10 Essential Newborn Photography Props for Photographers

Whether you are just starting out as a newborn photographer or you’ve been in business for years, props can help to make or break a posed newborn session. Today I’m going to be sharing my 10 essential props for newborn photography sessions, as well as links to my favorite newborn prop vendors. I’ll dive into how I use these items to provide variety in each newborn session.

Newborn Photography Props That I Use in Nearly EVERY Session

After more than a hundred newborn sessions, I’ve narrowed down my newborn photography props into a list of 10 most essential props to get a beautiful variety of photos in your session. This is a starting point, and will make your sessions go more smoothly and help you give your client a full gallery of images they will love! If I had to narrow down my prop closet to just a few items, these are the ones I would keep.

1. Newborn Posers (Posing Blocks, Beans and Basket Poser)

I use three sets of newborn posing aids in nearly every session. I’ll break them down here into what I use, and how I use it.

Hello Little Posers Original Set

This set of posing “blocks” is from Hello Little Props, and it is AMAZING at getting those blanket poses. Since they don’t show pictures of these on their site (due to copyright, I’m sure) I won’t show them here. But I WILL say that I use these every single time I do a blanket pose. This set comes with instructions on how to use them, which is very helpful. I started out using posing beans for blanket poses, but they tended to shift around far too easily.

These posers are made of dense foam, so they’re not really heavy but they also grab the surface really well, so they don’t tend to shift. They actually help baby to stay put in all the squishy blanket poses, saving loads of time. While this set is pretty expensive, I wish I’d bought it sooner. This is one of my most essential props for newborn photography.

Posing Beans

I started out with this Posing Bean set from Amazon, and I still use them in every single session. These come in a set with multiple sizes, which is perfect when you just need to add a little bit more support to baby. I use these in baskets, on the cat scratcher (see below), under flokatis and sometimes to just angle baby’s head a little bit differently. They aren’t very expensive, but are super useful. I recommend getting two sets, so you have two of each size.

Basket Poser

While you could get away with creating your own layers of blankets in a basket every time, this basket poser makes life so easy! I still often prop one of my bigger beans underneath the bottom of this, to give baby a nice angle to lie on. But throwing this poser on top makes for a nice, smooth surface, which also protects baby from the edge of whatever basket I’m using. Then I cover the basket poser in a blanket or scarf layer to make it pretty.

2. Upright Basket

Having a perfectly sized upright basket is pretty much an expectation in newborn photography. Most of my clients who share example pictures with me include at least one picture of baby in an upright basket. They aren’t too hard to find- I’m always checking out Home Goods, Hobby Lobby, TJ Max, Ross- basically any home decor store, for pretty baskets.

It takes a little bit of trial and error to find the size you’re comfortable with, but I’ve found this size is about perfect for me. Too large a basket, and baby tends to kind of get lost in it. Too small, and baby doesn’t fit. Also, for safety reasons I ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS put a flat weight in the bottom of whatever basket I’m using. This helps ensure that baby doesn’t tip the basket over. Mine is an 8 lb. weight. Cover this with a pillow or poser so baby doesn’t squish up against the metal.

The beauty of an upright basket is that you get two very different poses from one prop. I always include a picture of baby propped upright with their back against the poser. This is an easy wrapped pose to get every single time. As far as newborn photography props go, baskets are inexpensive and will give you a lot of value.

You can also turn baby around and prop their head on their hands. This pose requires a little extra time, and an extra set of hands to help baby stay safe. I often ask a parent to come sit right next to baby, and will have the parent propping/supporting baby’s head to make sure it doesn’t tip. If they use a finger or two, it is super easy to edit out with photoshop.

3. Lying Down Basket

Having another basket, where baby can lie down, is a great way to add some variety to your photography session. Just as with the upright baskets, you’ll want to carefully check the size of your basket. The main thing I try to avoid with these baskets is a lot of depth. These lying down baskets should be shallow, and I really like them to be kind of oblong like baby.

I have a long, shallow basket I especially like to surround with greenery or florals, or this gorgeous unique basket from Rozzi Rayne. In the beginning of purchasing props for newborn photography, you may not want to invest in baskets this expensive. But as you get more established, having something different like this can help your photography business stand out.

4. Newborn Bed and Mattress

My clients LOVE when I bring out a newborn bed. In the beginning I started with just one, and now I’ve made it up to three different beds. But when you’re starting out, I’d do just one bed in a neutral color (maybe a light brown that works for girls or boys) and a couple of different mattress colors. I’ve linked the props separately in the title here, as I don’t buy my beds and mattresses in the same place.

I always pose baby in the bed with my largest bean underneath the head of the mattress (to prop baby’s head a little higher than his feet). Then I use the pillow (it may come with the mattress set, if not- invest in a neutral pillow or two) behind baby’s neck, keeping baby’s head supported but NOT squishing baby’s chin into his neck.

This can be shot from above with baby facing the ceiling, and then baby can also be leaned on its side and the shot can be taken from the front. This is one of my most used newborn photography props, as clients see these photos and want to use it as well.

