Posing Newborns by Kelly Brown
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posing
newborns
Creating the Perfect Environment
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Using Natural Light Communicating with the Parents
Settling Techniques Posing on a Bean Bag Using Props
Posing with Siblings
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Chapter 1
Creating the Perfect
Environment
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o create the perfect environment, it is important to understand the environment that babies come from.Creating the
Perfect Environment
The temperature inside the mother’s womb is 38 C / 100 Fahrenheit. Because newborns cannot regulate their body temperature as well as an adult can it needs to be protected from both cold and heat. It’s best to warm the studio to 28 degrees Celsius/ 82 degrees Fahrenheit. You can do this with a small space heater and another larger heater that has a thermostat.
It’s important to keep an eye on the temperature throughout the session and to also make sure the par-ents are comfortable with the temperature.
The womb is also full of sounds, particularly the whooshing of the mother’s blood and digestive sys-tem, and the thumping of her heart and voice, which sounds louder than it would transmitted through the air since it reverberates through the bones and fluids in her body. Because of this, it’s good to play white noise throughout the session on either an iPhone or iPad and have a small heart beat rhythm playing as well.
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Chapter 2
Using Natural Light
A great natural light scenario would be a large southeast facing window in the studio with a sheer white curtain to diffuse the light.
Depending on where your studio is located and what your source of light is, you
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If your window has direct sunlight, this can cause harsh shadows so dif-fuse this with a sheer curtain.
Since the temperature of light may vary depending on if it’s sunny or cloudy, use a grey card in order to get perfect white balance and exposure. Angle your bag and props toward the light so the light falls beautifully across the baby’s face. By positioning the baby at a 45-degree angle to the light, you will softly highlight all of the baby’s little features perfectly. Use large reflectors to fill any shad-ows when needed.
<<< Using Natural Light
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Key Points:
• Use natural light
• Position the baby at a 45-degree
angle to the light
• Use a reflector, if needed, to fill in
the shadows
Chapter 3
Communicating with
the Parents
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A
fter the parents have contacted you for the first time, send them information about what to expect from a new-born session as well as when the session should take place and where the session will be held. Refer to the sidebar on the right for appropriate client information.Communicating
with the Parents
Educate the client:
Session
information & when to book
The best time to book a newborn session is during the pregnancy. Make a tentative book-ing with the parents based on their due date and then have them contact you when they arrive home from the hospital with their new baby. You can then arrange a suitable time and date for the photo session.
The ideal time to photograph newborn babies is around 6-10 days of age.
It’s good to allow for plenty of time for feeding and cuddling during the session, so it will take between 2-4 hours. If your studio has lots of props for you to choose from, involve the par-ents in the styling of the session.
At Little Pieces Photography, the session fee covers the custom-styled photography and a private online gallery. The private online gal-lery will display approximately 20 images, each personally and creatively edited by Kelly. The session fee does not include any prints or digi-tal negatives but will be deducted from the cli-ents’ choice of package when ordering.
Once a session time and date has been confirmed, let them know to wear something cool and comfortable, and to try and avoid logos and patterns on shirts that could be dis-tracting in the photographs.
At the beginning of the session, ask the parents if there is anything in particular that they would like. Some will have very clear ideas and others will say “I love everything I’ve seen of yours!” At the end of the day, they have come to you as a professional photographer to capture the newest, most precious member of their family so they can remem-ber every little detail about them at that age. Talking to your client and understanding what they want, as we are all different, is very important. It’s great to get the clients involved in the styling of the session. At Little Pieces Pho-tography, over the last couple of years, the sales have been higher as the clients have had input on colour selection and the choices in props used. >>>
Fill your studio with colours and props that you love, and have fun with your clients. It’s better for them to love all of the photos because they were involved than to have them be unhappy because items were chosen without their input. Some clients will come to you because they love your work and some will come to you because you are the closest and most convenient and others because of your reputation. Understanding what your client wants will not only help your sales, but giving them the service they deserve will encourage them to spread the word about your business. The best form of advertising is word of mouth!
