Handling newborn babies isn’t something I am used to, but I do find them incredibly fascinating! They’re so tiny and soft. Although I don’t have a lot of experience with Newborn Photography, the experiences I have had were a lot of fun!
A cousin recently had a baby girl and a friend of theirs does Newborn Photography professionally. She offered to show me the ropes, so of course I said yes!
Erin Young is an accomplished portrait photographer located in Rochester, Minnesota. She has many weddings, high school senior photos, and maternity portraits under her belt, but she specializes in newborn photography. Her style is artistic and colorful, and her techniques create timeless, elegant photos.
I woke up early so I could drive over to Erin’s studio (about an hour drive). I made my coffee, caught up on my favorite YouTubers and soon enough, it was time to leave. I enjoyed singing to Queen, Calvin Harris, and the Bellamy Brothers on my way (genre whiplash is my style).
I arrived at the studio and I walked inside. It was like walking into a sauna! But that’s important for keeping the baby comfortable!
Erin showed me all the cute setups she had in mind for little Evelyn in which to pose! They were all assembled in a circle around the studio to keep a good work pace. It was impressive watching Erin work!
She showed me how to wrap up a baby and the different poses in which you can position them! As she worked, she explained why she did certain things versus others. I made a list of all the things that are important when taking photos of newborn babies!
Don’t shoot up their nose (shoot from their forehead down their face).
A baby isn’t as fragile as you think.
Light the baby from the upper half of their face, not from below.
Move baby quickly and deliberately.
You can adjust their head by holding the sides of their face (pictured above).
Keep a lot of towels or small pillows around to put under the baby for support.
Hold in the baby’s arms and legs to keep them calm and sleepy.
Keep the baby’s head mostly vertical in the frame of the camera.
Having a spotter is important for when you are adjusting the light or switching backgrounds.
Sometimes a baby will create their own cute pose that you can work with.
You can communicate with clients to discover what makes them unique so you can personalize their experience and make it special.
The hardest part is transitioning between poses or setups. The baby might get crabby, but if you are patient and let them settle, it will be okay.
Once you get a good shot, you can play around to see if you can perfect the pose (such as straighten a finger or adjust the feet).
Rapid eye movement + fast breathing = a smile is coming!
Make sure to leave enough room around the edge of your photo for when you go to print them.
At the end of the session, Erin offered to let me take some of my own photos and do my own positioning! I wasn’t sure what I was doing at first, but the experience left me much more confident and excited about Newborn Photography! So although I took these photos, I owe most of it to Erin, as she set up the lighting and helped me position Evelyn properly.
I can’t thank Erin enough for inviting me to be a part of Evelyn’s photoshoot! I learned a lot and the experience is so valuable to me. I will implement all the things I’ve learned into my own work and I can’t wait to discover my own little techniques.
I highly recommend Erin if you are looking to get top of the line photographs of your baby or family! Her art is something I would proudly hang on my wall! Check out her website HERE.
Thanks for joining me on my weekly adventure!
Δ Abbi