As a newborn photographer, you’re in charge of capturing the child’s earliest, sweetest moments in this world.

It’s on you to deliver photos of a cute, tiny baby that’ll melt hearts for generations. Being a part of such a precious moment for any family is such an incredibly rewarding experience. So if your heart is set on making a career out of taking sweet baby photos, you’ve come to the right place. We’ve already covered How to Become a Newborn Photographer and 10 Newborn Photography Tips, I’d recommend starting there for tips on starting and making money.

We know it’s one of the most lucrative niches in portrait photography. You’ll often have a maternity session, followed by newborn session, than at one year old, two…, family photos, etc. (Related: See How Much Do The Top 10% of Photographers Make?)

Today we’re going to have a look at everything you need to start your newborn photography business:

• 17 Unique Newborn Photography Props That Will Help You Stand Out
  • Props Every Newborn Photographer Should Have
• Camera Considerations for Newborn Photographers
• Lenses for Newborn Photography

Without further ado, let’s get started with the newborn photo props, but I 100% recommend checking out the sections after on camera/lenses and lighting equipment considerations. It covers a lot of things that new newborn photographers tend to miss.

17 Newborn Photo Props That Will Help You Stand Out

Newborn photography demands that you take an even higher level of care when working with adorable, super vulnerable subjects. So when getting your first set of props and wardrobe, make sure not to go too crazy and never buy a prop that may make parents uncomfortable.

In terms of your options, these really are up to you and what you like. I’d recommend starting with the basics to avoid overwhelming yourself with the magnitude of available options. Perhaps one or two of the more unique props to create a unique newborn portfolio.

Newborn Photography Props Every Baby Photographer Should Have:

If nothing else from this list, the first 7 listed here are what I consider essential for every newborn photography session. And best of all, whether you want to shoot on-location, or if you’re building your own photo studio, these are portable enough for either.

#1 – Towels and Blankets – You’re going to want blankets and towels for every shoot. Soft, fluffy fabrics will keep the baby safe and comfy. They’ll make for great backdrops, too! Try to get blankets and towels in different colors and textures to add variety to your sets. You could opt for regular blankets and throws, faux fur, etc., but with sensitive newborns I would recommend going with a few of these basic hypoallergenic blankets, and I would recommend washing them with hypoallergenic laundry detergent after every use as well. Especially if you’re a professional photographer. I would avoid crazy patterns, stick with basic colors and interesting textures as you want something timeless.

#2 – Wraps – Babies all swaddled up in a comfy wrap is a common shot you’ll see. For good reason — a lot of newborns love to be swaddled since they feel safer as they begin to adjust to life outside their mother’s womb. I love these set of wraps, they were actually created by newborn photographers, for newborn photographer.

However, if you must use swaddling wraps, make sure you know what you’re doing. Here’s a simple and safe way to wrap a newborn:

#3 – Cushioning – From the same company, I’d also recommend their photography pillow set. Again, designed with photography in mind making it the best bet.

If you’re on a budget, a nursing pillow can work. Sofa cushions can work as well in a pinch. You can line these up on crates and keep the baby secure and still while you work. Bigger items like a baby bean bag are also great to have but they might not always fit in props with tighter spaces, as you grow I would recommend getting an assortment of cushioning so you’ll have options.

Essential Items that Newborn Photographers Should Have:

Everything on here will help you prioritize the safety and comfort of the baby in your sessions, so save a bit of your budget for these essential items.

• #4 – Hypoallergenic Sanitizers and Baby Detergent – It might be silly finding these items on a photography article, but having clean, germ-free props and blankets will keep newborns safe and rash-free. If you’re going to be a newborn photographer for long, you must pay attention to your client’s wellbeing above all else.
• #5 – Space Heater – Even adults can’t stand the cold for too long. If you live in an area where it gets awfully chilly, make sure to warm the space with a small space heater before the session to help keep the child nice and comfortable.
• #6 – White Noise Machine – Some newborns can be calmed down by white noise. It helps emulate a womb-like environment where babies respond positively to. Get yourself a white noise machine if you find yourself dealing with restless, fussy babies a lot of the time. PS. You can easily ask your Google or Amazon to play white noise. 
• #7 – Hygiene Kit – Accidents can happen at any time. They do happen a lot more during newborn photography sessions though. So have baby wipes, waterproof crib pads, paper towels and other sanitizing items at the ready.