<<< Communicating with the Parents
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The best form of
advertising is
Chapter 4
Settling Techniques
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hen the family arrives, the baby may or may not already be asleep. The baby should be asleep for the session, so you may have to spend time getting the baby settled.If the baby is hungry, it is best for them to feed before the ses-sion starts so that the sesses-sion doesn’t have to be interrupted. Ask the mom or dad to undress and loosely wrap the baby, leav-ing the nappy between their legs before they feed so that they are not disturbed if they fall asleep while feeding.
If the baby is sound asleep when they arrive, you can start the session straight away.
When settling the baby while they are awake and fed, loosely wrap the baby and gently rock him or her back and forth. This is reminiscent of the movements they experienced in the womb, as they had been gently tumbling and floating in amniotic fluid. If the baby is upset with a pain or wind, place them upright on your shoulder and move them gently from side to side, patting their back. If they become too unsettled, you can pass them back to their mother for comforting.
Once they are asleep, place them down gently either on the bag or in a prop.
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Chapter 5
Posing on a Bag
When setting the posing bag up, it’s good to layer it with up to 5 blankets and clamp them to the backdrop stand so it’s nice and smooth.
As every baby is different, you should go through a series of poses. If they are not comfortable in one pose, move onto the next one.
When working on the posing bag, use cloth nappies, because they are firm when they are folded, to raise and support the baby into position from underneath the bottom layer of blankets. >>>
A
ny beanbag would be good for posing the newborns on, but it would be ideal to use a posing pod. A posing pod is per-fect because of its flat-topped shape and large size, making it safe and easy to pose on. You can purchase posing bags at the following two places:• Newborn Baby Posing Limited • Shoot baby
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It’s good to flow/transition from the baby’s back, to side, to tum-my. This helps to keep them set-tled when posing them. Start with the baby on their back, usually with a wrap around the baby to keep their legs and arms secure.
When photographing down-wards, always keep the camera strap around your neck!
A 24-70mm lens is a good range, allowing you to photograph without standing on anything where you could potentially be-come unstable and fall.
With the baby posed on his or her back, you can get a least 3 different angles for photos with very small movements of the babies hands.
>>> <<< Posing on a Bag
<<< Posing on a Bag
After photographing the baby on their back, gently roll them onto their side, clamping the blanket to the backdrop stand. The baby can be wrapped and pho-tographed again from different angles with slight adjustments to their hands and feet for variety. From the side pose, gently roll them further onto their tummy and bring their elbow and knee together. With this pose, you can get another 3 different shots. Then turn the baby toward the front of the bag and bring their arms up and under the chin so the chin is resting on the wrists. Again, take images from differ-ent angles and use either headbands or little hats for
During any of the above setups, the baby should not be left in these positions for too long. If you need to, have a parent sit close to the bag to support the baby’s head if necessary. It is always better to be safe than sorry. I will often clone out a parent’s support hand from an image, and it makes them feel involved as well, which they love.
Chapter 6
Use props to create
visual interest
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Using Props
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sing props is a great way to add visual interest to your images, and to get the parents involved in crafting the session. Refer to page 21 for resources on what kinds of props to use and where to buy them. >>><<< Using Props
When using props it’s extremely important to choose props that are solid and sturdy.
Always have a support hand on the baby during any of these setups unless they are ly-ing securely on their back inside a prop, but always have someone close by when taking the image.
Again, cloth nappies are great to line props with so the baby is nice and comfortable and supported at all times.
Never should a baby be placed in something that could potentially break or fall. The safe-ty of the baby is the number one aspect of the shoot.
