Located in Houston, Sarah Borchgrevink shares newborn posing tips on how to safely composite the popular & precious "froggy" pose.
“Sarah is AMAZING! The time and care she takes setting up everything for the newborn session to be perfect is great. She was so patient and careful with our son like he was her own. You can tell she has so much fun doing her job and loves what she does. Dont waste your time calling other photographers, Sarah is the person to go to document you little one. What Sarah does is truly a gift! She is outstanding!!”
Please note the following: This post is intended to show parents how we safely creating this classic newborn pose that is commonly requested.
See Behind the scenes images of newborn posing in a studio atmosphere
Greetings and welcome! Today's blog post topic is an overview on the popular froggy pose. This is the most requested pose by parents and one that I truly enjoy doing. There's something super sweet & special about baby's chubby cheeks being showcased and seeing their darling little tootsies! However, this pose is very advanced and requires special training.
Moreover, parents typically ask, "What do you mean by training?" Newborn safety and training, for instance, is mentoring and taking hands on workshops in which you learn how to safely handle and pose a newborn baby. While newborn photography should look effortless, as if baby posed themselves even, it is anything but. It requires much safety, skill and time.
As one of the best newborn photographers in Houston, I do pride myself on always being respectful of my most petite clients. Part of this is creating beautiful fine art images of brand new cherubs through the use of safety techniques.
A few things to note:
- Not every baby likes froggy pose. If baby resists, we move on.
- This is best achived with a new baby who is 5-8 days new
- If baby is not flexible enough, we do not force this pose
- This pose is ALWAYS a composite.
- Do not EVER try to do this on your own. It is not worth the risk of hurting a new baby.
What is a composite?
Froggy pose is always done as a composite. A composite image is when two or more images are merged together in post processing software, such as Photoshop. It's sort of like building an image: you take multiple photos in which baby is fully supported and then through the magic of editing, a beautiful image is created in which we're able to truly showcase the stunning aspects of a new baby.
Hands on Baby at all times
Once baby is in a very deep sleep, I place baby on my bean bag. I ensure baby is completely supported through the use of posing beans, which are the must have safety tool for all photographers.
Tips to ensure baby is sleepy:
- White noise machine playing (mimicking the sound of the womb)
- Warm environment - typically around 77 - 80 degrees
- Lots of patience and soothing
- Pacifier is a huge help
Step One: Hands supporting baby's chin from beneath
The baby you see here is Sebastian. He was very laid back and easy to work with; because he was also very new and flexible, we were able to quickly pose him into the froggy pose perfectly. As you can see, he is sleeping peacefully and my hand is holding him in place. At no point did I ever remove my hand from the baby. I took two images here. He is supported on my bean bag and then has posing beans beneath and behind him to ensure he does not slide forwards or backwards.
Step Two: Hands Supporting Head From Above
After baby is in a very deep sleep, I place my hand on his head from above. I am holding his weight and he is supported beneath through the posing beans I linked in an earlier paragraph (above).
Merge your images in processing through photoshop composite
Switch up the angles for more interest
When working with a newborn baby, it's fun to do a profile angle of baby during froggy. If they're very laid back, I am often able to do more than one angle, such as straight on or side view. I like side view, however, because it shows off baby's face better and is more interesting, in my opinion. However, I do like front on, too, and this is the preference of most parents so I include both if possible.
Check out other recent froggy poses that I've done in studio.
Thanks for stopping by the blog to read how to safely pose a newborn baby in the perfectly precious froggy pose! I hope you enjoyed reading a little bit about the magic of Photoshop and how we achieve these fine art looks! While froggy is a stunning image and makes for gorgeous portrait of your baby, please remember this is an advanced pose and should never be attempted without taking a workshop and hands on training. Parents: also remember this looks easy when you see behind the scenes photos, but it's not anything you should attempt at home. Do not ever risk your baby's safety for a DIY photo shoot. Always trust professionals like myself! :-)
If you liked reading about newborn safety, these posts may pique your interest, too!
Specializing in posed baby portraits, Sarah Borchgrevink Photography is a Houston Newborn Photographer serving the surrounding areas including Houston metro area, Cypress, Katy, Spring, The Heights, Sugar Land, West University, Bellaire, and The Woodlands, TX. In addition to breathtaking newborn images, Sarah also offers stylish natural light family photography as well as dynamic outdoor maternity sessions for expecting couples.