Rollers: Milestone Baby Portraits at 2-5 Months

Let’s talk about rollers! That sweet in-between stage when your baby is no longer a newborn but hasn’t hit that big milestone of sitting up on their own yet.

These sessions are most often requested by Mamas that missed out on newborn photos and want to have their baby photographed before they hit that big 6-month milestone. This age group certainly comes with a distinct set of challenges, which is why most photographers suggest coming back when baby is older or able to sit up on their own.

All that said, we can still create beautiful portraits of your baby at any age!

Safe poses for your 2-5 month old

For safety reasons we are a little bit limited on the poses that we can do at this age. I will never, ever put your baby into a pose or position that is unsafe or uncomfortable for them.

The poses we typically do are:

• Baby on their back
• Baby on their tummy
• Baby laying in a large crate or bowl

For this session, the majority of the images will be of baby laying on their back on various backgrounds. If your little one enjoys tummy time (typically after 3 months) then that is something we can also do! Keep in mind that we do not do tummy poses in props because babies at this age are very wobbly and aren’t able to catch themselves should they start to fall. The only props we use (depending on baby’s size) are a large bowl or crate.

My goal is to get a variety of expressions, crops, and angles with each setup. Remember that your little one may not smile, and that’s ok! Some babies are really expressive and smiley at this age while others are a bit more reserved and may have some separation anxiety or a feeling of “stranger danger,” which is completely normal.

This photo session is baby-led, meaning I will be taking the baby’s lead as far as what poses we can safely and comfortably achieve. Be prepared for your little one to need extra cuddles or an extra feeding at this session. 

Tips for a successful photo session

• Try and schedule your session around baby’s current nap & feeding schedule. We want them well-rested with a full belly!
• Plan for no more than 2-3 outfits.
• Limit the number of people coming to the session. Ideally, we want parents only. When your baby has both of their parents and well as their sibling and grandparents, plus this new photographer lady all vying for their attention they are bound to be overstimulated.
• And finally… relax! If you’re stressed your little one will feel that and it will show in the images. The theme of this session is “go with the flow.”

More examples of milestone portraits for rollers:

Are you interested in creating beautiful milestone portraits for your baby? Head on over to the milestones page for more information, including galleries and basic pricing. If you like what you see visit the contact page to start the conversation!

I can’t wait to create something special for you.