Are you looking for some inspiration for your newborn posing on the beanbag? We’ve asked our Milky Way students and teachers to show us some examples of all the different poses you can successfully incorporate into your beanbag workflow. Be sure to pin the image above so you can easily find this post again later!

Many of the images featured here are from amazing teachers that have joined us for the Newborn Retreat!

The Side Lay Pose

Sometimes you will get a newborn that is a little older, and not quite as flexible anymore. Or simply a little one that doesn’t like to be posed. Side Lay Pose to the rescue! It is a pose that most babies are comfortable to do, and can be a lifesaver when you need to fill out a gallery. It is versatile in that it will show off any clothes you may have, as well as headbands and hats, but can be stripped down to just a naked baby for a stunningly simple and natural portrait. Play with your angles to get even more variety.

Left to right, top to bottom: Charlotte Gamache Photography, Danielle Hobbs Photography, Kylie McCormack Photography, Milk & Honey Photography

The Tushie Up Pose

This is another one of the newborn poses on the beanbag that most babies (and parents!) love! Babies generally feel happy being in a tucked in position like this. But the star of this pose that all parents love is the little baby rolls that are revealed! The secret is to make sure that baby’s knee and elbow are as close together as possible.

Left to right, top to bottom: Milk & Honey Photography, Daphna Art, Charlotte Gamache Photography, Erin Elizabeth Photography

The Taco Pose

This pose is named as such because baby is basically folded in half like a taco! It is probably the best pose to illustrate just how bendy newborns are in those first days after birth. It is also a sweet reminder of pregnancy for Mama because this resembles the position that her baby assumed while inside her belly!

Left to right, top to bottom: Tori Stauffer Photography, KP Photography, Jennifer Lynn Photography, Milk & Honey Photography

Top Down Poses

Looking down at your littlest clients with your camera will provide you with the chance to capture a wide variety of sleepy baby poses. Whether baby is wrapped, tucked under a blanket, or just loosely posed and allowed to do his own stretches and yawns, these images are sure to tug at the heartstrings of any parent. Because of the startle reflex present in newborns, it isn’t always to easiest pose to do, so be sure that baby is very deeply asleep, or tuck in their little hands in a wrap or blanket.

Left to right, top to bottom: Milk & Honey Photography, Tori Stauffer Photography, Butterfly Kiss Photography, Danielle Hobbs Photography

The Huck Finn Pose

This pose is another great “bendy baby” example. It poses babies on their backs, with their legs curled up over their bodies. It requires some practice placing posing beans or rolled towels in exactly the right spot to elevate the bum so that the legs will stay curled in place, so be patient with yourself when learning this pose! Once posed, be sure to get shots from all angles – there are unique looks to capture from top to bottom!

Left to right, top to bottom: Daphna Art, Melissa Donaldson Photography, Jennifer Lynn Photography, Tulip Flare Photography

Chin on Wrist Pose

Not all babies are going to allow you to get this pose! But when they do, you can produce beautiful images of squishy cheeks. There are many variations of this pose, both in terms of head and hand position, but also in that moving around the baby with your camera capturing different angles will produce a multitude of different looks.

Left to right, top to bottom: The Rabbits Thicket Photography, Milk & Honey Photography, KP Photography, Make It A Day Photography

Wrapped Poses

When you think about newborn posing on the beanbag, you don’t necessarily think about fully wrapped babies (those are synonymous with prop shots). But when a baby is struggling to settle, wrapping them can be the secret sauce that gets the little one fast asleep. If you didn’t get many beanbag shots, now is your time to capitalize on your sleepy baby!

Left to right, top to bottom: Milk & Honey Photography, Dewdrops Photography by Amy McDaniel, Erin Elizabeth Photography, Jill Clayholt Photography

Awake Baby Poses

Ah, the awake baby…

Many photographers make the mistake of thinking that an awake baby means they have failed. Absolutely not! There are so many reasons why babies won’t settle, so don’t beat yourself up about it. Rather, embrace the fact that you are going to capture some amazing expressions that the parents will treasure just as much as the sleepy shots. There are few things as powerful as locking eyes with this tiny little miracle.

Left to right, top to bottom: Katie Elizabeth Photography, Milk & Honey Photography, Melissa Donaldson Photography, R Elisabeth Photography

Feeling inspired? Then you should totally check out what the Newborn Retreat has to offer! Of course, we talk about newborn posing on the beanbag, but also prop posing, wrapping, sibling and family images, workflow, marketing, editing, maternity, and a whole lot more!