Though professional photography guarantees you incredible pictures to add to your album, it may not always be a good idea. There are various concerns that parents can have regarding health, finances, complicated work schedules, and other reasons such as COVID. With all this in mind, capturing your babies’ early moments is essential for you and them.
Yes, the first few days of giving birth are daunting for new and repeat moms. They are learning how to deal with a new bundle of joy and healing at the same time. However, you need to capture these moments. Some hire photographers. But, if you plan to do it yourself, you can read on for a few helpful tips.
Do the Photoshoot Within the First Two weeks
Now that you have decided to do the photo shoot, you need to pick the right time. Now, if you are going for the classic new baby with wrinkly skin, you need to take the photos within the first two weeks. If you are up to the task, you can take pictures while still at the hospital waiting to go home. You can capture a few good photos of a napping baby right at the hospital.
Additionally, it is easy to take photos of a newborn during these two weeks are they are mostly asleep and less active. If you wait a bit longer, the babies become more alert which can lead to fussiness during the shoot. However, you can choose to wait and do the Photoshoot when the baby is a few months old if you are going for more eye contact.
Safety Matters
Apart from determining when the Photoshoot will happen, you need to keep the baby safe. Professional photographers often use Photoshoot to put the baby in a certain pose. When getting ideas from such photos, you need to keep the baby’s safety in mind. Avoid high-up props that involve props such as a basket, baby bed, or others without a spotter. In that list, add things that can tip over or break.
Lighting Is Crucial
In photography, lighting is everything: It can be a make or break. Also, you do not need to get studio equipment to achieve this. You can position the baby in front of a large window to make use of the natural light.
Rule of the thumb: Ensure that light flows from your baby’s head down the rest of their body to have nice soft shadows. You can check your baby’s nose to see the shadows. You need to take photos during the day when making use of the window’s light.
Depending on the weather, the time of the day, and the room, the lighting will keep changing. You may need to try out several rooms to get the best location. Take several pictures of each room during different times and compare them to see which one has the best lighting.
Avoid overhead lighting as it gives off weird colors in pictures. You also need to turn off the camera’s flash.
Be Patient
When photographing your newborn, you have all the time in the world. Professional photographers give clients only a few hours. However, as a parent, you can take several days or weeks to plan and capture the best photos.
Besides, you’ve just had a baby, and you also need the rest. Do not try to do everything within one day. You will become frustrated, exhausted, or even angry, and this does not have a good outcome on your pictures.
You can break the shoot into one or two daily setups as you pace yourself. One benefit of slowing down is the reduced stress and ability to capture the tiny changes that happen daily as the baby grows. Pacing yourself gives you a variety of photos to add to your album.
Simplify the Outfit and Declutter the Location
Have you seen those adorable baby pictures with solid colors and simple wraps? This look should be your aim: Newborns need small tees, neutral blankets, or warps. At this stage, wearing a cute baby outfit can overshadow the baby.
Apart from the chosen outfit, the location needs to be well set. You need to avoid laundry piles, overflowing bookshelves, or messy work desks—these details steal attention from the pictures. Tidy up the location before starting the Photoshoot.
Keep the Baby Comfortable and Happy
A happy baby equals a successful photo shoot. One thing you need to do is ensure your shooting location is really warm. You can use a heater to heat the bedroom or the location of the Photoshoot. Alternatively, you can crank up the thermostat. It is important to keep this in mind, especially for children born during the winter. You can play nice soothing music during the shoot.
Another important tip: keep the baby’s belly full. They become less fussy and cooperative during the shoot.
Document the Tiny Details
Every baby is unique. Use the Photoshoot to show this. You need to capture tiny details such as knee dimples, tiny fingers and toes, upturned nose, wrinkled forehead, and many more. If there’s something, your newborn does that you want to remember, capture it.
Switch Up the Angles
You need photographs of different angles. You can take a photo when standing above the baby, at their eye level. You can also move around the room as you capture these shots. It allows you to see the different shadows cast from all angles. Switching up angles also lets you know the angle that has the best pictures.
Choose a Sleeping Baby
Newborns are always sleeping. Take advantage of those moments and capture good photographs. Often, photos take when newborns are awake can be blurry, cross-eyed, or crying.
Add Siblings to the Photoshoot
You need to incorporate siblings into the photographs naturally. If you are doing so, always, start with the siblings’ shot. It allows them to take a break and night.
Get in The Picture
Almost all moms are guilty of taking pictures of their children and forgetting to join in. Though you are capturing moments of your baby, you need to remember to snuggle in close and get your partner to take the photos. Kids want to see their mom in their pictures when they grow up.
The Takeaway
Whatever you do, babies will always appear adorable in photos. Most parents are always taking pictures of their children. It is fun to experiment with the camera and lighting, which allows you to capture the tiny little features of your newborn.
Remember, if you choose to document these early days:
- Start the Photoshoot early to document the cute wrinkly skin. You can also do it later if you want to capture your baby’s personality.
- Keep the baby safe by using a spotter when doing difficult poses or avoid them altogether.
- Pace yourself as you can do the Photoshoot in several weeks.
- The baby should be well-fed and in a warm room.
- For good photos, try and keep trying.