How to Choose the Best F-Stop for Natural Newborn Photos

What’s the Best F-Stop for Natural Newborn Photos?

One of the questions I hear most often from photographers is: “What aperture should I use for newborn sessions?”

And my answer is always the same: there’s no right or wrong. What matters most is what you’re comfortable with, and what gives you the results you love.

For me, I love shooting at F6.4. It hits a sweet spot. It gives me the right depth of field—the amount of blurriness in front of and behind the subject—to create professional, soft, dreamy newborn images.

At the same time, it gives me confidence that the baby’s eyes will be sharp, even if I move slightly or shift my angle. Another reason I stick with F6.4 is flexibility. When I include mum, dad, or a little sibling in the frame, I don’t need to change my settings.

I can focus entirely on capturing beautiful, emotional moments, without worrying about technical adjustments every time someone moves. It’s also worth noting that the exact F-stop you choose can depend on the type of camera you’re using. Cameras with a crop sensor, like Sony or Fuji, will require a slightly higher number on the F-stop to achieve the same depth of field as a full-frame camera, like Canon or Nikon.

So don’t worry about the number itself—focus on the effect it’s giving you.

Of course, every photographer has their own comfort zone. Some love shooting wide open at F2.8 for extra creamy backgrounds. Others prefer F8 for a deeper focus. The key is to experiment and find what works for you, and then stick with it. When your settings feel familiar, you can relax and concentrate on what really matters: the connection, emotion, and story in every frame.

At the end of the day, the perfect aperture is the one that lets you create images that make parents feel something—images they’ll treasure forever.

All 10 of these photographs were taken at F6.4. Even though they include a mix of newborns and older babies, and some feature mum and a big brother, I didn’t have to think about changing my aperture once. That includes the close-up details too—tiny feet, fuzzy ears, and all those delicate little features stayed sharp and beautifully in focus, while still keeping that soft, dreamy background. It really shows how finding a comfortable F-stop lets you concentrate on capturing the moment, rather than constantly adjusting your settings.