Newborn photography, from birth to 1 month, is a very special practice in child photography. At first glance, it may seem very simple since this little piece does not move or very little and it does not leak, does not balk at the sight of your camera. But before taking a picture you need to check or review your equipment like ‘You Review It: Surveys & Product Reviews’. Photographing these first moments in our world is a huge privilege. You will be able to capture the wonder of the parents, his very first movements, his very first facial expressions which are all the salt of the first days of his life.
Security as the only security!
A newborn baby is fragile, very fragile and no matter what photo you want to take, it should never be taken without the complete safety of the child. I insist on this point because we have all seen photos of the very talented Anne Geddes where other photographers featuring newborns with their heads resting on a balloon, in a hanging basket, in large boots. Some are photomontages and others are made in the studio in a perfectly controlled environment to ensure the safety of the child.
Get to know him
It is important to know at what time of the day he is the calmest, the most peaceful.
Usually, morning is the best time for this photoshoot.
The right positions
Of course, just like safety, the comfort of the newborn must be one of your priorities. He spends almost all of his time lying on his back. It is therefore this position that will offer the most comfort and the most naturalness to your images. You just have to turn around it to vary the framing, the points of view. You can position yourself above him to have his gaze, but also to the side to capture his profile.
Simplicity
You have undoubtedly already noticed it in the photos in this article. I never use accessories other than those of his daily life (blanket, pacifier, bottle…) to take pictures of newborns. I like the simplicity. I like to highlight his personality, his daily environment. And, if you’ve been following me from the start on my blog, you will know that I’m a fan of natural enhancement. And, to place a baby in the middle of a huge flower arrangement, is undoubtedly beautiful. But it is at the antipodes of this natural and authentic side that I seek in my images. Once again, the main subject is the baby and not this floral arrangement which must have taken hours to complete.
Calm, Observation, Listening, and Patience
These are the 4 behaviors to adopt absolutely when taking pictures of children and more particularly pictures of newborns. He doesn’t know what’s going on, doesn’t understand what you’re saying let alone what you’re doing. If you want this photo shoot to go well, it needs to happen at ITS PACE and not yours. Above all, don’t say to yourself, “ Okay, I’ve got it for 1:30 to 2:00 and it’s good. ”. You will very quickly become disillusioned. When I do these shoots, I block myself for a big half-day or sometimes a whole day It has happened to me to stay with my clients for 4-5 hours, only taking pictures for 1-2 hours. The child was not very well, he cried a lot and when we managed to calm him down, I only had 10-15min to take some pictures. In this situation, it is essential that you remain relaxed, calm, and listen to the child and the parents.