Babies grow up so fast, the time really just seems to fly by that first year. You'll want to be sure to capture those moments with photo memories. The best pictures will always be those that are natural and unposed! When I photograph babies, I like the parents the parents to be in the room, nearby to calm and amuse their baby - mom and dad always know what gets that laugh or smile and babies are often scared of strangers starting at around 9 months. An exception to this rule is the newborns that are nursing, mommy is a distraction if she's in the room - they know she's the lunch lady and will fuss to get to her.
Baby portraiture doesn't have to be conventional...showing just a part of the child such as fingers and toes illustrates how small and vulnerable your tiny baby is. Sleeping babies always make a wonderful portrait!
When we talk of "newborns" photographers usually are referring to 14 days or younger while parents think this means 6 to 8 weeks. Trust me...if you want those "bendy" poses with your baby, the younger you can get them in to the photgrapher, or the photographer can come to you, the better! Once babies hit around 2 weeks they start stretching those arms and legs out - free at last of that cramped womb - and will be more froglike in their poses. Newborn photo sessions typically last anywhere from 1 to 2 hours...I always allow time for breaks, nursing, diaper changes etc. And the extra time is necessary to get both the eyes open and sleeping shots. I normally keep the studio on the warm side for newborns so be prepared. Most moms and dads want some with them interacting with the babies and I keep a supply of black turtlenecks on hand at the studio. These type of family portraits are usually referred to as "relationship" style...black background, black shirts, baby naked or in a onesie with lots of interaction between the family members in the picture, going on.
Babies in the 3 to 4 month range don't look like newborns anymore but they still can't do much. I like for babies moms to make appointments at the following ages to get the most out of the portrait sessions: newborn, 6 to 8 months and 12 months. At 6 months baby may be sitting up but if not, almost all are by 8 months. This is a great age to get those naked baby pictures from behind showing all their cute little baby rolls. 12 months is ideal for standing photos, toddling/walking photos and baby will really ham it up for the camera by now!
If you have any questions about a newborn or baby session, please call the studio and chat, we'd love to hear from you!
1 comment:
Very informative, Cathy. Thanks for sharing your expertise.
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