If you’re coming in for a newborn session and you’d like to include older children, here’s what’s worth knowing about outfits before you arrive.
First, bare feet. I prefer siblings to be barefoot in their photos as shoes can look a bit bulky and socks rarely photograph well. Worth bearing in mind when you’re getting everyone ready.
Whatever they wear, clean and ironed is the main thing. For that reason it’s usually better to bring them in one outfit rather than planning a change during the session. One less thing to manage, and one less opportunity for something to get grubby before we’ve finished.
If your older child is going to be holding the newborn, and they’re still quite young themselves, I’ll usually suggest working with the newborn in a swaddle. Swaddles are easier to hold, they tend to produce a better pose, and they mean your older child doesn’t need to worry about supporting the baby’s head. I have wraps in lots of colours so I can generally match in with whatever you’re wearing.
For this reason I’d also suggest not bothering with matching outfits between siblings. Getting the newborn to sleep is the priority, and waking them up to get changed and redressed can unsettle them and make the session harder. What they’re wearing in those sibling shots will often only be half visible anyway, so clean and simple is all you need.
When your older child is too small to safely support the newborn, there are two options that work well. Either with the newborn asleep in something like the basket or pram, your older child is seated behind or near them. Or we lay both children down, the newborn on the mat and the sibling lying alongside looking at the camera. Either way, you’re usually only going to see the top half of the outfit, so logos and fussy details won’t help. Plain and comfortable is the right call.
As with everything, if something isn’t working for you just ignore it and we’ll find a way around it on the day.
