Caring, award-winning family portrait and lifestyle photographer, offering studio or location photography at an affordable price.
We’re experiencing some pretty strange, frightening and totally unprecedented times at the moment and you'll should find that photographers are closed, as I write this during lockdown 3 (updated from Lockdown 1).
This might mean an inconvenience to some - having to postpone a birthday gift, for example - but for new parents, it’s a missed chance to capture those all-too-fleeting moments of their new baby.
Here I share some tips on how to take some special photos of your own while we’re all staying safe at home.
This is super important - as in, avoiding injuring your newborn important.
It might be tempting to try some of the complex poses or setups you see in baby photography, but please avoid this for the safety of your child.
A lot of technical and safety training goes into the posing of these compositions in order to keep your baby safe. The image you see will also have had the safety measures photoshopped out in post-editing, making it look easier than it is.
Instead, stick with a flat surface, such as the floor or a low-level bed, covered in soft blankets. If you are using a higher surface than the floor, try to have someone with you, in case the baby startles and falls. Keep your background clear and tidy.
Newborn photographers have an array of props, wraps, accessories - you name it! When taking your own images, there’s no need to invest in any of this.
Keep your colours clean - white is always amazing - and keep your baby naked (put a puppy pad underneath), or in their nappy, or even wrap them neatly in a swaddle, but make sure you don't cover their chin - you want to be able to see their whole face. If the swaddle looks messy, spend time tucking in all the edges once you have them laid down. You can also pop on a headband, or include a snuggle toy, maybe even some artificial flowers if you have any, but the main focus is your little one.
Visualise in your head what you’re going to do and have everything prepared for a time when your baby is well fed and sleepy.
Either will work, in all honesty, as it’s the lighting that will be the most important aspect of your images (after your baby, of course!).
Choose a time or location that has enough light that you don’t need a flash - in fact, make sure you turn your flash off first, as it won't be flattering for your baby.
A ceiling light would be fine, as long as you’re not casting shadows into your image, but ideally you want some daylight. Just avoid the peak sunlight hours, when the light may be too harsh and give you dark, unflattering shadows.
Feel free to use a Portrait setting on your camera, but personally, I wouldn’t use this functionality on your smartphone. They’re getting better but not quite good enough to get it right every time and you might end up with blurred parts that shouldn't be blurred.
Now you’re ready to get shooting, it’s time to position your baby.
Before you lay them down, tuck pillows or folded towels under the blankets where their head and bum will lie, giving you a little well in the middle to tuck your baby in. This will give them a cute curled up pose, and avoid a floppy head or feet. Feel free to cross their legs and tuck them up - remember how snug they were in the womb for nine months?!
Try first positioning them on their back, then moving them to their side for a slightly different look. If you do this, try to get their hand under their cheek, and tuck their knees up to hide their bits and pieces.
You may have to jiggle the pillows or the baby a bit to make sure the light is hitting the top of their face first, coming down their nose. You know you’re getting this right when you don't have angry shadows under the eyes and they don't look like you’ve shone a touch under their chin.
Now start taking pictures - I recommend taking plenty by starting shooting from the top of the head and slowly moving down, looking for the perfect angle. You want to make sure their face and features are the main focus, unless your capturing those tiny toes. Capture a mix of profile images, full body and close ups of their feet and button nose. Avoid taking images where you can see nostrils and don't block your light.
If you’re taking shots with siblings or family members, try to take your time and check you’re not accidentally cutting someone off. Having someone behind you to entertain a young sibling will allow you to focus on framing your photo. And remember that shooting slightly downwards (never up the nose!) is a little more flattering.
If you're taking a snap with multiple people, make sure they're close together and there's a connection - avoid big gaps between them.
If you’re a bit more technical, you can edit your images in online or mobile apps, for a more finished look. My favourite is an app called Snapseed - have a play around and see how you get on, but avoid overediting - you dont want your baby to look unrealistic.
This is a bit of a minefield as it takes a lot of training and experience to get the look right, so avoid it if you're not tech savvy. It’s likely not necessary for captures you’ve taken, but the option is there if you like. Just remember to keep things simple, clean and soft.
If you get stuck, feel free to ask us for advice!
I hope these tips give you the confidence to capture those precious newborn moments. And remember, it's never too late to capture them professionally, whether that be at 6 weeks, a Sitter shoot at around 6 months, or even wait until their birthday and let's make up for the missed opportunity! Just get in touch to discuss what you'd like.