So I had several people ask me how I get newborn shots in. I figured I would write a blog for all the tips I have found helpful!
Props:
current styles have babies being photographed in baskets, decorative plates, vases ect.
Many of these items can be found at walmart or target... just a few examples. Not every client is going to have the perfect wood floor beige floor background that you see in so many newborn pictures. For this reason I purchase different fabrics from fabric stores. Be sure to buy enough of the fabric to cover your back ground area.
Examples:
Dark brown leather fabric
Pink girlie paisley fabrics for girls
cheese cloth
lace
A queen size white sheet
A queen size black sheet
The materials that work best for laying a baby on inclusd thick light colored blankets (white, cream, off white) The fuzzier the better! babies love soft fluffy things to lay on naked.. they tend to work with me on fabrics pleasing to the touch vs netting and harsh fabrics that scratch.
Tricks of the trade:
Many people wonder how to get the shot of just the parents hands holding the baby. There are many different ways to do this.. this is how I do it. I use a queen size sheet, drape it over the parent, place the sleeping baby on mom or dad. When the baby is settled I place the parents hands where I need them. The below picture this pre-edit. The baby is laying in mom's lap; where she was most comfortable!
This is the edited version. I opened the photo in lightroom 3. I selected a black and white preset. I then used the brightness brush and turned the setting to zero and darkened the sheet around baby Kenley. This didnt flatten the wrinkles of the sheet completely so I hit new and continued this cycle until the photos background was black.
this also works with the white sheet. However you increase the brightness to the highest setting!
I tell all my moms if a bath makes your baby sleepy do it! If feeding them on the spot makes them sleepy do it! Schedule your sessions around the babies sleeping schedule. The harder they sleep the more you can do with them!
Sometimes All the attention is just over stimulating for the new baby.. when all else fails... I always bring a blow dryer! The hum of the drier calms the baby and the soothing heat also relaxes them!
I prefer to use my 50mm lens.. its my fav!