The coronavirus has made it even more difficult for birth photographers and newborn photographers to do their jobs. I know that freezing those moments mean so much, and memoried that you will have to look back on for lifetimes to come. A birth story & newborn session is a celebration of life and can serve as a gift that you can give loved ones. most hospitals and even birth centers are only allowing one support person in the birth room. I am going to give you some tips that you can use to capture those precious first moments and even the golden hours after the birth of your new little bundle of joy!
Brand new babes and Newborns change so fast, and you want to make sure to capture those first 48 hours perfectly, believe me I know. I was that mom with a camera phone trying to capture my babies’ first 48 hours and had no clue where to start. If you are at home or in a hospital here are some great tips for you to get those photos that you want for the time being until we get back to a little more normalcy in our lives.
Here we go….
Be simplistic. There is no need for fancy props for these sessions. I photograph moms in VERY active labor and there are no props that are going to work at that time. For the Fresh sessions I love using the hospital bassinet and maybe adding a little Etsy wooden sign or gender announcement to place next to the baby. I also found this adorable sign that I think is great for babies born during this time!
Lighting. I can’t tell you how IMPORTANT this one is. Those overhead lights are NASTY. They cause an ugly, orange/yellow hue and are so unflattering on babies’ skin. Use the natural light that comes through your hospital window. The early morning or early afternoon is the best time, and it’s because the sun is going to be coming by your window and giving you the best, natural lighting scenario. If you are comfortable with using off-camera flash then go for it and that will add a little more umpth to these images. You can also ask the nurse if they have a room they use for pictures already that has great lighting and could you walk your baby down there. **The lighting is going to be different depending on your location in the hospital.**
Adjust in frame before moving baby. We all know the famous saying “don’t fix what isn’t broke” well, this goes for newborns as you photograph them and want that time to capture images with a soundly sleeping baby! You can even grab an image from above baby. If you have a simple kimono onesie, put it on baby and capture away. Remember SIMPLE is better than too busy!! Phone cameras have come sooo far now and you can really capture images that you will be proud to show off to friends and family! I know that you will want to edit these images as well. I am going to give you some tips on editing too. When you are editing newborns you really want to keep it simple and don’t over-edit!! Please for the love of all things holy DO NOT OVER EDIT!!! A little editing goes a long way! When editing newborn photos, keep it simple. Avoid blurring any skin on an app as it may make it look too fake. Many photo editing apps offer color tools to reduce redness, brightening a photo, or adjusting the exposure, highlights, and shadows.
Here are a few editing apps for both apple and android that I recommend.
- VSCO
- Lightroom
- Snapseed
Details. I can not stress enough how the little details are super important and something that you will look back on and think “man, your fingers were so tiny once”. Grab images of the hospital bracelet, their toes, ears, eyelashes, fingers wrapped around daddy….any little details you can get will be great! No detail is too meaningless.
Angles. Make sure that you move around. If you place baby in the bassinette and position yourself with the light behind you (backlighting) you can capture such a stunning, naturally lit image. You can also get on the bed and position yourself slightly at an angle with the light coming on to your body. This is another beautifully lit image when the sun is out and coming into your room. Get creative and don’t be afraid to try something out.
Grab help. If you have a nurse that you can ask to help you with a few quick pictures I am sure they will be obliged to help. This is a great time to grab a shower, put on some mascara, maybe a little concealer for those sleepy eyes and you are set for your debut as a new family! Just make sure to position yourself by a window so there is optimal natural light. Tell the nurse to capture the image from right below the bra line up. As a new mom I know how important angles are to you and showing the full-body image may not be your ideal shot just yet……looking out for you momma.
What to wear. If you are anything like me comfort as a new mom was EVERYTHING. Go online to Amazon or Target and look for a cute robe or nightgown and have them ship it to you. Solid colors are great but a little flora or pattern is ok, just don’t get anything too busy! Here, here, and here are some great amazon finds!
For in-home DIY sessions: