Fun With Photography: Newborn Photography Props

Although I'm paying for maternity, birth and newborn lifestyle photos, I didn't want to pay extra to have the cutsey, posed newborn photos done by another photographer. My photographer is great, but she does lifestyle newborn photos, not posed photos. Anyway, I decided I would put my photography skills to work and try to do Baby P's posed pics myself. Then a friend of mine asked if I'd do her newborn photos in August, so I knew I was going to have to find some props for these two sessions. My goal was to find props for cheap and props that were gender neutral or that I could use for possible future sessions.

I'm putting what I've found in one post, in the hope that it might be helpful for others trying to find newborn props on a budget. In an ideal world, it would be great if I could afford the $60 newborn outfits, $40 flokati rugs and $100+ newborn furniture. However, I don't shoot newborn photography exclusively and I don't get any sort of incentive from those that sell props/wraps/hats, etc, so I don't have the money for that.

First step: Browsing for inspiration on Pinterest. I made a board specifically for photos that I wanted to take for my upcoming two newborn sessions and then pinned what caught my eye. Once I did that I made a list in Microsoft Word of what props I already had and could use for these photos and what props I needed to be on the lookout for. It helps immensely when the person that you're going to do newborn photos for, also has a lot of cute props that you can use too.

For example, my to-find prop list looks something like this:

Large woven round basket
Doll bed
Wire egg basket
Lace
Faux furs
Cheesecloth wraps
Vintage metal mailbox
Wooden chair

After I made a list, I hit up a bunch of different places to see what I could find. I've done searches on Ebay, Craigslist,  local Facebook Swap and Shop groups and also put up in search of posts with an example of what I want on these local Facebook swap and shop groups. Sometimes it's fruitful and sometimes not. There is a DIY Newborn Prop group on Facebook that I recently joined that is EXTREMELY helpful when it comes to inspiration, DIY ideas, etc. Offline I've searched at Goodwill and other thrift stores, as well as Hobby Lobby, but I have yet to hit up antique shops or anyplace like Ross, Tuesday Morning, TJMaxx, where others have said they've found throws, bowls, etc.

Pinterest is also a great resource for DIY props and outfits. Two posts I've found very helpful deal with upcycling sweaters for newborn hats and pants.

Pixie Hat Tutorial

Newborn Pants Tutorial

Headband tutorials for girls are also easy to find on Pinterest. I found a ton of great flower pieces and bows at Hobby Lobby this past week on the clearance aisle. Nothing was over $3.00, so all I have to do is hot glue some elastic to it and I've created my own headband without having to buy an $8.00 headband on Etsy.

Did you know you can make backdrops or fake wood floors out of snap together pieces of flooring and wall paneling from Lowes/Home Depot? Me either! Or that you can make a backdrop out of foam board, spray on adhesive and scrapbook paper? Yeah, I didn't either.

There are some things that I will actually spend the money on to buy from people on Etsy, because it's cheaper for me to do so than to make it myself. Buying cheesecloth and then buying all sorts of dye to dye it the six different colors I want doesn't make much sense.  Especially if I can find it for a good price on Etsy. Enter JuicyBerries, a seller on Etsy who sells beautiful cheesecloth wraps for a great price.  Anything knit I have to buy as I don't knit, or search on DIY groups for someone who does knit. Unfortunately I don't have anyone close to me that knits, otherwise I'd put them to task knitting cute baby hats for me. I did splurge a little and bought Baby P this beautiful bonnet, but that will probably be my one and only splurge for anything prop related.

For backdrops, I'm most likely going to buy some cheap Martha Stewart throws I've found on Ebay in neutral colors and then get a couple of yards of a two or three brighter colors in a knit fabric at JoAnn. You can also find faux fur at JoAnn, which is probably what I'll end up buying for a basket stuffer. I did notice that IKEA has a cheap sheepskin rug that I'm wanting to pick up on my next visit there and they also have a doll bed that will be perfect for a newborn shoot. That tip actually came from a fellow blogger, otherwise, I never would have known!

Don't forget to take stock of what you actually have in your own home and what could be used as a prop. I have several baskets, curtains (for a fabric backdrop) my bike basket (see pic below for what I mean) our wood floor, hat box, children's' books and a quilt that can be used. You might be surprised about how much you actually already have that can be used in your newborn shoot.

