The newborn days are so precious, yet so fleeting. As a newborn photographer, I can appreciate how quickly these days go by and how important it is to capture all of the sweet details of a new baby, while they are still little.
Many parents opt to hire a professional to photograph their baby, but some are excited at the prospect of capturing their baby’s first days themselves.
I would love to share with you some tips and ideas to help you create beautiful images of your own baby and to make this experience an enjoyable and stress-free one for the both of you.
One of the benefits of photographing your own newborn is that time is on your side. When I shoot a newborn session for a client I allow a 3-4 hour window in which to work and create a varied gallery, you have days – weeks even – at your disposal.
The first two weeks is the best time to photograph a newborn in newborn photography, but it is very possible to photograph older babies in the ‘newborn style’ as well. Remember, time is on your side! If you pace yourself, you can capture an amazing variety of images of your sweet new baby.
Lighting is everything!
Lighting can make or break an image. But did you know that you do not need any fancy studio equipment to get this right. Photographing in front of a living room window or a french door is a good way of utilising natural light. If you have direct sunlight coming through the window, a good way to soften, or ‘diffuse’, the light is to hang a sheer net curtain or voile in front of it.
A good rule of thumb for nice soft shadows and highlights is to have your baby angled such that the light flows from the top of baby’s head on down their body at approximately a 45 degree angle. Look for a soft shadow underneath baby’s nose to verify that you have this right.
Feel free to experiment – for more dramatic lighting and shadowing go for a more drastic angle. Have fun playing with different angles and perspectives.
Happy baby!
There are a few simple things you can do that will ensure a happy baby and a productive photo session. The first is to keep your shooting area warm – really warm. I use a small space heater, while taking care that it is not directly blowing hot air on the baby.
In addition to having a warm shooting area, white noise does wonders for keeping baby asleep. I downloaded an app to my iPhone which has a number of soothing sounds that you can play for baby while you are shooting. I just keep my phone on the blanket, out of shot, to keep baby sleeping.
The third trick probably goes without saying but make sure baby has a nice, full belly and is not hungry during your shoot.
Also, when I think of classic newborn pictures, I would probably conjure up images of tiny, swaddled babies. There is probably a good reason for this, as swaddling helps soothe and settle babies, and even helps them to sleep. A tip in doing this is to wrap your baby tightly, but not too tight to restrict their blood supply. Watch for feet and hands that turn purple or grey, as it might mean that you have swaddled your baby too tight.
In addition to these things, I have found that most babies (including my own) are much more cooperative and contented in the morning hours than in the afternoon and evening hours. Try to do your shooting between breakfast and lunch, and I think you will agree that this is the best time for most babies.
Safety, safety, safety!
This goes without saying, but please make sure your baby’s safety is the number one priority while you are taking his or her photos. Do not leave your baby unattended while in a pose, on a bed, sofa or beanbag etc, in a prop and with any older siblings. If you are trying a more difficult pose or working with props, have someone there to help you and to spot baby.
Many of the more difficult looking poses and setups are actually composite images, and not created from a single image. They are made up for two, and occasionally more, images so that the baby is safe and supported at all times in a pose. I would strongly advise you not to attempt these poses, as if they are done without proper training, they can potentially be dangerous for your baby if done incorrectly.
I love adding variety to a newborn gallery by adding props. This can be a bucket, bowl or basket. If you decide to use any of these, please put a weight in the bottom to ensure it will not tip over once your baby is put in it. If you do not have a proper weight to hand, a big bag of rice or a bag of sand will do. Just so long as it is heavy enough to counterbalance your baby’s weight.
Plan ahead
Before you even pick up your camera, plan how you want your pictures to be staged. Do you like natural images? Or are you more drawn to posed pictures? Consider adding textures. Fur, wool, hessian, knitted blankets and wraps will give your image extra depth and content. Pick colours that compliment each other, or just one colour to give consistency through the image. If you are planning to print and display your images of your baby in a certain room of your house, think about it’s colour scheme or style, and shoot your image to make it cohesive for that particular room. Also, look online at professional newborn photographers images to give you inspiration and ideas.
It’s all in the details
Don’t forget to document all of those sweet little details that make your baby unique! That little upturned nose, her rosebud lips, his crinkly little chin, those tiny toes and fingers – these are all things that you will not want to forget as your baby grows.
Consider capturing the nose, lips, eyelashes, ears, toes, fingers, belly buttons, hair, and fuzzy shoulders.
Siblings
Some of the sweetest and most endearing photos you can take of your new baby will be the ones you get with his or her older siblings.
Older children may be able to hold their new brother or sister, while simple laying down poses are perfect for younger children. This will make your older children feel special and involved as well, which is always a bonus when there is a new baby in the house getting a lot of attention! For older siblings under 6 I always get them to lay on the floor on a flokati or a blanket and place the baby beside them. Then I shoot from above, making sure my camera strap is around my neck to avoid the camera from dropping on them if I accidentally dropped it. By lying the siblings down with the baby, I am safe in the knowledge that the baby will not be dropped. However, I do recommend someone to sit next to them while you are taking the pictures because if the older child moves quickly, they may endanger the baby.
What about you?
I know firsthand how difficult it can be having photos taken of yourself, but please, hand your camera to someone else – your husband, an older child, or a friend – and get a few pictures of yourself with your new baby. Even if you really don’t want or feel like it, trust me. This will be a priceless treasure for your new baby as he or she grows up.
As a photographer, I think it’s safe to say that I am more comfortable being on the back side of the camera, but it is so important for our children that we get in front of it, at least once in a while.
Lastly…
Remember that your images do not have to be technically perfect to be beautiful. You are capturing and documenting your gorgeous newborn for you to look back on in years to come. And that is all that matters.