them feel more involved.
- Make it fun: Bring along a favorite toy, book, or snack to keep them entertained. We can also incorporate these items into the photos for a personal touch. Tip: keep any toys and entertainment hidden in a bag before we begin. You’ll pull them out later if they’re needed.
- Encourage natural interactions: Rather than focusing on perfect poses, I’ll guide siblings to interact naturally with the baby — gentle kisses, holding hands, or simply cuddling together. These unposed moments often result in the most genuine, beautiful images.
- Keep it short and sweet: Siblings, especially younger ones, can get restless quickly. We’ll prioritize the sibling shots early in the session while they’re still fresh and excited. If you come to the studio, siblings are welcome to leave with dad (or another helper) after their photos are done — there are lunch options nearby and Dulles Town Center is nearby with other activities. While they’re gone, I’ll finish individual portraits of baby along with photos of mom with baby. If we’ll be in your home, it’s even easier for siblings to continue with their day or play with their toys.
- Celebrate their role as big brother or sister: Let them know how special and important they are as the older sibling. This can boost their confidence and encourage them to embrace their new role in front of the camera.
Remember — this is a big life change for your kiddos.
As you can imagine, this is all heightened for the toddler age range. Welcoming a baby into your family can bring a lot of emotions. Happiness, excitement, bursts of energy are often expected. On the other hand, your toddler may be feeling a little jealous of baby or the changing family dynamics. Your child may not quite know how to interact with baby yet, and pushing them to snuggle may feel like too much in the moment.
When this happens, I slow things down. We’ll give siblings a little break, and I’ll take a few photos of just mom and baby, for example, while your child takes a snack break. Sometimes kids will come back on their own (because it looks like mom is having fun over there with baby), and other times we’ll prompt siblings to join again in a different way. We’ll have dad be silly with your toddler, or play a game together. There are so many options, and I encourage you to keep smiling through the moments. You never know what we’ll capture! Sometimes the very best photos are the ones that are unexpected.
Looking for a newborn photographer in Virginia, Maryland or DC?
I would love to meet you! I offer sessions at my newborn photography studio in Northern Virginia or in the comfort of your own home. The first step is inquiring through my form below. I’ll be in touch soon with pricing details, availability and more!
