Photographing Newborns

**As I find new information I update this post to help me with my newborn session in a few months.

I have never taken any photos of newborns but have been collecting information from the internet, off forums and from my teacher regarding this type of photography.  Why?  Because I'm expecting my first child and want to take the best photos I can of him.

I have been taking so many notes I can't remember what tips I got from whom.  However many of the tips have been used in almost all of the articles or forums I've read.

Preparing for a session:
• Photograph newborns within their first 10 days of birth because babies can lose their “curl” and they will not be as moldable after this time frame. Also after 10 days the baby has some head control.
• Baby should be sleepy and wearing clothes that are easy to remove or swaddled in a blanket.

• Home should be heated to mid-seventies and there should be a space heater near the baby.

• Take photos in the daytime near a window with lots of natural light.

• Try to avoid using flash.

• Set camera to highest possible resolution and compression.

• Take several breaks.

• Loosen diaper 30 minutes before shoot.

• Baby should be tired and have a full tummy.

Rules to remember:
• The brighter you make your subject, the darker the background will appear to be in the image.
• Shoot at smaller apertures for narrow depth of field to highlight the softness of the newborn.

• When taking pictures of newborns especially you should seek soft, diffused light. Take pictures of your baby by the window as opposed to in direct sunlight. Overcast days are really some of the best lighting conditions.

• Eliminate red eye by enabling the red eye reduction function on your camera. Also try to divert your babies eyes from looking directly into the camera as this will help eliminate red eye, too.

• Increase the ISO and exposure compensation on your camera in low light levels, but check to make sure that the image doesn’t become too grainy as a result.

• Shoot from all different angles.

• Keep camera on continuous shooting mode.

• Use longer shutter speeds.

• As a beginner it’s easiest to get started in aperture priority. In this setting you will basically choose your aperture and the camera will automatically select a shutter speed.

• It’s a good idea to keep the shutter above 1/250.

Things to keep in mind:
• Choose poses ahead of time and practice. Do a google search for baby photographs.
• Plain clothes are better than stripes, patterns and designs…however, au natural is the best.

• Drape fabric over the beanbag underneath a large window (pull it away from the window slightly so the light just starts to fall off) and put the baby in the center. Take photos from all angles including straight above using the window light as a kind of soft box. Try and position the baby so their face is towards the window and their eyes aren’t in shadow. (Use the rooting reflex to get them to look in the direction you want). Look for catchlights. Get rid of any folds or gaps in the black using Photoshop.

• What is rooting reflex? Rubbing at the corner of the mouth makes the baby pucker its lips and turn his head in that particular direction.

• What is catchlights? A “catchlight’ is simply the highlight of a light source reflected off the surface of the eye. This highlight adds depth and dimension to the eye, and gives the eyes life in a portrait or snapshot.

• Try to have your backdrop at a 45 degree angle to the window.

Equipment needed:
• Space heater

• Boppy

• Bean bag – extra bag of fill

• Baby wipes – you will need to clean up throughout shoot

• Photo correction software

• Lenses – 28mm or 50mm

• Small heating pad

• Heartbeat womb bear

• Puppy pads

* Frosted shower curtain or cheap twin shet

* White foam core

* A-clamps

Props needed:
• Cheesecloth
• Faux fur rug

• Hand-knit hats

• Cocoon, nest egg

• Baskets, bowls or anything that a newborn could fit into or onto that might be interesting.

Backgrounds needed:
• Black fuzzy blanket – the fuzzier the blanket the better because it absorbs light without bouncing it back into the camera.
• Black velvet/Black suede

• Soft fabrics

Pose Ideas:
• White background, baby on stack of towels and blue ribbon
• Black background, naked baby in parents arms (Parents wear black)

• Baby body parts: butt, feet, belly, hands, toes, fingers, ears, lips, rolls, eyelashes, hair…get as close as you can.

• Lay baby on his tummy and curl up his legs.

• Wrap him in cheesecloth or pretty swaddle blankets.

• Sleeping with mom

• The Big Yawn shot

• Little side note: Have mom wear spaghetti strap tank top or a terry cloth towel and black pants. And of course have the baby naked or in a diaper. The more skin you can show with newborns, the more timeless it feels.

• The Baby hair swirl shot. Have dad hold the baby in front of him; get a shot of his big hands and the baby’s small head with that sweet hair swirl.

• Have your sleepy little on just rest his head on your chest, look down at the floor.

• Baby crying

• Mom and Dad and baby

• Baby’s hand or foot in its mothers hand to emphasize the difference in size

• Mother nursing the baby

• Rest the infant on the shoulder of a parent and take a charming parent and child photo, with or without the parent’s face

• Lay the newborn down on a blanket and snap quickly when the infant raises her head. Some newborns are not able to raise their heads.

• Have the parent swaddle the baby in a blanket, and then lay the baby down. Prop the underside of the infant with a rolled up baby blanket. This can be done in a number of angles to get a pleasant look.

• Drape the parent’s chest and lap with a colorful cloth and have them hold the baby in their draped arms. Closely cropped, the image will look like the baby is being held by a custom poser.