I have been a professional newborn photographer for coming up to 9 years and one question that is asked regularly is about how safe Newborn Photography is? 

Safety in Newborn Photography

Safety is a huge part of what is taught during training for Newborn photography,  Ensuring your Newborn photographer has undertaken quality training is key as there are so many safety factors that play a part during newborn sessions.

Here are some of the safely aspects I consider when working with your precious newborns.

Safe Newborn Posing

My studio has to be very warm to keep your baby sleepy and settled so it’s paramount I keep an eye on your baby.   I am constantly monitoring your baby’s temperature and skin colour for signs that they may be uncomfortable or too warm. 

Sometimes I may ask you to act as a spotter.  Depending on the pose this may mean keeping a hand on your baby or staying very close.  Sometimes the final newborn photos I produce are the result of two images being merged together in photoshop.  Whilst this generates extra editing work it means your baby is completely safe at all times and that is far more important than getting a single image in camera. 

Prop Safety for Newborn Photography

Sometimes images are not what they seem.  For example my popular swing prop!  This does not leave the floor whilst baby is posed!  Photoshop magic in post production creates the illusion  of the swing and water.

Towards the end of your Newborn Photoshoot I will wrap your baby in a swaddle.  Starting with 1 wrap and working up to 2 or 3 layers.   Once I start this process you will see me turning off the heat that I have had directed at your baby and on warm days I may pop a fan on too. 

Once your baby is wrapped I will be keeping a close eye on your baby to ensure they don’t get too warm. Changes in the colour of  their fingers and toes are a great indicator of their comfort. 

I have a range of beautiful buckets, bowls and other lovely props in the studio which I will pose your baby in.  When purchasing these I look to avoid sharp edges and things that may pose a risk to your little one.   Because of this many of the props I use are made by businesses that specialise in newborn photography props.  You will also see me hide padding under blanket around babies head to stop them moving towards edges of things like bowls.   Lots of the props I use may once again require me to call upon you to act as a spotter, particularly if your baby startles easily or is jumpy.  You may also notice me pop a weight bag in the bottom of props like buckets, this is to ensure weight is evenly distributed and the prop is firmly routed to the floor.

Safety in My Photography Studio

As well as constantly monitoring your newborn, I have to consider all aspects of safety within my studio.  For this reason I don’t allow hot drinks in the area where I work, there is bottle water provided for you and all hot drinks must remaining in the seating area. 

Overhead shots are taken with the correct lens to allow me to get the perfect image safely without the need for ladders.

All the props, blankets and wraps that have been used in a session are washed and sanitised before being used again in another session.

Newborn Photography is Perfectly Safe

I hope this blog post has helped reassure you that newborn photography is perfectly safe providing  you choose a professional, trained and experienced newborn photographer.  If you’d like to see footage of me working or what goes into setting up your session you can see more on my social media here.