Newborn Photography is a part of portrait photography. The only speciality of this segment is that the subjects are generally less than two weeks of age. Newborn portraiture aims to capture beautiful moments of the newborn before the child grows up.
There are many places in India where you can get newborn Photography done for your newly born child to capture the best moments. Newborn Photography in Mumbai, Kolkata, baby photography in Thane, and many other cities have many studios for Newborn Photography. You can also call the photographer home with all the required equipment.
What is Newborn Photography?
Newborn Photography is a genre of Photography whose main focus is to capture photos of newborn babies. Newborn Photography is different from other genres of photography because, in newborn Photography, safety is the key. In This area of Photography, the photographer needs to have the subjects’ well-being as his topmost priority.
The great thing about this genre of photography is that the photographer will get the parents of the newborn to guide or assist him like, posing with the baby or holding the baby. They can also make the baby laugh or put the baby back to sleep as per the requirement of the picture.
However, the photographer needs to invest in certain equipment to let the process finish off smoothly.
This article will guide you with all the tips and ideas to create the best work possible. And I am keeping the parents of the newborn happy.
When should newborn photos be taken?
If you wish to capture your newborn in curly, adorable poses, the right time to take newborn photographs is five to twelve days after the baby is born. If you want to capture the beautiful, sleepy, curly moments of your baby, then do not consider waiting over two weeks for the newborn photography session. So to avoid any delay, you can contact your photographer before the baby is born. So typically, the best way to set your date is to schedule the photo session one week after your expected due date. The date will fluctuate as the baby will arrive when the baby wants. However, you need to do your best to have the cutest curled up photos of your baby because the baby won’t be the same for the longest time. If you are working with a popular photographer, try to book the date two-three months in advance.
Avoid taking photos five days after the baby is born because the baby will still be adjusting to the feeding times. The photo session will go smoothening when your baby has a consistent feeding schedule. The sleepier the baby is, it will be easier to adjust their positions during the photo session.
The newborn photography session can also be possible after two weeks of the baby’s birth, but you have to go for new concepts because the baby won’t call up naturally after two weeks of birth. If you decide to have a newborn photo session of the baby after two weeks of birth, go for concepts in which the baby boy or the girls has their clothes on and are wide awake. After two weeks of the baby being born, their arms and legs tend to stretch. Thus it would be difficult for them to curl up naturally. But there’s no reason to be discouraged if two weeks have passed and you decide to schedule a session. You can hold the baby in your arms and have a warm and intimate photo of your newborn in these pictures.
What kind of lighting should be used in Newborn Photography?
A newborn photographer is trusted not only with the client’s baby, but also it is the photographer’s responsibility to capture the most precious moments of the newborn beautifully.
Natural light is considered the best for most photography genres, but one can never entirely depend on the weather.
A softbox is an essential piece of equipment in newborn Photography, and it is also the best replacement for natural light. Implementing softboxes will make the lights easier to use, give more clarity to the images and, of course, it will keep the newborn baby safe from the flash. Softboxes are fun to experiment with and easy to use.
Instead of softboxes, umbrellas can also be used, but softboxes will give the photographer more control over the direction of the artificial light. A good photographer will carry both the umbrella and the softbox for more versatility in the photos.
Lighting Tips For Newborn Photography:
One of the biggest things that the photographer needs to ensure while doing newborn Photography is safe lighting. The newborn has extremely sensitive eyes. Thus, they cannot be exposed to harsh lights until they are old enough.
So if the photographer is using flash, he needs to ensure that he uses an external flash. In that case, the photographer has to let the light bounce from the ceiling, and the power has to be low so that it doesn’t blind the sleeping baby or wake them up.
Ambient light is the best for newborn photography sessions. It is soft, natural that mimics sunlight from a window nearby. The constant white studio light can also be used; they won’t make the skin of the newborn look red or warm.
The photographer can also make use of shadows by correctly positioning them. The use of shadows will add more interest to the images and, most of the time shows form an important part of the image just like the lighting used. Shadows can also help in giving more depth and dimension to the photos; they will direct the focus to the main subject of the photo as eyes automatically attract to the lighter portion of the image.
