Pro tips for photographing newborns and babies

Photographing newborns and babies is not a child’s play really, once you have been with them you know it can be a challenge to handle their unpredictable mood and urge to do what they want to do. So you have a model who will not necessarily listen at what you want them to do. Unless you know your way around little ones, it’s tough to get the right shot with ease. So patience and calm handling of the entire shoot goes a long way into getting good results while photographing babies/newborns. Let’s explore what it takes to get some really good photographs of those lovely cute little ones.

1. Being ready with the gear:

The perfect baby moments are not going to wait for you to get your gear in place, so plan your shoot and get the gear in place before hand. Ensure you are carrying all you need for the shoot. If it helps, make a comprehensive checklist. Fast lenses like f/1.8 or lower, portrait lenses around 35–55mm work well. If your shoot involves showing body parts like little feet and hands, you may want to carry a macro. They are especially helpful in baby care products photography. Mini mono or tripods are also helpful to get the level of camera down to the ones where babies live! Light diffusers, softboxes and reflectors are obvious choices as harsh lights are often undesirable. Ofcourse for this event I personally count some toys, rattles etc as “gear”. Be ready to part with them as the baby may decide to keep it for good! :-)

2. Take the studio to them:

Often it’s a good idea to take the studio to the baby rather than try to make the baby comfortable where you are. you can adjust but the little ones may not be willing. Their home or nursery is already familiar to them and will help in getting the natural interaction out. A new place will often be unpredictable and not always comforting depending upon what personality the little one is. So consult the parents on this.

3. Readying the baby, or being ready for them:

Beforehand, discuss and schedule the appointment smartly. Events like vaccinations, teething, motion problem days, less sleep days etc are best avoided. The baby has to be in good health and mood in order to be ready for a good shoot. You have to be ready with your own innovative ideas to cheer them and lead them into the desirable mood. If you are not the one who can do the face making, funny dancing, jumping and becoming a horse, get assistance!

4. Backgrounds:

Simple backgrounds work best in most cases, greys, beige, brown, gradients etc work well. backlight elements like privacy curtains on bright windows work wonders for that glow like an angel effect. Often, backgrounds that make a kid cheerful like funny scene drops, florals, kiddish props etc can be used to stir up the environment (depending upon your project). But be aware that they need to be placed well in advance so that the child get accustomed to them. Newly placed unfamiliar articles will divert all their attention. It really depends on their personality. Some would not care much while others will just be drawn to new things like a magnet.

5. Lighting and shadows

Using Aperture mode works most of the times with light metered set on to the baby’s face. The regular portrait mode works well with toddlers as well. Learn to use a lot of sunlight as it is the best light source to bring out the beautiful skin tones and glow. Using an open space near a large window works well in most cases. Having a fast lens is also desirable. Any artificial light should also be well softened out. You could use shadows for Black and white effects as well as soft shadows for putting some drama in the scene.

6. Getting them in the mood:

Getting back to action, it’s important to jump in with the little ones and enjoy their routine. Making faces, hiding behind curtains, making a chase, dragging a pull along toy and other sweet little things make a baby go along with you. Having someone do it for you is a great idea so you are left alone to shoot, but being a part of it (at least partially) helps in getting the baby comfortable. This way they are not conscious of your presence and you can catch them in natural action. Involving them with their favourite activity and people is the key to some really good natural looking photography.

7. Post processing

As human beings, it’s very well understood that the little one might have some minor imperfections, a runny nose at times, chapped skin etc. You may want to post process and touch up any undesirable areas to make the photo meet specific client requirements. So use what you must to get it up to the required touch up level.

8. A word of caution

Safety is of prime importance so be aware of whatever you are using near new borns and babies. Harsh and direct lights including flashes are a NO! flashes can damage an infants eyes and this is one reason phone flashes are often a “watch out” area for new parents. Apart from that, your props, toys and other things should be safe for the baby. For example, a prop should not be heavy and have the tendency to tip over at the same time. Most shots that look potentially unsafe can be done with photoshop compositing. Also watch out for possible actions and object like sharp edges that can land a little on in trouble. That is the reason you will need to work closely with parents while observing caution yourself.

Those were my personal 8 tips for photographing babies or newborns. So go on, make those baby soft shots!

Photo credits: Viorel Dudau, Mary Katherine Wynn, Lisa Mckown, Sebastian Czapnik.