Last, but not least, and this probably should have been at the very beginning of this post, make sure you have some sort of beanbag (preferably the puck shaped beanbags) to pose the baby on as well. I lucked out and found one for $50 on a local Facebook group, but those suckers can get expensive, especially if you have to fill them too. Mine was already filled, so I was extra lucky in this instance.

I'm sure once the newborn shoot happens I'll have to update on what I've learned, but for now, I hope this helps others out there in the search for newborn props!

What Are You Reading?

Time to do another "What Are You Reading" post, since I always like getting recommendations from you guys to add to my "To Read" list.

I just finished the following books:

Empty Mansions by Bill Dedman

 

This book is about a reclusive millionaire named Hugette Clark. It tells the story of her famous father, who I had actually never heard of, and then details of Hugette's life until she died at age 104. I have to admit that the first part of the book was more interesting than the last, as the last part of the book discussed her will and her relatives contesting it. However, reading about Hugette and her homes, as well as her hobbies was eye opening and very interesting.

The Witch Doctor's Wife- Tamar Myers

Apparently this is the first of several mystery stories in this series set in the Belgian Congo.  I love stories about Africa and this one was decent. I don't know that I'm interested enough to read the rest of the books in the series, but I did finish this one and that's always a plus. The book is about an American missionary who moves to the Belgian Congo in the 1950's. She ends up hiring a witch doctor's wife to work in her household and then later saves the servant from death when she is accused of stealing a diamond and killing a Portuguese man who also lives in the village. The book goes back and forth between several main characters, which works sometimes for me and other times doesn't.

I'm getting read to read:
The Butterfly Sister- Amy Gail Hansen
Calling Me Home- Julie Kibler
City of Dark Magic- Magnus Flyte
Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers- Mary Roach

So what are you guys reading?

Updates!

It's been a few weeks since I've updated, so I thought I better get on the ball and do that.

Here's what's been going on in our neck of the woods.

1. We found out Baby P is a.....girl! Our doctor actually told us at 15 weeks that she thought that she was a girl, but our gender and anatomy scan confirmed it.

Above is how I actually announced it on Facebook.

This is my favorite picture of her from our gender/anatomy scan. Our tech remarked how feisty she was because she was constantly kicking and refused to turn over so she could measure her heart. I told her that was pretty par for the course with her, because she's always that way. As soon as I saw her lips I told Sean, "She has my lips!"  She also had her hands up by her face the entire time and even waved her fingers at us once. I think that part really amazed Sean, as he said as much.  We'd decided on a name ages ago and so her full name will be Viviana Valentina, but we'll most likely call her Vivi for short. My grandmother's name is Vivian and I wanted some form of that and Sean compromised with Viviana and wanted an Italian middle name, so he picked out Valentina.

2. After waiting since August, Sean's VA claim and payments have finally kicked in and we'll start receiving regular pay starting March 1st. This is a huge relief to us as we were wondering when it was ever going to start and now the VA payment will take care of our mortgage, which will leave us extra money to start putting in savings.

3. This winter has been crazy! This is the most snow and ice we've had in one winter in a long, long time. Generally we get a huge snow or ice storm every few years, but this year it's been constant small amounts of snow or ice at least two weeks out of every month. I can officially say I'm ready for spring!

4. My job is still going well and I'm hoping there is a chance my job description might change which means a raise for me. I'm crossing my fingers and will share if it actually happens. I'm traveling with some coworkers to Kansas City next week for Folk Alliance, as we will be representing the Woody Guthrie Center there.

5. We're still working on making our house a home. I haven't painted anything yet, but I have the nursery, master bedroom, master bathroom and our guest room on the list before the baby gets here. I've already picked out the nursery theme and pretty much all the elements of what I'll be putting in there. Now I just need to make that a reality.  This coming Monday we're having a storm shelter put in our garage. I refuse to live in this house without a storm shelter. In fact, I think everyone in Oklahoma should have one (I grew up with a storm shelter) and it's just peace of mind for me. Especially now that it's not just Sean and I.

