Photographing a Newborn Baby
For many the idea of photographing a newborn baby can be overwhelming, especially for those that aren't experienced with handling a newborn.
By spending some time focusing solely on the baby before you begin photographing him/her, you can put measures in place that will ensure you give yourself the best chance of success.
By following these 8 tips for preparing for a newborn photography session you'll be seeing to the comfort and calmness of the baby as your first priority, which will in turn allow you to capture a wide range of poses and setups.
1.
Sleep.
A sleeping baby is ideal to photograph.
Once a baby is in a deep deep sleep you will be able to move them into almost any pose you wish.
Spend adequate time before you begin the session getting baby into a deep slumber.
2.
Age.
The earlier you can photograph a newborn baby, the better.
Ideally any time within the first 2-10 days of a baby's life will be the easiest to photograph.
At this age they will easily fall into a deep sleep allowing for ease of posing.
It's also as this age that they still appear to have that newborn 'fresh' look.
3.
Studio temperature.
When shooting a newborn baby, having the room at a very warm temperature is imperative, especially if you plan on creating images with the baby unclothed.
The room should be warm enough that the adults present feel hot so that you can ensure the baby is warm enough.
4.
White noise.
Be sure to have a white noise player, or a CD of 'womb noise' playing loudly within your shooting space.
This is pivotal in creating a calming, familiar environment for the baby.
5.
Time of day.
Aim to hold your sessions mid-morning, avoiding afternoon sessions if possible.
Newborn babies tend to be more relaxed and calm during this time of day, and tend to be more grizzly and awake in the afternoons.
6.
Feeding.
When the baby arrives for his/her session make sure he/she has a feed before you begin shooting.
A baby with a full tummy is much easier to settle than a baby that is even slightly hungry.
7.
Nappies.
Most parents love images of their baby's naked little bottom, but begin your session with the baby in a nappy.
Babies settle faster and deeper when clothed so begin with a nappy and the baby wrapped loosely in a wrap, then when the baby is in a deep sleep you can carefully remove these for the unclothed shots.
8.
Parents.
Some babies just won't settle without their Mum or Dad, for a variety of reasons.
If you've tried everything above and you still can't get the baby to settle to sleep use the parents as props for your shoot.
Have Dad's arms outstretched with the baby laying in them, or baby propped up over Mum's shoulder and shoot from behind Mum.
The baby will settle when held by its parents so use them to your advantage where possible.
By spending some time focusing solely on the baby before you begin photographing him/her, you can put measures in place that will ensure you give yourself the best chance of success.
By following these 8 tips for preparing for a newborn photography session you'll be seeing to the comfort and calmness of the baby as your first priority, which will in turn allow you to capture a wide range of poses and setups.
1.
Sleep.
A sleeping baby is ideal to photograph.
Once a baby is in a deep deep sleep you will be able to move them into almost any pose you wish.
Spend adequate time before you begin the session getting baby into a deep slumber.
2.
Age.
The earlier you can photograph a newborn baby, the better.
Ideally any time within the first 2-10 days of a baby's life will be the easiest to photograph.
At this age they will easily fall into a deep sleep allowing for ease of posing.
It's also as this age that they still appear to have that newborn 'fresh' look.
3.
Studio temperature.
When shooting a newborn baby, having the room at a very warm temperature is imperative, especially if you plan on creating images with the baby unclothed.
The room should be warm enough that the adults present feel hot so that you can ensure the baby is warm enough.
4.
White noise.
Be sure to have a white noise player, or a CD of 'womb noise' playing loudly within your shooting space.
This is pivotal in creating a calming, familiar environment for the baby.
5.
Time of day.
Aim to hold your sessions mid-morning, avoiding afternoon sessions if possible.
Newborn babies tend to be more relaxed and calm during this time of day, and tend to be more grizzly and awake in the afternoons.
6.
Feeding.
When the baby arrives for his/her session make sure he/she has a feed before you begin shooting.
A baby with a full tummy is much easier to settle than a baby that is even slightly hungry.
7.
Nappies.
Most parents love images of their baby's naked little bottom, but begin your session with the baby in a nappy.
Babies settle faster and deeper when clothed so begin with a nappy and the baby wrapped loosely in a wrap, then when the baby is in a deep sleep you can carefully remove these for the unclothed shots.
8.
Parents.
Some babies just won't settle without their Mum or Dad, for a variety of reasons.
If you've tried everything above and you still can't get the baby to settle to sleep use the parents as props for your shoot.
Have Dad's arms outstretched with the baby laying in them, or baby propped up over Mum's shoulder and shoot from behind Mum.
The baby will settle when held by its parents so use them to your advantage where possible.
Source...