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Props Resources
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hen choosing props, Little Pieces Photography looks for items that are unique and in natural tones. Anything wooden or metal is great. You can shop online, in antique shops or homeware stores.For knitted and handmade items, try the following:
Brand New Babe Love That Prop Monkey Moo Moo Little Doe
Love that Prop Faas Design
Handmadebylululu Sewing My Passion
For larger props like blankets, buckets, crates & nests, visit the following:
Etsy Ebay
Picsie Props Drops and Props JD Vinatage Mr. & Mrs. And Co. Local antique stores Homeware stores
Chapter 7
Posing newborns with
the siblings
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When posing newborns with their older brothers or sisters, keep it really simple and photograph them at the beginning of the session while they’re nice and interested.
Wrap the baby so they feel secure and so it’s easy for the siblings to hold them. This will also prevent the baby from startling.
For siblings under three, I like to lay them down and place the baby in their arms, I have mom or dad nice and close in case they move as well. By laying them down, it avoids the baby from falling if the toddler decides they’ve had enough and jumps up.
With older siblings, I will place the baby in their arms while they’re sitting comfortably on the floor.
Posing with Siblings
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Parents absolutely
love the sibling shots
Chapter 8
Posing newborns with
the parents
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Posing with
the Parents
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ot every parent will want to be in the photos but it’s always encourage them to be in them because it’s such a special time. Tell them that if they don’t like them they don’t have to buy them, but they always do.Photograph the parents separately first, and then together. Make it all about the baby. This also helps the parents relax a bit more as well. Take a series of images of the parents looking at their baby, then looking at the camera and then interacting with their baby and each other.
When photographing the dads, show them first how to hold the baby and then talk them through the photo. Ask first if they’re comfortable with taking their shirt off for a skin-to-skin image. >>>
When positioning the baby with the Mum I like them to hold the baby close to their face, this is a great way to capture the con-nection and love between them. Most mothers will be feeling a little self conscious about their bodies after birth so this is a great way to come in close and shoot from the chest up.
When photographing the par-ents together, bring the dad in from the side and turn them to-wards each other so the baby is in the middle. Talking to them during the images and guide them on what to do.
Chapter 9
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Working with
Multiples
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hen photographing more than one newborn, plan on doing 2-3 set ups with the babies together and then photographing them separately in an additional 2-3 set ups.The perfect time to photograph babies the babies together is when they’re both asleep.
Try using larger baskets and props like washtubs to pose twins and triplets in together.
The length of the session and the ses-sion fee can remain the same when photographing multiples as it’s import-ant to remember that the parents are usually sleep deprived so it’s good to get the session over as quickly as pos-sible. You can do fewer individual set-ups with twins as you will photograph them together and those setups take a little longer achieve.
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Chapter 10
Composite Images
T
here are some poses that will require some Photoshop compositing. This means that you will have to take more than one image (with the camera in the same exact location) and them merge them later in order to remove things such as a supporting hand. Whenever you see a newborn photo where it appears that the baby is holding his or her head up with their hands, the image was com-posited. >>>Posing Newborns by Kelly Brown
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Composite images are the best way to really ensure the safety of the baby when it comes to this pose. You don’t have to of-fer certain poses like the wrapped sitting upright or the froggy pose but every now and then a parent will request them.
It’s important for the parent to understand how the images are created and what they have to do to help.
Inform the parents that if the baby becomes uncomfortable at any stage, you will move onto the next setup. It can be good to leave these poses until the end of the session anyway. The baby also needs to be extremely sleepy for these setups.
You don’t want to attempt these images on your own for the first time.
Chapter 11
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More on Safety
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he safety of the baby is the most important aspect of your session. Parents will also feel more comfortable throughout the session knowing their baby is in safe handsAlways have a spotter/parent next to your baby when using props. Use a support hand or finger when posing the baby and clone it out later in Photoshop.
Don’t force a baby into any pose. Instead, move them to where they are comfortable.
Have your camera strap around your neck when shooting above the baby.
Never stand on anything above the baby in case you fall or it breaks. Never put a baby inside or on an object that could potentially break or fall.
Glass props should never be used.
Lastly, when photographing newborns, it doesn’t have to be compli-cated. More often than not, less is best. Capturing the tiny details that parents want to remember about their baby is what sells, not the most elaborate, tricky setups.
