One of the very special aspects of my job as a newborn and family photographer is that I often get the chance to create adorable sibling portraits for my clients.
It happens quite a lot that families hire me several times in a few years. For example, I might have photographed an Aberdeenshire-based couple on their wedding day and then they hire me a while later for a maternity or newborn photoshoot.
Then, in what seems like the blink of an eye, they return with their baby again, either for a sitter session or a first birthday portrait session. Then, perhaps a year or two later, they even return with a second baby.
This is when I photograph baby number two alongside their older sibling and mum and dad.
It’s these opportunities that I absolutely relish. It’s wonderful to have clients return to the studio again and again with their growing family.
Siblings are welcome at your baby’s newborn photoshoot
So, in case you had been wondering, yes, siblings are very welcome at your baby’s newborn photoshoot. In fact, the more the merrier!
I love working with children of all ages and sibling portraits can be a lot of fun. I love spotting the similarities between the children and hearing your stories about how the older child has adjusted to life with a new sibling.
As you can see, these sibling photos are well worth taking because they are really special memories for you and the children to look back on in the future. In years to come, they’ll no doubt both smile in amazement at the pictures!
We focus on the sibling photos first
When you book a newborn session and are bringing an older brother and/or sister along, it may be a relief to you to know that we focus on getting those sibling/family photos first.
If your older child is a toddler or in pre-school years, it’s likely that they’ll only cooperate for a short window of time, so I involved them from the start and hopefully capture them at their best.
Doing it in this order also means that once the sibling portraits and family portraits are done, they are free to relax or play afterwards. Or, they can even be taken home with daddy or granny for a nap or some one-on-one time.
I realise that the photography studio may not be that interesting to young children so it’s fine to me if you want to do this!
Or, if you have an older child who is happy to stay in the studio, we still would always recommend that you bring along some quiet activities that they can get stuck into afterwards. For example, a new magazine, some colouring books, an audiobook to listen to or tablet to play on with headphones.
In the photography studio, I have comfy seating and encourage you and your children to make yourselves at home while I then continue with the newborn session.
Sibling photo ideas with a newborn baby
The images below show more examples of recent sibling portraits that I have taken for clients.
As you can see, there are many ways that I can photograph your baby with their older brother or sister. The poses I setup will just depend upon your older child’s age, and whether they can safely hold and support your newborn.
Even if the older sibling is still very young themselves, we can work around it.
The children can simply lie next to each other. Or, they can be photographed peering down at the baby as they lay sleeping, or when standing next to the baby who’s lying on a beanbag or crib.
If they are slightly older, they can hold the baby, but we’ll only do this if we are 100% sure that your newborn is completely safe. A parent is also very close at all times to lend a supporting hand.
Related reading: Newborn Sessions Frequently Asked Questions
Would you like siblings portraits to be taken during your baby’s newborn photoshoot?
My favourite sibling photo ideas with a newborn include the ones I’ve shown here. If you’d like something similar of your child with their new sibling when they are born, get in touch today to book in for a newborn photoshoot.
Please remember to book in early – around the time of your 20-week pregnancy scan ideally – to ensure that we have an available slot in our diary.
We look forward to meeting your growing family!
