I thought I’d take some time to explain each of the table poses I do in a newborn session. I had Dolly in as a model call to help me get a jump start on photographing my backdrops at the studio.
I have always dreamt of being organized, and having a great way to display the large collection of colors I have for your use in sessions. My ultimate goal is to photograph all the backdrops, and be able to send a form to parents, saying here are your choices, let me know what you’d like to see in your session. Wouldn’t that be nice?
I find that people often ask, what is a table backdrop. And rightfully so, how would parents know the lingo of a newborn session unless you’ve done it before. So I’ll take some time here!
For my Heirloom sessions, there are 3 parts, table poses, prop poses and sibling/parent poses. I like to start with table poses, especially if baby comes in asleep. This is the most movement we do, so I want them good and sleepy. This will also be the focus of this particular blog.
Dolly was such an amazing model. She had the greatest hair, it just stood up everywhere. What you can’t see is that I run a little heater on the table to keep babies nice and toasty. And the wind from the heater blew her hair all over the place. I couldn’t help but laugh at how silly it looked since it just stood straight up.
Froggy Poses
This one is my absolute favorite. It’s the first one I do in a session, and the one I spend the most time trying to achieve. I love it because you can see their sweet little fingers, facial features, and toes, all in one little shot. They just are so adorable. This pose should always be done as a composite (two images, later merged in post processing). While it is important that the babies be stable and able to hold themselves up, it is more important that your photographer never take their hands off them. Babies wrists aren’t meant to hold their heads up, and an accident can happen really quickly. So please, always make sure you use a photographer using safe newborn practices with your precious little one.
Forward Facing
Also sometimes known as chin on hands, depending on who we follow. This is my second pose on the table, because it requires the least amount of rearranging of my supports under baby.
Bum Up
I feel like this is pretty obvious. The object of this pose is to create a curve with baby, so head and bum are up higher than the back. My object is to always squish them as much as possible to get those delicious little back rolls. Ugh, swoon.
Side Lay
Another easily identifiable one. This time baby’s face will be the most in focus, with the body trailing behind. I love to be sure fingers are stacked, and toes are stacked. It’s the little details that make or break an image. Babies with ticklish feet can sometimes struggle with this pose. It’s one of those where I will get the feet right, and the hands will move, and then I fix the hands, and the feet move. I wish I had 8 hands in some sessions.
Huck
I really have no idea who started this name. I’ve heard it referred to as Huck Finn, and also Egg Wrap if they are in a wrap. I love this one for babies that curl really well still. It’s crazy to imagine how these babies fit inside us, but this pose shows just how flexible they are. I’ve had a few babies who’s feet fold right up to their ears without even trying. I love how Dolly is holding her little toes here. Sometimes babies hands will be tucked in the wrap, sometimes I cross them against the chest. It varies baby to baby what they will do.
Toes Out Wrap
This is a pose I do sometimes on the table, and sometimes in a prop. I like to shake it up a little bit. Essentially with this the souls of the feet should face each other as much as they can. Making the knees point out, and then the wrap is done in a crisis cross style
