Things I Brought With Me :
- props to pose baby in (baskets, bean bag, suitcase, etc.)
- fabric
- dried cheese cloth (this helps when swaddling the baby and can be found at grocery stores)
- removable/travel-able flooring
- towels or other fabric to "fill" props
Things You'll Need During the Shoot :
- PATIENCE!
- Creative ideas for different kinds of photos you're looking to capture
- The Mommy or Daddy (or other guardian) of the child to act as the "safety" person during the shoot.
- Poser Person. This can also be safety person's job, if you're short on hands.
- Calming sounds and/or a space heater
- Pacifiers, bottles, blankets for baby
- Water and paper towels for photographer/helpers
- Diapers and wipes
The Photoshoot :
I photographed the entire shoot inside since we were dealing with a newborn. I found a room that had a good amount of sunlight and brought all of my tools and shooting supplies inside. From then, I set up the first scene and asked to have the baby just in his diaper.
After making sure he was asleep, I posed the baby how I wanted him, showing my helpful poser how I wanted him to be. Having an appointed assistant poser is good, because babies tend to move out of the pose you're looking for while you're behind the camera, and it takes much longer to keep coming out from behind the camera to pose yourself again. Make sure to clearly communicate and illustrate the pose you're wanting, and the poser will be more comfortable helping out.
I made sure that my safety person was also there. The safety person is extraordinarily important, because babies can be unpredictable in their movements and this ensures that no one will get hurt during the process.
If the baby starts to fuss (as most babies will), try to use calming sounds to help soothe him/her back to sleep. I downloaded an application onto my phone called "Womb Sounds" that imitates the sounds babies hear while in the womb and found that it works wonders on getting a baby back to sleep. If this doesn't work, try a heater or blanket to keep baby warm. If all else fails, have mommy or daddy pick up baby, and try feeding or changing the diaper. I found all of these helpful in maintaining a happy subject!
From here, I moved to each of my new set-ups, working on what I call "baby time". This means you can't rush a newborn. You have to be patient and go as fast or slow as they're willing. Remaining calm and going with the flow is a must.
If you're using baskets or other hollow-center baby props, try using towels as filler. Towels are soft enough to provide cushion for the baby but firm enough to hold up the weight of a newborn. In the photo below, I swaddled the baby in a fashionable blanket and placed this over the towels, and it worked great.
I am a huge fan of bringing removable or travel-able flooring. I bought flooring (the kind that you would put in your own home) from a home improvement store that can snap together and be taken apart easily. I then pushed this flooring against the client's own wall to create the illusion of a wooden floor, since we were photographing in a carpeted room.
What you can't see in this photo is that I have towels inside the basket to help keep baby above the basket. I also placed my cell phone with the Womb Sounds playing behind the basket to help keep baby asleep. These easy things are hide-able and extremely helpful for the shoot.
Additionally, I am a big fan of using dried cheese cloth during a newborn shoot. This cloth is light but strong enough to help hold a baby in a particular pose. For me, I like to use it for a fetal-position pose. I placed the baby in the position I wanted him to be in, then tightly (but not toooo tightly) wrapped the cloth around him to get him to hold the pose on his own. The outcome was very much what I was looking for.
Finally, I would suggest finding poses that are story-telling for this particular newborn and family. Nothing is worse than having photos that, in the end, don't tell a story. Do the parents have a favorite sports team? Put the baby in their sports gear. You can also find out what they both do for a living and incorporate that into the photos. For this particular shoot, I did two story-telling and personal photos specifically for the family.
The father of the baby is a very big "gamer", meaning he loves to play all kinds of video games. As such, I took some gear from his game stash and incorporated it into the shoot, and now this is favorite photo from the whole shoot.
I also wanted to bring in a family heirloom to the photos, and ended up using a suitcase that once belonged to the baby's great-great grandfather, who passed away several years ago. While you may not see it in the photograph, the suitcase has his name on it, written by his wife (the baby's great-great grandmother) so it definitely holds a special meaning for all involved.
Other Helpful Tips :
- Do not use your flash if you can avoid it. Flash will only aid in disturbing the baby and could wake him/her up. Try to use available light.
- Because you have to keep the baby warm and will inevitably be using heaters to do this, make sure you have water for everyone (so you don't get burned out) and paper towels (cause you WILL sweat, especially in the summer!)
- Try to take detail pictures of babies hands, feets, eyes, etc. These can be just as story telling as showing his/her whole body.
Overall, photographing newborns can and should be something fun and memorable for everyone. You are looking to create photos that the child and his parents will look back on for years to come, so make sure you take photos that mean something. Let them tell a story.
If you have any questions, just let me know. :)
Happy Shooting!
AB
