A Newborn Baby Yawns
My nephew was just ten days old when I took this photograph, yet he already looked so much bigger than in the first pictures my brother and sister-in-law had sent. We spent the morning together in their home, quietly adjusting to life with a newborn and cherishing the kind of fleeting moments that disappear almost before you’ve noticed them.
As Mum took a few minutes to get ready, Dad held little Tommy close and gently walked him around the room. That’s when it happened—the tiniest newborn baby yawn, so sweet and unguarded, and Dad instantly copied him. The result? One of my favourite baby photos ever. The connection was so natural, so instinctive, that I couldn’t stop smiling behind the camera. Ever since that day, I’ve noticed how many new fathers can’t resist mimicking their baby’s yawn. It’s the kind of universal gesture that shows just how deep the bond between father and child runs.
This photograph captures that genuine love perfectly. A newborn baby yawning is already irresistible, but a dad joining in? That’s pure magic. In that moment, he didn’t care how silly he looked. Nothing else existed—just father and son, completely wrapped up in each other.
The Story Behind the Yawn
Welcoming a newborn into the world often comes with a stream of visitors, each one eager for cuddles and a peek at tiny fingers and toes. For little Tommy, it could have been unsettling—new faces, new voices, and his auntie arriving with a big camera. While Mum was preparing, Dad focused on soothing him with cuddles and gentle rocking.
As they moved together across the living room, I noticed the soft natural light spilling through the doors. I asked my brother to turn slightly, and began shooting through the little moments—tears, calmness, the in-between expressions that make newborn photography so special. Then came the pause in the crying, followed by the sweetest newborn baby yawn. I caught it on camera, and just as quickly, Dad leaned down and copied the gesture.
The two of them—tiny son and devoted father—mirrored each other perfectly. We laughed out loud when we reviewed the photos. It was such a simple action, but it held so much meaning: connection, tenderness, and the funny little ways we bond with our children without even realising it.
Just Being You
One of my favourite parts of newborn photography is capturing families as they truly are. Posed portraits have their place, but lifestyle photography—these unplanned, genuine interactions—tells a deeper story. A newborn baby yawning, a dad pulling faces, the whole family caught in laughter—these are the images that grow in value over time.
When parents feel relaxed enough to forget about the camera, that’s when the most beautiful photographs happen. With my own family, those moments sometimes come easily, sometimes not—but with every client, my goal is the same: to create a space where love and connection shine through naturally.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this little story of one photograph. For me, it’s not just about a newborn baby yawning—it’s about the bond between father and son, captured on a sleepy, rainy afternoon, preserved forever in a single frame.
