Bringing home a baby is one of the most special events for any family. It’s also one of the most exhausting times for a family. Time seems to go slowly when you have a newborn, but it really does fly by. There are some simple newborn picture ideas you should make happen before the time slips away! These simple newborn picture ideas are perfect shots to get of your little sweetie!

Setting up newborn pictures with a professional photographer is always a wonderful idea. Not only will the session result in beautiful images of your new little miracle, it takes the pressure off of you to capture those images.

***Wanna know what I am using to take pictures of my family? You can see everything I keep in my camera bag here!***

Once the session is over, and most likely in the short time before that, there are some shots you will want to get while you’re at home with your baby. You may not be able to bottle up the ridiculously, delicious smell of his newborn breath, but you can document this time.

Even if it is totally messy, and perfectly imperfect. I will always look back at the times when we brought each of our babies home with so much fondness. I love newborns, and I love looking back on those fleeting times.

Here are some must have photographs of your newborn. Whatever your camera, grab your baby, and take these pictures. I promise you will blink and your baby will be headed off to kindergarten. You will be so happy you have these to look back on.

8 simple newborn picture ideas

*for your convenience, there may be affiliate links throughout this post, so you can easily find the things i am showing you. by using these links, your pricing stays the same, but i earn a small commission. you can see my full disclosure here

Before I get into the nuts and bolts of this post, I thought you might find it helpful to know the things I love to use when I am taking pictures of newborns (beyond the actual camera equipment!).

First, If you haven’t had your baby yet, or a baby shower, or you just have others asking what they can get to help you out, it’s worth mentioning that Amazon now offers Baby Registries. How awesome is that??!!

I seriously wish this existed during my pregnancies. You get free shipping, AND you get 10-15% off all of the items in the registry that you end up having to purchase on your own after the shower, etc. Plus, it’s free, so there’s really no point NOT to do it. I mean, it’s basically a wish list, right?!! Go here to set one up now, I’ll wait…

Here are a couple of things I can honestly say I used for my own newborn babies, even when I was taking more natural, day-to-day pictures, just to make them more interesting, or visually appealing, or because they just plain made my baby happy!

a sheepskin rug– I have had this exact one for 8 years!
muslin swaddles– I just love how breathable, and beautiful they are.
a nice warm room- babies like it warm. Super warm. Maybe that’s why we get along so well!!
sound machine– can’t even tell you how many people with newborns swear by this, and it is a must have for newborn pictures (you can also get an app on your phone, but if you plan to use it often, it will drain your battery).
a boppy pillow to put underneath blankets for positioning the baby.
tons of blankets with all different kinds of textures
and, of course, adobe lightroom (you didn’t think I would make a list without adding something photography related, did you? Plus, it’s not like you have to be a pro to use it. You got this!)

Alright, now that you’ve been filled in on all of my favorite things, don’t miss these pictures or these simple newborn picture ideas!!

1. Hospital pictures.

Your hospital time may be short, and busy or long, and relaxing. It only takes a few minutes to take out your camera, or better yet, hand your camera to someone else (you just had a baby!) even if you’re just using your camera phone, you can get some great shots!! Check them out! I’ll wait right here.

2. Baby pieces.

Newborn pieces change so quickly. Hair changes color, and texture. Squished noses change. In a couple of weeks, your baby’s looks will change so much.

3. With siblings.

Pretty obvious, but how amazing is it to see their first reactions to their new baby brother of sister?? Or funny. Regardless, it’s totally worth looking back on.

4. Sleeping.

Newborn babies sleep so often, this is pretty much a given. There’s nothing more peaceful than a sleeping baby. Also, since babies’ eyes are often cloudy, and their focus isn’t great, getting a nice clear open eye shot, can be tricky.

If you’re looking for some awesome swaddling blankets that look great in pictures and work even better for real life, I love muslin swaddles. They’re lightweight and so incredibly soft.

5. Sweet baby smiles

If you’re lucky enough to catch one of these plaster that sucker all over social media because there really is nothing sweeter!

6. From Above

This is one of my favorite simple newborn picture ideas. It shows how tiny these little beings are.

7. Eyes wide open.

Eye color changes, and once it changes, you’ll want those pictures to show what they looked like before the change.

8. With Mommy

I wish I would’ve made it a point to get a picture with each of my babies when they were first born. Too often, I worried about how I would look in those pictures.

Do you have any simple newborn picture ideas to share? Leave them in the comments.

xo, Lorrin

PS- I know there are some of you that didn’t go sign up for Amazon Baby Registries. Don’t forget to go here to set one up now. Like I said it’s completely free, and you can browse as much as you want from the comfort of your own home. Plus, you don’t have to leave the house to add something every time your realize you’ve forgotten something.

xo, Lorrin

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