Bump Updates: Weeks 16, 17 and 18

I find that I'm getting behind in my bump updates, so I'm combining weeks 16,17 and 18 into one post.

 

 

How far along: 18 weeks

Baby's size: Large Tomato (About 6 in and 8.5 oz)

 

Total weight gain: 6lbs

 

Stretch marks? None, yet.

 

Sleep: I'm not sleeping as well. I keep changing position and I'm having to get up a lot to pee.

 

Best moment this week: Getting part of my registry done. I haven't put everything on there, but I'm making progress.

 

Miss anything? This week? Wine. Staring at the Riesling at the wine shop the other day really made me wish I could have a glass. Or three... 

 

Movement: Oh my goodness...yes! Baby P was kicking up a storm this week. I could do without the bladder kicks though. That just hurts.

 

Food cravings: This week it was Hiland French Onion Dip and Lay's Plain Potato Chips.

 

Anything making you queasy or sick?  Nope, not this week.

 

Gender: We're supposed to find out this week. Hopefully Baby P is cooperative. I had another dream this week that I had a girl and she had red hair.

Labor signs: Nope. Too early for that.

 

Symptoms: Peeing all the time. Round ligament pain, a few moments here and there of being lightheaded. My boobs hurt more this week.

 

Belly button in or out: In

 

Happy or moody most of the time: Happy, but again...I cry over anything. This week it was the thought of Boomer getting old and dying and the song "Suspicious Minds" by Elvis.

Looking forward to: Finding out the gender, putting together the nursery, finally deciding on a photographer for my maternity photos and Baby P's newborn photos.

Question of the Day

Today's question is for all you domestic types out there.  Who cleans your house? You? A cleaning service? A Roomba?

Sean and I had our home deep cleaned by a cleaning service since it was never deep cleaned before we moved in. We are tossing around the idea of having the cleaning service come once a month for a more thorough cleaning than we usually do.  Does anyone else do this? Or do you prefer to do it yourself?

15 Week Update

I'm actually 16 weeks (as of Sunday) but I'll be running about a week behind with updates.  I'm doing this cute little survey that I've found on other blogs and including my weekly bump picture.

How far along: 15 weeks

Baby's size: Apple (About 4 in and 2.5 oz)

Total weight gain: Holding steady at 4lbs

Stretch marks? None, yet.

Sleep: About the same. I have to pee about twice a night, but other than that, I'm sleeping pretty well. 

Best moment this week: Week 15 ultrasound! My doctor does one at every visit. Baby P was moving his/her arms all around and had a steady heartbeat at 155. Unfortunately Baby P refused to cooperate and show the doctor what gender she/he is. The doctor gave us a percentage of what she thinks the gender is, but recommended we not start buying anything until the official anatomy and gender scan.

Miss anything? Not really. At times I miss wine, but it's not overwhelming. 

Movement: I've felt movement since I was about 13 weeks. It gets stronger each week. Some days I feel it more than others.

Food cravings: Not as many as in the beginning. This week it was Cran-Grape Ocean Spray. I haven't been a big juice drinker the past few years, but this pregnancy makes me crave all sorts of juice. 

Anything making you queasy or sick? The thought of certain muffins still makes me queasy. A few weeks ago I was craving pesto, now the thought seems kind of gross.

Gender: No idea yet. I've had dreams that it's been both a boy and a girl. Sean thinks it's a girl.

Labor signs: Nope. Too early for that.

Symptoms: Peeing all the time. This started almost as soon as my second trimester hit. Some round ligament pain.

Belly button in or out: In

Happy or moody most of the time: Happy, but I'll cry at the drop of a hat (especially when it's something sad when it comes to animals). Christmas Day I also had a meltdown when it was time to leave my parents' house.

Looking forward to: Finding out the gender so I can finally start shopping.

Flashback Friday- Wedding Edition

Since the 6th anniversary of Sean and I's wedding ceremony is coming up on December 29th, I decided to make it the theme of today's Flashback Friday.

If you don't know, Sean and I ran off and got married on July 5th, 2007, but we had our actual wedding ceremony December 29th, 2007.  We always celebrate our anniversary in July, but it's still fun to look back at our wedding photos. Although if I could change one thing about our wedding, it would be to hire a different photographer. *sigh*  You live and learn.