10 More Unique Newborn Photography Props that Stand Out

The best way you can inject your style and brand of creativity into any shoot is to stage a set according to your unique, personal vision as the photographer. After all, almost anyone with a decent camera can take baby snapshots. It’s the choice of props, wardrobe, and posing on top of all the technical stuff behind the scenes that will separate the over-enthusiastic uncle with a DSLR and the professional newborn photographer.

Pro-Tip: Save this search on eBay for “Newborn Photography Props”, it’s filtered for pre-owned. With a low barrier to entry (anyone with a camera), starting a photography business is fairly easy, but only a handful will make it. Often times if you browse eBay, OfferUp, etc. you’ll find a lot of deals on speciality photography stuff, like newborn props. A lot of deals can be found on some very unique props.

#8 – Newborn Photography Beds

This is my personal favorite prop. There are a lot of props that are good for baby girls, or baby boys, this one has an appeal for any gender. So if you’re a newborn photographer, I would start with something like this rustic bed for newborn photography on Etsy:

Etsy is my favorite place for unique handmade items, and one of my favorite shops on there (featured above) is Newborn Studio Props. When you search, feel free to add a filter for “handmade” and “vintage” to narrow your search even further.

Newborn Photos Prop Costumes

A newborn photography shoot is one of those few moments where parents can pretty much take over their child’s wardrobe before they grow up to be such rebellious teens. So when meeting with potential clients, make sure to interview them about hobbies or interests they might want to incorporate into the session. Here’s a few ideas that are trending:

#7 – Baby Yoda Costume on Amazon – Made with crochet cotton that just might make Star Wars geeks fall head over heels.

#6 – Baby Props for the Gym Rat – Look at this adorable picture of Kevin Hart’s baby on Instagram, a baby workout photo featuring adorable little props.

#5 – Sports Team Jerseys

Speaking of hobbies and interests, you’re probably going to run into sports fans. When you do, know that you’ll have a lot of options for sports-related costumes. Just look at this baby boxing get up! What’s even better is that on sites like etsy, some sellers will let you customize their products and have the child’s name printed on some handmade props. Now that’s a surefire way of adding a premium feeling of personalization to your photos!

#4 – Curved, Wooden Baby Posing Prop

Now here’s something that can add that earthy, nature-y vibe going in your shots. And it’s unisex, doesn’t matter if it’s a newborn boy or newborn girl, this baby prop is great for both! This super awesome hand-made posing cradle from makes that enchanting, outdoor theme easy to set-up. Friendly reminder to always line “cradling props” like this with soft cushioning to keep the baby safe and comfy throughout the shoot.

#3 – Moon Swing Hammock for Newborn Photography

Here’s a prop that can help you work your compositing magic in your shots. This lovely moon swing hammock is made with a metal frame and yarn and can be used on or off the ground. The latter opens up more creative posing options, but will definitely require a bit more prep for the child’s safety and more work in post.

#2 – Vintage Bathtub Newborn Prop

Rubber duckies. Old-timey bath tub. Bubbles (that you’ll likely add in post). A 2-week old human who’s sleeping like a log. Need I say more? A lot of newborn photographers like working with this sort of “closed in” prop because they’re much easier to pose the baby with, and just adds another layer of confidence in terms of the child’s safety.

#1 – Santa Sleigh Cradle Prop

With babies being born in hugely varying times of the year, it might be a good idea to look into seasonal props. Do your due diligence and see if you can come up with a set design that’s relevant to a season or holiday that holds some significance for the family. Have a look at this in bright red. A couple or more stuffed reindeers can easily take this prop to the next level!

Other Newborn Baby Recommendations

You should advise parents to bring a few things as well, few different outfits, diaper cover, accessories such as a headband, etc. Perhaps a favorite stuffed animal or toy, not just for a photo, but it helps keep the baby in a good mood. Hey, you never know, sometimes the best newborn photo prop is one that the parent already has!

