Tips and Tricks for Photographing a Fussy Newborn

Whether you're a new mom or a budding newborn photographer, you're probably wondering how on earth you take good photos without the baby fussing the whole time. This is a good question! Newborns are tiny unpredictable subjects, but with these tips, you can gain a lot more control over the situation.

Hunger: Has the baby been fed recently? If not, you might notice he or she is rooting (turning the head towards anything that touches the cheek,) or opening the mouth repeatedly. If the baby has been recently fed, he or she may be uncomfortable and need to be held upright and burped.
Swaddle: I almost always start by swaddling the baby. This way, you can get some guaranteed happy shots and proceed to slowly un-swaddle parts of the baby for pictures of arms, toes, etc.
Sway/Shhh: Sometimes you'll have a fussy baby and its hard to identify why. If you've fed and swaddled him/her, try carefully swaying and shhhh-ing into the baby's ear. Do this loudly and it should work like a charm! Rumor has it, shhh-ing reminds them of the sounds in the womb.
Temperature: If you're trying to get sleeping shots, make sure the space is warm! Sometimes I bring a little space heater to my shoots, this is a great tool as the white noise also calms the baby.

Hope these pointers helped! Have some tips and tricks of your own? Answer in comments!