Photographer Anne Geddes
revolutionized newborn photography by dressing babies as beautiful
sunflowers, fairy-tale creatures and darling zoo animals. While these
images have inspired countless newborn photographers over the years,
PhotographerCentral Pro Hari Simons has some different and heartwarming
approaches to capturing special moments with your little bundle of
joy.
revolutionized newborn photography by dressing babies as beautiful
sunflowers, fairy-tale creatures and darling zoo animals. While these
images have inspired countless newborn photographers over the years,
PhotographerCentral Pro Hari Simons has some different and heartwarming
approaches to capturing special moments with your little bundle of
joy.
Safety First
Being safety-conscious with
newborns is pretty obvious, but always worth emphasizing. After all,
we are dealing with the tiniest people, so safety must be the first
priority?regardless of the techniques that are involved. Never put
a newborn in an uncomfortable or potentially unsafe position, keep
someone close at all times, and keep in mind that not all babies can
do all poses?never force a pose that the newborn seems to resist.
newborns is pretty obvious, but always worth emphasizing. After all,
we are dealing with the tiniest people, so safety must be the first
priority?regardless of the techniques that are involved. Never put
a newborn in an uncomfortable or potentially unsafe position, keep
someone close at all times, and keep in mind that not all babies can
do all poses?never force a pose that the newborn seems to resist.
This is the main reason it’s
important to find a professional. If they photograph newborns for a
living, they will know all the tips and tricks to achieve wonderful
photos without endangering your little one. Visiting
www.photographercentral.com
is an easy way to find a local professional in your area.
important to find a professional. If they photograph newborns for a
living, they will know all the tips and tricks to achieve wonderful
photos without endangering your little one. Visiting
www.photographercentral.com
is an easy way to find a local professional in your area.
Studio Shoot?the Basics
Lights! Camera! Action? More like
warm temps, smooth textures, and soft lights. Newborns like to stay
warm and cozy, so the studio will ideally have the temperature
between 85 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit and/or have localized heaters
for extra warmth.
warm temps, smooth textures, and soft lights. Newborns like to stay
warm and cozy, so the studio will ideally have the temperature
between 85 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit and/or have localized heaters
for extra warmth.
It’s pretty loud in the womb,
so newborns find comfort in white noise. It might be beneficial to
find an app on your phone that can create white noise to soothe your
child during the shoot.
so newborns find comfort in white noise. It might be beneficial to
find an app on your phone that can create white noise to soothe your
child during the shoot.
It’s best to have a backdrop,
blankets, and a baby basket at the ready. The photographer will most
likely have a few of each available so that switching between them is
smooth and easy. I like to stack up all my blankets so the first one
can simply be removed after a pose and the next one is ready to go.
For diaper-free poses, it’s a good idea to keep a waterproof pad
under the first blanket in case the baby does? well? what babies
tend to do.
blankets, and a baby basket at the ready. The photographer will most
likely have a few of each available so that switching between them is
smooth and easy. I like to stack up all my blankets so the first one
can simply be removed after a pose and the next one is ready to go.
For diaper-free poses, it’s a good idea to keep a waterproof pad
under the first blanket in case the baby does? well? what babies
tend to do.
Many newborn shots are actually a
composite of two images. The initial shots may have the spotter’s
hand propping the baby up in different places, but the hand will be
removed from the final images. This goes back to the first point of
safety. In order to achieve those adorable poses without endangering
your baby, oftentimes cloning or compositing is required.
composite of two images. The initial shots may have the spotter’s
hand propping the baby up in different places, but the hand will be
removed from the final images. This goes back to the first point of
safety. In order to achieve those adorable poses without endangering
your baby, oftentimes cloning or compositing is required.
Time Sequence
Having a photographic record of
your baby growing is something that you?ll treasure forever.
Shooting a similar photo at a regular interval can give you an
adorable documentation of your child’s development. Here are some
simple ideas to help make a sequence consistent:
your baby growing is something that you?ll treasure forever.
Shooting a similar photo at a regular interval can give you an
adorable documentation of your child’s development. Here are some
simple ideas to help make a sequence consistent:
-
Have
a common toy in each photo as a point of reference to compare size -
Bring
in a chalkboard to write their age and get creative with different
ways of writing their age to visually change it up each month -
As
your child grows, include a different item from each milestone. This
could be something that shows off the fact that your baby started
crawling or said their first word. It could also simply be the
representation of their interest this month
There are many different ways of
doing this?from daily photos to a shot of each different growing
stage.
doing this?from daily photos to a shot of each different growing
stage.
Themes and Characters
Don?t think for a minute that
costumes are just for Halloween. Photos of your baby as beloved
storybook characters will make fun and creative keepsakes. There are
many detailed costumes and iconic accessories out there, or you can
use a collection of references to the story. Just make sure there are
enough hints in the photo for a viewer to get the character
reference. For example, a Harry Potter shoot could have the signature
big round black glasses, a red and gold scarf, a wand, and possibly
some leather-bound books.
costumes are just for Halloween. Photos of your baby as beloved
storybook characters will make fun and creative keepsakes. There are
many detailed costumes and iconic accessories out there, or you can
use a collection of references to the story. Just make sure there are
enough hints in the photo for a viewer to get the character
reference. For example, a Harry Potter shoot could have the signature
big round black glasses, a red and gold scarf, a wand, and possibly
some leather-bound books.
Emotion Collage
With expressive children (even on
the slightly older side), you can collect images of the child in the
same spot with a variety of expressions. This can take a bit of
patience, but you can then create a nine-image grid with photos that
correspond with a particular emotion, i.e., happy, sad, angry,
excited, tired, fussy, etc. Choosing a representative font and adding
the name of the emotion over the image makes for a fun keepsake of
your child’s many moods.
the slightly older side), you can collect images of the child in the
same spot with a variety of expressions. This can take a bit of
patience, but you can then create a nine-image grid with photos that
correspond with a particular emotion, i.e., happy, sad, angry,
excited, tired, fussy, etc. Choosing a representative font and adding
the name of the emotion over the image makes for a fun keepsake of
your child’s many moods.
Just like anything with these
tiny little bundles of happiness, patience is a virtue. So remember
to take your time, be creative, and have fun! With some planning,
these images will be cherished mementos for the rest of your life.
tiny little bundles of happiness, patience is a virtue. So remember
to take your time, be creative, and have fun! With some planning,
these images will be cherished mementos for the rest of your life.
