Taking Photos Of Your Newborn

Ask any photographer and they will tell you that capturing newborns is really hard work.  It takes a lot of practice and a hell of a lot of patience.  I personally think that shooting your own baby is harder.  Especially because you are dead tired. I don’t know about you but when I’m dead tired I have no patience.

With both of my kids I looked forward to photographing them.  Will was difficult, he was a premie baby. I didn’t own a DSLR and I was a new mum.  I didn’t really take any pictures until he was over 3 weeks old.  Anytime I got close to him he just wanted to eat.  Isla has been much easier, but I’ve been much more tired with not just one but two kids. I found it hard to make time to take her pictures. I’m doing my best to try to not let a day go by when I don’t take her picture, but some days go by in the blink of an eye.

Here are my tips for photographing your own baby:

*  Get in early! This is easier said than done.  After you have a baby the last thing you might want to do is get your camera out.  But, newborns are the easiest to photograph in the first 10 days.  They sleep a lot and they still curl up easily.  After that first 10 days they will wake easier and it will be harder to capture the shots your after.

*  Make it warm. Turn the aircon and fans off.  Your baby will sleep better if it’s warm.  You know that you have the right temperature when your sweeting and stripping off!

*  There will be accidents. I think babies are cutest when butt naked.  If you wish to go nappy free be aware that you will be weed and pooped on .  And whatever rug or blanket you put them on will most likely get weed and pooped on as well.  Put down a blanket to protect your comforter, mattress, and furniture!

* You need close ups. Get up close and make sure you capture all the tiny parts of your baby.  A macro lens helps with getting these shots.  Don’t have a macro?  Don’t want to invest in one?  Rent one for the occasion.  You’ll be happy you did!

*Measure your baby’s progress.  Make a plan to photograph your baby in the same place or wearing the same outfit throughout their first year.  If you photograph your baby in the same place each time, you can really see how much they are growing!

* Patience is key with babies.  And patience is something you probably have very little of after giving birth and getting very little sleep.  If you want to try to pose your baby, your baby will need to be asleep in order to hold the pose.  Make sure your baby is in a deep sleep before attempting to pose her.  Don’t rush it!  Otherwise, you’ll have to start from the beginning.  If your baby isn’t feeling it that day, just try again tomorrow!

* Use your partner to help with the photos. When taking your own baby’s pictures, it’s crucial to have a helper.  It’s always important to have an extra hand to make sure baby is safe.

* Safety is always first. Don’t try anything crazy with your baby. We’ve all seen the super amazing images of baby’s hanging from tree branches or scales.  But, unless you’ve done that before and know the SAFE way to do it, don’t try it.  Leave it to the professionals!