Posing Newborn Twins: How Stephanie Cotta Does It

If Stephanie Cotta were to give one slice of advice to emerging newborn photographers, it would be to have a plan. “Similar to how I conduct sessions with just one newborn, I have a very specific posing order for twin newborn sessions,” says Cotta, who teaches posing in her Mastering the Art of Twin Newborn Photography e-workshop. “The goal should be to limit the number of movements you have to make on the babies while maximizing their deep sleep time together.” 

Photo © Stephanie Cotta

For this shot, Cotta sets clear guidelines before the shoot. The parents were instructed to feed the newborns three hours prior to the session and then once more when they arrived at her studio. This pose was photographed on Cotta’s large beanbag against a cream-colored backdrop throw. She also placed her posing throw under her backdrop.

The Posing Order

1. Cotta positioned the first baby on his back with his head on her posing throw.  

2. She then used another posing throw under his bottom to help curl his body in.  

3. With the aide of her assistant (or one of the parents) spotting the first baby, Cotta positioned the second baby on his belly and gently lowered him (with his arms folded under his chin) onto the first baby’s belly. “The goal here is to get the cheeks of the babies as close as possible,”she explains.

4. When the babies were posed and calm, Cotta gently removed her hands from them and, with her assistant spotting, moved back to take the shot. 

THE SHOT
Camera: Canon 5D Mark III  
Lens: 35mm f/1.4  
Exposure: f/4.0 at 1/160 sec  
ISO: 500

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