There are few photos more precious to parents than those of their newborn. These will be the pictures that they and their child will look back on while reminiscing about those early years. However, to capture these moments is not easy. Newborns, unlike toddlers and other "older" babies, are not as accessible to coaching. If you're hired by parents to take pictures of their new addition, here are four tips to keep in mind:
Wait 10-12 days
It's great to have photos of the child right after the birth, but this doesn't work in a professional environment. Encourage the parents to wait until their son or daughter turns 10-12 days old, as the baby is less stressed and more likely to remain still during the shoot.
Snap while they're asleep
The best time to get photos of a newborn? When they're asleep, which is what they mostly do during these early days. When a parent requests your services, ask them for a rough estimate of when their child will be napping. They might not know exact times, but a good guess will help in scheduling the shoot. Inform the parents you'll be shooting during those sleepy times.
Another way to ensure baby stays asleep is to shoot in a warm environment. If you're doing the session in your studio, let it warm up an hour or so before the scheduled session time, and have on hand a few extra heaters in case it's still too cold for the young one, who will most likely be bare skinned.
One last tip for getting them to sleep: ask the mother and father if they use music or toys, like a mobile, to help expedite the child to sleep. The shoot will go much easier when you do all you can to recreate the child's natural sleeping environment.
Adhere to their schedule
A newborn has its own timetable, and when it's hungry, it'll make it known. Don't try to interrupt the parents and baby when they need time. If they need a break to change or feed their little one, let them have it. You'll avoid a fussy baby, and angry parents who might be upset about their fussy child. However, snapping a few photos during these times might make for some great shots.
In order to avoid interruptions, however, encourage the parents to feed the baby right before the sessions. This will not only make the child happy, but will keep them asleep, pleasant and not crying.
Pose them
Since the subject is going to be asleep for most of the shoot, you're going to have to do the posing. Make sure your hands are warm when putting the child in the position you want. Don't put them in a stance that could cause them to wake up, or alert them to the fact they're being moved.
For additional information on the topic of newborn photography, a great website to visit is http://www.jillyansawyerphotography.com/.
Thom Casey independently author's articles for WebDrafter.com, Inc. ( http://www.webdrafter.com/ ) for SEM clients. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those solely of the author, and not of any other person, company, or organization. No guarantee or warranty, express or implied, is made regarding the accuracy, fitness, or use of the content herein.
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