5. Posing Table and Blankets

There are many different options for posing table setups. I have a sturdy, adjustable table piled with several thick blankets. The blankets cover my posing blocks (see item #1) and even out the surface. Most importantly, they make a cozy space to pose baby on. My pretty posing blankets are for the top, and are simply large pieces of jersey stretch knit fabric. These can just be purchased at a fabric store. No need to sew or anything! Just measure to know what size knit will cover your posing table or beanbag.

My top knit fabric is secured to the table with clamps, and is adhered to a metal strip on my wall using heavy duty magnets. Keeping the top fabric pulled nice and tight makes editing a breeze!

6. Long Posing Wraps (and Ugly Wraps)

It’s tempting when purchasing your first props for newborn photography to skimp on wraps. Since wraps make posing (and calming) baby super simple, I strongly recommend getting a smaller set of high quality (long) wraps. They’ll make your photos look so much better! I absolutely love buying wraps from Mokumba on Etsy. Get the extra long ones. The regular ones work fine for tiny babies, but if you get a big guy in the studio, or a baby that’s a little bit older (like maybe a 4 or 5 week old) you’ll really want the extra length.

While we all plan on the littlest babies, sometimes they have things come up like NICU stays, and we need to be able to accommodate larger babies as well. And sometimes babies are just born big!

As for ugly wraps, I always wrap my babies with two layers of jersey/stretch knit fabric UNDERNEATH my pretty layer. This helps keep baby snug, evens out any lumps so the top layer is more smooth, and allows me to keep baby wrapped in the under layers while I change the pretty wrap. You can buy fabric at any fabric store- Hobby Lobby, JoAnns… cut it roughly the same height and width of your pretty wrap.

7. Stuffed Animals

Incorporating stuffed animals into a session is a request from most of my clients. These are really easy props for newborn photography to help add variety to your sessions. I’ll usually set up baby in a pose without a lovie, and then add one in and take a few more photos. More often than not, parents will choose one with and one without. This is a quick way to get a few different looks.

Size is very important when choosing stuffed animals for the session. I have a couple of regular sized teddy bears that sometimes I’ll squish in with baby, but more often I’ll use these itty bitty ones. They look so cute next to a newborn! I also love to include the same lovie if baby comes in for a later session, like a sitter session or a cake smash. It’s a great way to show how much baby has grown in just a few months!

Here are a few of my favorite stuffed animal vendors! While my favorite, Tonya Toys, doesn’t appear to be taking orders right now, I also love No. 2 Willow Lane and have a lot of photographer friends who swear by AGK Originals.

8. Outfits and Bonnets

Just like stuffed animals, outfits and bonnets are a great way to build up your newborn photography props to the next level. It only takes a couple of bonnets (that match your wraps) to help change up a picture enough to build variety in your gallery. Teaming this up with stuffed animals… I’d do a setup with baby in a wrap, add a bonnet, then add a lovey. Three different looks, easy as can be.

Outfits are a bit harder, as babies often don’t love getting dressed and undressed. I usually let mom and dad pick out one outfit at the beginning of the session, and put baby in it right away. Then if baby is awake or fussy, I’ll wrap baby on top of the outfit and do some wrapped shots. Once baby is nice and sleepy, I’ll just pull off the wrap and I’m ready to go.

My very favorite vendor for outfits is Dalia Photo Props. I also love No. 2 Willow Lane and have found outfits at some random shops on Etsy. I recommend buying from sellers that make outfits specifically for newborn photography. I haven’t had much luck on Amazon, as I find most of the outfits I’ve bought there are too large or just don’t fit quite right.

9. Flokati and Cat Scratcher

A nice flokati is a newborn photography prop I wish I had invested in earlier! It’s another large investment, but is also something I use EVERY session. It’s perfect for posing babies with little siblings. I’ll prop up the portion where I lay their heads, and the texture of the flokati means you don’t have to worry about wrinkles in the background. Yes, you can make do with a cheap fur rug, but a nice thick layer made for photography will be noticeably nicer. I purchased my flokatis from Luneberry.

Grab a neutral tone, and you can color change it in photoshop if you need to. To start, it’s fine to have just one! I love the 4×6 size in 3000 grams. 3×5 is fine for baby alone, but when you add siblings it gets a little too tight for my taste.

To make posing on the flokati easy for a single newborn (or even twins!) I love placing it over this cat scratcher, with a medium sized posing bean up behind baby’s neck or head to support it. It makes the perfect little nest to put a wrapped baby into!

10. Layers

Adding some layers to your posing just really helps level up the image. These can be pieces of fabric with nice texture, scarves and placemats work really well. You can also buy layers through newborn prop vendors. Sometimes I’ve been able to find pretty fabric remnants at Joanns Fabric. Anything to add a little bit more texture and visual interest.

I hope you enjoyed learning about my top 10 props for newborn photography!

I’d love to hear what you consider to be essential newborn props as well! If you have any questions, I’m happy to help out! Contact me through my contact page and I’ll be in touch soon.