An Aspiring Newborn Photographer

My time in Monticello has taught me that I want to be an exclusive newborn and baby photographer.  I would like to think I have mastered the baby photography part however, I am no where up to par on  newborn photography skills, but I am working hard on it.  I have only taken a handful of newborns since I started the studio, most clients start with me when their babies are 3 months.  My niece was my first newborn shoot back in 2007 and after that I fell in love.  The problem only was...getting newborns!  Apparently they are hard to come by?????  By 2009 I still hadn't gotten any newborns, so in the summer of 2009, I did what anyone would do to get customers in...give something for free.  All newborn sessions get 25 free birth announcements!  IT WORKED! :)  And with each session I learned something new and came up with a better idea for the next session. 

After Ava's [2007]  I learned the importance on camera angles and lighting

After Riley, my son, [2008]  I learned the importance of posing, and that for my next session I would make the poses more interesting and not just a sleeping baby on a black blanket

for Meghan [5/2009] I decided to make things more interesting.  I ordered a scale off ebay.  I wanted to make the pictures more like wall art instead of just another picture that could have been taken anywhere.

This was my first time using the scale and hadn't perfected it yet!  What I learned from this session was the importance of taking the baby's pictures within the first week, Meghan was almost 2 weeks and stayed awake most of the time.

you can see the progression of this prop, from the first picture to the last picture there is a 6 month time spanned.  I perfected the scale by making sure baby was completely relaxed and by using arms and legs for posing, rather than just laying the baby down. 

The next three session [8/09-9/09] I made sure the parents knew to schedule within the first week, one was a little over a week old and the other 2 were right at.  What I learned from these session was the importance of keeping the studio very very warm, like 80 degrees.  These babies either cried or had a hard time staying asleep becuz the studio was cold and the babies were naked...brrrrr!    And although these babies are beautiful with their eyes open, if the babies don't sleep, I can't do the neat poses.

After I figured out the secret to keeping a baby asleep (you think that warmth would have been a no brainer!)  I was anxious to get another newborn.  So I sent out a model call and got little Madelyn.  I got a wooden bowl I was dying to put a baby in and I did!  I did learn that baby's arms are key to posing the head, I should have placed her arms under her head, rather than bunching the fabric.  [10/6/09]

Next I was inspired by past sessions...how a mother can calm a baby.  SO I thought how natural is it to pose baby on or with the mother and father...tada!  In the past I was using this posing technique as a last resort, when baby wasn't cooperating and we just needed a picture.  This time I wanted to show how a newborn just melts on mamas chest and melts in Dada's arms. [2010]

Now that I have figured out all the secrets: warm studio, noise maker, 3 hour session (plenty of time for feedings and cuddling)  I want to master posing and  really show casing just how pliable and peaceful a newborn is.  I found out from one of my sessions that I really must do all the handling of  the baby myself, not the mother (whose purpose if to feed and comfort).  Which is hard to tell the new mom, but it really comes down to not disturbing the baby anymore than we have to (it's one less person touching the baby) .  The sessions where I was able to handle the baby and pose him/her, were 100% more successful than otherwise.  I love parents that are just willing to hand their newborn over to someone who is going to hang them in a hammock :)

So I am currently mastering these baby poses, here are some of my favorites from sessions I have had so far this year.