5 Must-Have Newborn Photos

Every newborn session has its own magic to it. Today I’m breaking down my top 5 must-have newborn photos that every family needs to capture during this special time.

First: the case for having your newborn session at home

In every newborn session, there are must-have newborn photos that create lasting memories.

I love photographing newborns in their own home instead of in a studio space, and here’s why: the variety of photos and the chance to incorporate storytelling is so much richer when you’re in your own space. As you’ll read below, two types of shots I always try to get are: sense of place and family connections.

Additionally, capturing these must-have newborn photos at home enhances the storytelling aspect of your family’s journey.

When your photos are taken at home, we can capture aspects of your home that are meaningful to you and document what your life at home was like when your newborn came into your family. I really like to get pets into shots when I can and photograph details like your nursery, your baby’s books, blankets made by family members, etc. Those types of images add so much depth and meaning to your newborn photo gallery.

These photos showcase the love and joy that come with welcoming a new baby.

My 5 must-have photos for every newborn session

Each of these must-have newborn photos serves a unique purpose in documenting your newborn’s early days. These details are essential to creating photos that parents will cherish forever.

Here’s the list of photos I always try to take.

Something that emphasizes your newborn’s smallness

I love finding ways to show the size of your new baby relative to his or her surroundings. There are lots of ways to do this. Sometimes that means getting in close so you can see just how small your baby is when surrounded by your hands, and other times that might mean incorporating lots of negative space to get more perspective of your baby’s small size. Whatever way we make it happen, I will always make sure there’s an image that conveys how tiny they are when they’re born because they’ll never be this little again.

Close-up details/macro shots

Macro shots—close-up, detail-rich images—are some must-have newborn photos because they capture the fleeting little features that change all too quickly. The tiny eyelashes, peeling skin, soft downy hair, and wrinkled toes each tell part of the story of those first few days. These images freeze the quiet beauty of a newborn in the smallest ways, allowing parents to remember not just how their baby looked, but how they felt in those early, sleep-deprived days.

While wide shots and family portraits show the bigger picture, macro shots are about intimacy and connection. They bring emotional depth and texture to a photo gallery, creating a fuller, more complete narrative of your baby’s first days. Years down the road, when those tiny fingers are holding a backpack on the first day of school, these images become a powerful reminder of just how small they once were—and how much love was already there.

Those details are must-have newborn photos that truly bring the memory to life.

A sense of time and place

Images that depict family connections are also crucial must-have newborn photos to document.

Newborn images that give a sense of time and place add to the story of your newborn session, and they go beyond just capturing how your baby looked. Whether it’s a cozy nursery filled with handmade touches or a living room with Christmas decorations, these contextual elements help tell the story of your baby’s beginning in a way that feels grounded and personal.

They’re memories of your environment, your season of life, and all the little things that make your baby’s birthday uniquely theirs. These must-have newborn photos become visual keepsakes of your family’s origin story, rich with the atmosphere of real life, helping you relive that season with all its beautiful, imperfect magic.

Movement

Gentle yawns, tiny stretches, and one of my personal favorites, crossed eyes, all bring a sense of life and emotion to your gallery that still portraits alone can’t always convey. These subtle movements are such a natural part of the newborn experience, and capturing them helps tell a more authentic story of your baby’s earliest days.

Movement is a must-have newborn photo because it connects the viewer deeply to the moment. I remember a mom telling me once while I was photographing her newborn, “I love seeing the way she stretches because I feel like she has been doing that stretch since she was growing in my belly.” That connection to movement is powerful.

Family connections

Newborn images that highlight family connections are some of the most meaningful portraits you can have. I always get images of mom and dad on their own with the newborn, but of course, when siblings are involved they get images with their new sibling as well. I have also been known to incorporate fur baby siblings when it works out.

These moments become incredibly powerful over time. As your baby grows, they will be able to look back and see the love that surrounded them before they could even understand it. It’s a reminder of the relationships that welcomed them into the world and the foundation of care and closeness their life was built on. These are the images that tell your family’s story—beautiful, emotional, and deeply rooted in love.

When you combine these images, the keepsakes are endless

I always encourage clients to turn their digital images into tangible, meaningful heirlooms. I work with a print lab that can create beautiful albums, and when you put all these types of photos together into one album, the results are stunning.

Of course, sometimes, you want to create an album yourself. And for that I will always recommend Artifact Uprising. Their albums are high-quality and so beautiful in person.

So there you have it

This list is by no means exhaustive. Each newborn session is unique in its own way and is rooted in your family’s story. With each newborn I photograph, I am to deliver images that tell this new chapter in your family’s history in a way that is meaningful to you. If you have a newborn on the way, you can see more about booking a newborn session with me by visiting my newborn information page on my website here.

5 Must-Have Newborn Photos for Every Family

Erica Hurlburt is an award winning Ventura County Photographer who specializes in newborn, family and school photography. Her style tends toward cleaner, classic images, both in how they’re composed and edited. Her goal in every session is to keep things relaxed and fun and to create images that are both meaningful and unique.

Erica serves clients in Camarillo, Ventura County, Newbury Park, Thousand Oaks, Westlake,
Malibu, Santa Barbara, Los Angeles, Ojai and beyond.