Tips for Newborn Photography – Part Two

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Individual PortraitsToday’s article is Part Two in a series on newborn photography. If you missed Part One, you can catch up here. In this article, I will be going into more depth on posing newborns, plus the three types of images I’m always looking to end up with from a newborn session: individual portraits, environmental portraits, and family portraits.

The individual portraits are my first priority and usually include the classic sleeping baby shots. The secret weapon here is a boppy pillow. Just about every mom has one, so I always ask for it. I’ll lay the boppy down and cover it with a blanket or two. The baby nestles perfectly in the middle and I’m able to securely prop his head up. In this way, I can get multiple poses done quickly: the baby on his back, side, and tummy. In each position, I explore every angle and composition I can before moving to the next. You’d be surprised how many angles you can find by just moving yourself. I shoot from the side and from above, I get close ups of his face, a full body shot, then details like feet, ears, and hands. If you do all of these angles in each position, you’ll end up with lots of poses to choose from in the end.

Another trick I use: each time I rotate the baby from one position to the next, or whenever I want to adjust anything in the pose, I do it from in between the blanket and the boppy. I can adjust from underneath the blanket to move the baby’s bottom half without startling him nearly as much as if I’m reaching in and moving him from above.

One note: obviously, it’s so important to always be safe and mindful of how you’re positioning the baby. I won’t ever do anything either the mom or I am uncomfortable with. I’d rather have the mom feel like her baby is safe than get an amazing shot that might make her anxious. I also think it’s really important to use a camera strap and to never be in a position where the camera might slip out of your hands from above or swing from the strap and hurt the baby.

Environmental Portraits

The environmental portraits show the bigger picture of where the family lives. These tend to be some of my favorites. I like to back up and photograph the room we are in to give some context in a more documentary style. So if we’re in the living room where the mom is changing the baby or rocking him to sleep on the couch, I’ll use a wide lens to include the whole scene. Some parents put a lot of work into a nursery, so that’s another great area to photograph, with the baby in the crib, with mom and baby in the rocking chair, or even the room and it’s details alone (often this happens during feedings when I have nothing else to do). I also love using the master bedroom, with the baby curled up on the bed alone or with the parents.

Family Portraits

Family portraits are an important type of image that sometimes parents forget about. I love to capture the new mom and dad, snuggled in close to their little one. I also make sure to photograph each parent separately with the newborn and if there are other siblings, I’ll get a shot with them as well. These family photos are usually the easiest to take, because there is so little direction needed to get a sweet relationship image when the parents are already so enamored with their brand new baby. If someone does seem a bit anxious or unsure of what to do, suggest something simple, like “nuzzle your face in close,” “kiss his nose,” or “close your eyes and snuggle her close to you.” It doesn’t take much to get a natural, beautiful shot of someone loving on their baby!

I hope this article has given you some ideas for your next newborn session and getting some images that your clients will love. Feel free to leave any questions in the comments and I’d be more than happy to share any answers I may have.

Tips for Newborn Photography – Part One

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Newborn photography seems to be one genre that photographers either really love or really don’t–and they tend to figure that out fairly quickly! I’m one that loves it. There is just something so magical about the first few days of a baby’s life at home that I love being able to capture. In the first of this two-part series, I’ll be going over a few tips on setting yourself up for success with newborn photography

What to Bring

I’m always striving for natural, simple, timeless photos, but especially when the subject is a newborn. Because of this, I tend to avoid using lots of props, giant headbands, or outfit changes. Most of my photos are done with the baby in either just a diaper or a simple, white onesie. I much prefer this timeless look, but I’m always happy to comply with any requests from the parents.

To change things up, I do usually bring a few soft, textured blankets (either in white or light colors). I also use whatever the parents have on hand–blankets given as gifts or anything special from their nursery. I want the photos to be personalized however possible.  I also bring extra blankets for layering and padding, a large beanbag and/or a boppy pillow (more on how those are used in next month’s article), and a space heater. I let the parents know ahead of time that it’s helpful to have a few things on hand such as a pacifier, wet wipes, extra diapers, and anything else that will help keep their baby happy.

Be Patient!

The most important thing you’ll need as a newborn photographer is PATIENCE. Newborns tend to be pretty unpredictable. They sleep, wake, cry and eat when they feel like it and there’s not much we can do to control it. So when I schedule a newborn session, I block out a few hours and make sure to tell the parents to do the same.

When I arrive at the client’s home, I emphasize that I am not at all in a hurry and that we will go by the baby’s schedule. This relaxes the parents, who are worried that their baby will be uncooperative and ”difficult.” I want them to know that all babies require a bit of patience and I’ll be able to get beautiful images no matter what. We take breaks for nursing or diaper changes and take all the time needed to get the baby to sleep.

However, if hours pass and things just aren’t going well, the parents (and baby) might just need a break. You can give them the option of trying again another day when you just can’t get what you need. This is just part of the unpredictability of newborn sessions and I want to be as flexible as possible to keep the parents feeling relaxed and taken care of.

Getting the Baby to Sleep

I always hope to photograph the baby both asleep and awake. The family portraits and environmental shots are much more fun with a happy, awake baby, but for the type of individual portraits I want, it’s easiest if the baby is deeply asleep. This is usually the hardest part and what causes the most stress for the mom and photographer. It may take a while to get the baby to that deeply sleeping stage, but once he’s there, you can move him pretty much however you need to get the shots you’re going for–and he’ll stay asleep. Even if it takes 45 minutes to get him to a deep state of sleep, it’s worth it when you can get the next shots done very quickly.

A quiet, calm environment is so important for this reason, so here are a few tricks to get that baby to sleep:

• Using a white noise app on your phone, running water in the tub, or turning on the vacuum can be comforting for a baby who is used to similar noises in the womb. Sometimes even the shutter on the camera startles babies, so having noise to cover other sounds definitely helps.
• With an exposed baby, you’re going to want the home very warm. Suggest turning up the heat in the house or use a space heater directed towards the baby.
• On the same note, keep your hands warm. Nothing is as unpleasantly surprising to a sleeping baby (or anyone, for that matter) as cold hands on bare skin!
• I’ve found that some babies seem to be hypnotized just by running my hand down the bridge of their nose. They’ll close their eyes and sometimes just keep them closed until they’re out!
• If the mom is stressed and you’re comfortable with this, try rocking the baby to sleep yourself. Babies can sense anxiety and tend to respond in kind, so if you notice the mom tensing up, offer to take over for a few minutes.