Newborn photography tips to try at home
Just had your baby and want to have newborn photography done? No worries! Try these at-home newborn photography tips, and you can even use your iPhone for stunning captures.
FOR BEGINNING PHOTOGRAPHERS
Photography Pro Tip 1 – Simple clothing
For your baby, try a white onesie, white diaper, or even naked. For the person holding the baby, wear a solid colored shirt, preferably a neutral tone. You want the emphasis to be on the baby, not the branding or the pattern.
Photography Pro Tip 2 – Clean up the background behind the subject
Clean up all the clutter, furniture, unnecessary plants, toys, and busy patterns in the background.
Photography Pro Tip 3 – Use only indirect window light
There is nothing more beautiful than indirect window light. By this I mean, the sun isn’t shining directly in the window. You want your subject to be side lit (the window is to your side, and to the baby’s side) or front lit (the window is behind you) not back lit (the window is behind the baby, or in front of you).
Photography Pro Tip 4 – Timing is everything
Find a good time of day when your baby is happy. In my experience, photography of any child, including my own, is best done in the morning, after a nap and a snack.
FOR ADVANCED PHOTOGRAPHERS
Photography Pro Tip 1 – Create a mini home studio
Buy a 2 or 3 yard piece of black velvet fabric. Wash and dry it. Then set a chair or an ottoman perpendicular to a window (so if you were sitting on the chair or ottoman, the window would be next to your arms). Drape the velvet over the chair and onto the floor where you will place your subject. [Do not place your subject in the chair alone unless you are confident they cannot fall off.] There will be numerous ways you can position your baby safely on the floor do some research to see what resonates with you. Also have your partner hold the baby in their hands, arms over their shoulders etc.
Photography Pro Tip 2 – Use a prop to lift the head and shoulders of the baby up
Take your breastfeeding pillow and put it under your backdrop on the floor. Then place the subject on their stomach, but drape the chest and arms over the pillow. This will lift up their front half a little bit so you can get more of their face. I like breastfeeding pillows because they seem to have the right amount of support and softness.
Photography Pro Tip 3 – Ask for help from siblings
This is an advanced tip because it does require some skill to coordinate siblings safely interacting with babies. I highly recommend you ask your partner to assist with this, so there are two adults working with the children together depending on the age of the children.
Notice the photos below. I am very close to the window in the top photo (white background) and have hung a white sheet over it. In the bottom photo (black background) the window is right behind me. If you have other siblings, this is something to consider trying too. Again, where is the light coming from? Look for the shadows and they will tell you.
Newborn Photography Pro Tip 6 - Get creative.
This image below was my favorite newborn image from my session with my son. Yep. That is me. Please don't try this without having a bunch of people around to spot the newborn. I had a photographer help take the image, and an assistant just off camera ready to catch the baby.
To learn what my studio is doing to protect clients from Covid-19, visit here.
Want to see some tips for what I recommend for photographing your child, visit this link: http://nycjenny.com/2013/04/28/how-to-take-professional-looking-photos-of-your-child-tips-from-photographer-jennifer-loomis/#sthash.I1mkp9PM.dpbs
And if you're interested in reading more about capturing the special moments your baby has, here is another valuable resource on newborn photography to read.