This is one of the most recognisable newborn poses around. If you’ve spent any time looking at newborn photography online, you’ll have seen it. It’s also a composite shot, and if it’s being done safely, it should always be.
A newborn’s head is far too heavy for them to support on their own, which means the finished image is actually two shots edited together. It doesn’t work for every baby as it requires them to be deeply settled and comfortable with quite a bit of gentle handling. When the conditions are right for it though, it’s a lovely image to have.
Here’s how it works:
Step 1. Start with a very sleepy, settled baby and get them roughly into position.
Step 2. Capture a halfway version first, with your baby resting their head on their folded arms by themselves. This is the insurance shot. If they decide they’ve had enough before we get to the full composite, we still have a version of the image. Newborns can go from zero to very unhappy surprisingly fast, and always shooting an easier version first is one of the first things I learned.
Step 3. Gently manoeuvre your baby into the full pose with their hands supporting their head, keeping my hands in place throughout.
Step 4. A second pair of hands joins in, usually dad as it’s a bit easier to crouch and hold position comfortably.
Step 5. First shot taken with dad’s hands supporting your baby’s arms and head.
Step 6. Without moving your baby, dad shifts his hands to support the head directly while the arms stay in position. I help with the transition. The key is keeping your baby completely still between the two shots. That’s the second image captured.
Step 7. The two shots are combined in editing to create the finished image.
It does sound like a lot of steps written out like that, but when your baby is settled enough to go along with it, it comes together fairly smoothly. Safety first, always.
