Newborn photography is definitely not an easy feat. It comes with many surprises, especially when you are working with an unpredictable little one who needs a lot of breaks and might even sleep off or pee on you at any moment. If you have just begun your journey into posed newborn baby photography then it might seem to be pretty overwhelming.
In this piece of writing, you will get a comprehensive idea of how to make an episode of newborn photography simple and successful.
What are the best newborn photography tips to follow?
Find the right angle
It is one of the biggest challenges that you can come across while doing baby photography. You might often struggle to find a good angle to shoot a little one. Here, you need to follow some tricks to avoid doing any physical harm to the baby while you find for the right angle.
The first one could be getting down low on their level. A yet another way to improve the angles is getting intimated with the baby either physically or using the widest focal length. This will make the photographs look like you’ve entered the babies world rather than looking down on it from above.
Opt for Macro
Newborn photography is all about emphasizing on the cute and small body parts of babies which could be some wonderful subject matter for a photographer. So, switch on the macro mode of your camera or use a purpose built macro lens. All that you need to do is isolate each and every single body part of the baby and make use of that as the complete focus of your shot.
Keep the camera close
When it comes to newborn photography, you need to be cautious every moment. Of course, babies are predictable in terms of his/her daily routine but there are some moments all day long that a kid does something cute, funny, or appealing which are worth capturing.
If your camera is not handy then chances are that you might miss such moments as they could be seen usually fleeting. Hence, when you are up for newborn baby photography, never leave your camera anywhere, during the breaks too!
Shoot constantly
Babies keep on changing, especially during the first a few months. It’s a completely exponential process and worth watching. But, if you are not always keeping an eye on them then you might miss all such cute things. So, keep on shooting since the baby is born and make sure that all the special moments are rightly captured.
Use airbrush frequently
Most of the baby photographs that you see are all very smooth and perfect. But, the reality is something else and most of the babies are not so perfect all the time. There would be some little scratches, sleep in eyes, marks and blotchiness. In such a scenario, it is recommended to convert your shots of Xavier into Black and White.
You might also like experimenting with de-saturing the colours in your shots to s pretty lesser extent than simply going black and white.
Go for the correct pose
When it comes to newborn baby photography then pose of the baby matters a lot. When you pose the little one correctly then it’s pretty easier to light him/her perfectly. You need to create a curve in the image or a C-shape. People love to see curves when it comes to baby photography. Our eyes always get enticed to follow the curves in an image and ultimately we explore the whole photo with all the details in harmony.
How should be the perfect lighting setup for baby photography?
When it comes to the studio light step while you do newborn baby photography then it is essential to keep some crucial technicalities in mind. They are mentioned below:
Light
You must use a Bowens flash set with multiple power settings. Your flash needs to be organized on low power so that it becomes easy for you to shoot at a wide open aperture without blowing out your images and turning them completely white. Further, if you want to fire the flash then you can use a Bowen’s trigger which can go well on your camera’s ‘hot shoe’.
Light Modifier :
The large 86’’ PLM system is one of the best light modifier available in the market now. It can be a huge help to you. It is actually a massive umbrella which comes with a white fabric diffuser present over it to soften the light. Moreover, get one which has soft silver bounce interior and black exterior.
It can help you shoot perfectly without any reflection. It is essential to buy a large light modifier because the lighting on your object becomes softer with the increase in the light beam’s size. And when it comes to baby photography, it is the softer, the better!
Camera
The perfect one for newborn baby photography is Nikon D750.
Lens
When it comes to the lens then Sigma art 50 mm 1.4 is one of the best options to opt for. This lens can open wide and help you get that creamy background look.
Camera Settings
When it comes to newborn baby photography, you need to follow some simple rules while considering the camera settings:
- Keep the aperture to be f/2.2
- Shutter speed should be 125, which proves to be the correct sync speed for flash.
- The ISO should be very low > 100.
What to do if the light is very powerful?
If the light is too bright and you want to get a blurred backdrop with a creamy smooth look then following the best solutions:
- Opt for diffusion fabrics. If you intend to use a PLM system then purchase more than one diffusion fabric.
- Go for a neutral density filter for your lens.
- You can also buy a neutral density filter to put on your light. But, make sure that you are not using your modelling light when it comes to the ND light. If it is so, you will burn the filter.
Don’t forget to keep the aforementioned facts in your mind. And you will definitely end up making you every baby photo shoot a perfect one.