Final Thoughts

Confidence in posing and handling a newborn child is a skill that you’ll develop over time so always look for something that you know you’ll have no issues working with, especially when you’re just starting out. I recommend starting with more closed-in cradle props as you grow more comfortable and discover your personal style of shooting newborn photos. Beyond that friendly note; your creativity’s pretty much the limit when picking out props for newborn photography!

Alright so we got the props out of the way. Now let’s talk about Camera, Lens and Lighting Recommendations for Newborn Photographers.

Cameras Considerations for Newborn Photography

The good news is newborn photography is one of the least tech-demanding genres of photography out there. Even entry level DSLR/Mirrorless cameras from the last 5+ years should suffice for great newborn pictures. A simple Canon camera at your local big box store would suffice. Just a few things to consider for newborn photography:

• Newborn photos are often printed, many times at a large size. Megapixels aren’t that important for the web and social media, but it does play an important role for prints. 36MP would be ideal for up to a 24″x16″ (@300DPI), but with Adobe’s new Super Resolution feature for Lightroom, 16MP (and even less) will print well. And most people (photographers included) probably aren’t going to tell the difference between 16 and 36MP on a 24×16″ print from a viewing distance of 5′.
• A fast burst rate could help capture the shot, as newborns could care less about taking direction. 😆
• A camera with a silent shutter can help keep you incognito while looking for the perfect shot.

Newborn and Baby Photography Lenses

Now here’s an area that you’ll want to pay attention on. More than your camera, the lenses you put in front of any camera body will have more impact on your images. For newborn photography, you’d want to get at least two lenses to start. The first two lenses you pick up doesn’t need to cost upwards of $1,000 apiece — just get whichever is within your budget and get started.

A standard 50mm lens a popular choice as a go-to option. It doesn’t distort much of the frame and offers amazing versatility; you can shoot anything with this just one lens. The nifty-fifty is available in every mount and system so getting a great prime lens that will not break the bank should be easy enough.

You’d also want to look into getting a macro lens. When the baby’s fast asleep, you’ll want to get a lot closer and capture tight shots of its precious little toes, fingers, lips and eyes. Having close-up, super sharp images of the newborn’s tiny features definitely add to the variety and quality of work you can deliver.

For a wider lens, I recommend getting yourself a 35mm prime. These are generally pricier than a nifty-fifty, but if you’re going to be shooting more of a lifestyle shoot with the parents or siblings in the frame, a 35mm lens is your best bet.

Remember, the above are just recommendations and certainly feel free to shoot with what you already have or get a different set of lenses altogether. Some would prefer shooting tighter shots with an 85mm lens, while others would rather cover everything with a workhorse 24-70mm lens. Look into what you need and how you shoot and adjust as necessary.

Kelly Brown goes on a deep dive on lens options for newborn photography and showcases how different focal lengths translate in the real world. Highly recommend checking this extremely detailed crash course on lenses!

Lens Recommendations

It might be worth reminding you about crop factors at this point. The lenses you pick up doesn’t necessarily mean will produce the field of view you’re looking for depending on your system, so refer to the section below if you need a little refresher.

Full Frame Sensors — You get exactly the field of view stamped on the lens barrel.

APS-C Sensors — A crop factor of x1.5 is applied = A 23mm lens (23 x 1.5) will give a 34.5mm field of view.

Micro Four Thirds Sensors — A crop factor of 2x is applied = A 25mm Lens (25 x 2) will give a 50mm field of view.

If you’re an m43 shooter, you might want to check my comprehensive guide on for more options. For those of you who are okay with manual focusing and want to get the most bang for your buck, I highly recommend reading through our roundup of you can adapt to your mirrorless cameras.

Here’s Amber Rust sharing some really solid lighting and posing tips for newborn photography.

Conclusion

That should be everything you need to start your newborn photography career. Remember: you don’t always need the best of everything right away. The gear and the props — you can build these as you go. Instead, prioritize acquiring everything you need that’ll make the session go as safely and as comfy for the child as possible. Doing so will ensure that you’ll have a rewarding and lucrative baby photography business ahead of you!