Newborn Photographer Tips

Are you pregnant and looking for a photographer? You need help to capture this very special time in your life. When looking for the best newborn photographer, there are a few very important factors to consider.

 Experience.

When I first started photographing newborns more than 10 years ago, it was nothing like it is today.  I posed the baby. I photographed whatever I thought looked good.  Since then, newborn photography has become popular, and very specific.  Photographers working with newborns must master all the different “sleeping baby” poses.

 

Safety.

Make sure that your photographer is very knowledgeable about how to safety.  One of the most popular and requested poses for newborns is “the froggy”.  This pose is where the baby appears to be supporting its head all by itself.  A newborn baby’s head comprises 25% of its body weight.  Inexperienced photographers will attempt to balance the baby and allow it to stay in that position on its own. This can be very dangerous. Professional photographers should always put the safety of the baby first. Even if it means a little extra work in post-processing.  This pose is performed with the baby’s head supported at all times, as seen below.  Two images are then composited together in Photoshop to create the illusion that the baby is supporting its own head.

 

Style.

Make sure that you love the style of the photographer that you choose.  Newborn photography is an art form that requires skilled styling to help draw your eye to the tininess of your baby.  Consider the images below.  In the first image your eye tends to dance around; not sure where to look.  The eye is drawn to the lightest and darkest colors in an image.  This is why it’s important to use colors that have a similar tone, which almost blends together.  In the image on the right, you can see how the eye is drawn exactly where it should be, to the baby.

These are just a few of the most important things to consider when choosing a newborn photographer.