FOR NEW LOCKDOWN PARENTS: 6 TIPS TO HELP CAPTURE BETTER PHOTOS OF YOUR NEWBORN BABY AT HOME
Capturing those precious moments of your baby through their first days and weeks will create lasting family memories for generations; and I love nothing more than posing a brand new baby and photographing them in my studio, for you. But, in these lock down days, I know how important it is to have photos, regardless of how or where they are taken. And more often than not, we only have the camera on our phones handy during these beautiful, first days, so I hope that these top tips will help you make the most of the photos you can take during the lockdown.
For more tips, help and Q&A join me on one of my free ‘Capturing photos of your newborn baby at home” Zoom classes during the COVID-19 lockdown. The number of participants in each class is limited so that I can answer specific questions and give you personalised guidance. I’ll even be looking at your rooms and windows to suggest where to stand in your home and how to use the light available to you. I’ll also be taking pictures of you in your homes, during the call to show you how to position yourselves and baby in your home, to act as a guide for your own photographs.
Any questions? As ever just comment below.
Stay safe.
Sara
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1. Keep it warm.
Babies like to be warm, particularly if undressed or lightly dressed (recommended for photos). Around 25 deg. C is perfect for when taking photos, so it is warm enough for you to keep baby’s feet and hands uncovered.
2. Light is everything.
The direction that light comes from, in your photos is the single biggest factor in creating a flattering, beautiful portrait. If your baby is lying down on a bed or sofa, make sure that the main light (usually the biggest window in the room) is coming from the same side as the top of baby’s head.
If baby is upright, for example in your arms, make sure that the main light is coming from the side or diagonally down. Make sure light never coming from below the chin.
3. Shoot in the morning.
The light is better and babies are usually their calmest. Early evening light is also very flattering but newborn babies often go through their ‘witching hour’ around this time. Avoid mid-day sun - it is very unflattering. On a cloudy day, or with a north facing window, you could shoot during the day more easily.
4. Capture simple poses that don’t require training.
Please do not attempt to pose your baby in the positions you may have seen in my or other photographers' professional portraits online. Newborn photographers undergo extensive training to learn how to safely position your baby into these poses. Many of the photographs you see will be heavily photoshopped to remove supporting hands / fingers and may be composites or two or more frames into one photo. There are enough simple and easy positions you can put your baby in, safely, please stick to the simple poses.
Check this blog out for 7 simple photos to capture.
If you’d like more help and tips on exactly how to achieve these, and more poses with your newborn, join me on one of my upcoming Zoom training sessions.
5. Never shoot “up the nose.”
Make sure you and your camera are positioned level with baby’s nose or above, so that you cannot see up baby’s nostrils when you look at the photo.
6. Now you’ve got the images. What next?
Share your images. You can also create beautiful video slideshows through various apps. Upload them to social media for loved ones around the world to see and feel connected to your growing family.
Backup your photos for safe storage, in at least two places, one being a cloud service. Because, how many of us know where our USB drives, DVDs and folders of holiday snaps and wedding photos are now? How many phone photos have we lost in various phone upgrades?
Finally remember to print your photos so you have them forever.
Want to learn more?
Join one of my free Zoom calls for many more tips on how to get the best light, including how to use your phone’s flashlight (not as a flash for your camera app); what to dress your baby in & what to wear yourself; how to settle your baby if he/she is unsettled whilst capturing photos; plus many more photographs and poses you can capture with your baby on their back, in your arms, and with siblings; plus more details on how to easily recreate the poses listed here.
Because of the personalised nature of the classes, there will be a limited number of participants in each class. Click here to book a Zoom class. The online classes are free to join, but only available on a first come first served basis until they are full. I would strongly advise you to book as early as possible, especially if you’ve already had your baby and certainly within two weeks of birth if you are yet to have your baby. Currently there are 5 classes planned between Monday 13th and Thursday 7th May. More classes may be added depending on demand and how long the lockdown continues for. If you have any special requests you would like me to cover, just ask.