In addition to this, while using the studio lights, the photographer should take care that the light comes from where the newborn’s head is placed. The face has to be illuminated and then down the newborn’s body. Setting the light this way will help in detracting any unnecessary shadowing from the photographs.
The best way of controlling the light is using a softbox. A softbox confines the light used by the photographer in a closed chamber and then releases the light through a layer of diffusion material. Thus, the light that passes through gives an even & soft result. The softbox should be placed close to the newborn to make the light look much softer.
Props and accessories
It is not an absolute necessity to have all the props and accessories required for setting up a newborn photography business. You might think that you have to begin with all the crucial objects that help take baby pictures, but if you are a beginner, it is ideal for you to start with small and available props. Moreover, you might have all these accessories and objects in your surroundings. The only thing that is important here is how much you put your creativity into the photoshoot. This will help you save a lot of time and money, which you can put into your business. For example, you could use a white tablecloth or bed sheets to set in the background while taking baby pictures.
- Heating pads
Babies are always calm and peaceful when they are kept under warm temperatures. This is why putting heating pads under their towels and clothes can be a good accessory to add to your photoshoot. Moreover, this saves a lot of time and money as you don’t have to heat the whole studio in the parent’s house, which can become a little expensive.
- Draft-stoppers
The main motive in newborn Photography is to make the baby feel comfortable and safe within the space. This ultimately shows that any kind of stuffed and safe place is necessary to get the right posture. The tube is made out of stuffed material which prevents drafts from passing through doors.
- Buckets and baskets
Babies look softer and cuter within closed spaces. Especially when kept in a basket or tin bucket, the theme seems to become a lot more soft and peaceful. It is almost like you can highlight the sensitivity that babies have within themselves. By this, you don’t have to bring too many objects and accessories to the studio.
- Scarves
As depicted earlier, it is very vital to keep newborn babies on smooth and soft surfaces. Clothing pieces like scarves and mufflers can be a great accessory to add in while doing a newborn photoshoot. Using this kind of material can add more softness to the place where the baby will be kept.
Tips For Conducting A Newborn Photoshoot
As tough and intimidating as it sounds, what newborn Photography needs is practice and good workflow. Let us go through a few tips that will help you conduct a sweet newborn photoshoot.
- Safety
The first and foremost thing you need while conducting the photoshoot is a safe environment for a baby. Avoid keeping sharp and pointed objects anywhere near all within the studio. If the photoshoot takes place at the parent’s house, ask them to disperse all the utensils and objects that are not baby-friendly.
Take proper precautions and hurt the baby in any way. Remember that newborn photography props are supposed to be gentle and baby-friendly. If you are unsure about some posters, do not try them as the subject here is very sensitive.
Try postures and poses that a baby can hold by themselves and do not require too many setups.
Learn more about this from this video:
- Newborns are not always new
After two or three weeks, babies are more responsive and do not remain in one place. A newborn photoshoot is often conducted when the babies are smaller than two weeks, as they remain calm and sleepy most of the time during this period. Babies older than two to three weeks will probably move around if you keep them on a bucket, ultimately making it hard for you to take a picture. Although, it is not a compulsion to take pictures before two or three weeks. The only thing is that it increases your workload more as you have to put a lot more effort into conducting the photo shoot while the baby is older than two or three weeks.
- Subtle environment
Babies are very sensitive to too many adjustments. You want the baby to keep dozing off while the lights and cameras are adjusted, and the props are set up. You have to create an environment that helps the baby to remain peaceful and sleepy. For example, heat the studio a little bit just before beginning the photo shoot so that the baby can remain warm and fuzzy. Apart from that, don’t make the studio too silent as subtle noise helps the baby to remain peaceful.
- Sleepy babies
Newborn babies always come and are sleepy. Capturing them while they are sleeping will help you get more consistent shots. However, it might take a little bit of hard work to get them to sleep. While awake, babies can’t move about in their positions, which might make it harder to get the right kind of picture. You could probably get many photographs while the babies are awake, but you have to be careful that they do not wriggle out of their swaddles.
- Natural light
Try to avoid studio lights as much as possible as it can be too harsh for the baby to adjust. Moreover, you don’t necessarily have to get studio lights to show your professionalism. A good photographer will always put their subject’s safety first.
This was all in this passage about newborn Photography and how it works. Hopefully, this will help you while getting started with your photography career.