Blankets are one of those props that don’t always get much attention, but they do a lot of work in a session. Texture, colour, depth, warmth – the right blanket in the right combination can completely change the feel of an image. I have an ever-growing collection in the studio, and choosing which ones to use is one of my favourite parts of planning a session.
The neutral ones get used most often. Soft whites, creams, and beiges keep the focus on your baby and layer well with almost any prop or outfit. They’re not boring, they’re just a very reliable starting point.
For sessions where I want to add more contrast or drama, I’ll often reach for something richer. Deep greens, blues, and textured velvets give portraits a more classic feel and work particularly well with darker backdrops.
Pastels sit somewhere in the middle. A little colour without it taking over the image. They tend to work well for both boys and girls, which makes them useful across all sorts of sessions.
And then there are the chunky knits, the faux furs, the woven textures. These add a lot of depth and tactile interest to an image and are particularly good for layering over props or wrapping around a newborn to create that snug, settled look.
Blankets also do a practical job. Wrapped around your baby for a swaddled shot, draped over a prop, or laid flat as the main background, they’re endlessly adaptable. The three photos of Jude above are a good example of how much variety you can get just by changing the blanket underneath.
Every baby is different, and I pick blankets based on their colouring, their outfit, and what else is going on in the session. No two shoots end up looking exactly the same, even when I’m using the same set-up.
