Photos : Coco Dream Studio
How old?
Babies generally are classed from 0 – 1 or 2 years (before they are able to walk). You can take photos of newborns at any time from 5 days old and onwards. Some of my most striking photos are taken with newborns only days old. However, some cultures celebrate photographing babies only when they reach 100 days old.
Clothing – what should the baby wear?
It depends on what sort of photo you want. If you want to focus on the baby with no other distracting features, you may want the baby nude with or with the use of blankets/slings/fabric etc. on a neutral background. You need to consider whether or not the photo will be black and white, sepia, or colour. If you want an outdoorsy baby photo and/or a coloured/printed studio background, you will need to consider the colours the baby is wearing and how that will complement/clash with the background. Sometimes, it is best to keep things simple – multi-coloured, extremely bright, printed/patterned/frilly clothing (and accessories) can take the focus away from the baby and consider how that will sit in with the choice of background.
If parents are intending to take the photo with the baby, simple clothing in one colour is the best. Start off with black, white and nude coloured clothing such as tank tops, tube tops, dresses and t-shirts. Simple jumpsuits in one colour and dresses are good clothing choices for babies. Remember to bring a few changes of clothing in case accidents occur.
When to take the photo?
Babies generally do not know how to smile (when directed to), however, some babies are ‘happy’ doing certain activities and the photographer should take the opportunity to take the photo when babies are ‘happy’ (as in not crying). Bath time, playing with their favourite toy, ‘reading’ a book, music, feeding time, sleeping etc, can be a good time to take a photo. Remember to bring their favourite food items, blankets, toys, and music. Taking the perfect photo could take all day.
You can create very striking images whilst the baby is asleep. Some babies also smile when asleep. Whilst the baby is asleep, you can create poses that could not be possible if they were awake. Babies are also very flexible – they can sleep on their bellies with their legs and feet tucked under them, and do all sorts of yoga-like poses (within certain limits of course).
The trick to taking baby photos is to be patient. You will get that perfect photo here and there (but you will have to work for it), as most babies have a momentary attention span. If their basic needs are not met, there is little chance you will be able to take any good photos. You will just have to wait patiently until they have been fed and had a nap.
Where to take the photo?
The benefits of studio photography is that there is control over lighting, time (when the photo can be taken), and access to babies’ amenities. It is also a more comfortable setting for babies (and family members and you have control over the temperature in a studio. A warm and comfortable studio will make it more inviting for the little one as well as bring on sleepiness.
Outdoor photos can also be very beautiful, for instance, the beach and rock settings, and in a field. You will need to consider the time of the day when the lighting is gorgeous. As a general rule, the lighting is the best at dawn and dusk. It may be too bright with the glaring sun for the baby during midday times.
Angles, poses and props
Babies (depending on the age) are generally not able to sit up or hold a pose unless they are propped up by pillows, toys and or held by people. There are only a number of limited poses babies can achieve, such as lying down, sitting upright, being held or nursed by a person and variations of those poses. I generally use low-angled photos, aerial shots (above the baby) and close-up shots. Focusing on certain body parts such as feet, hands, bottoms and so on create an intimate picture of the minute details of the newborn baby. Sometimes I use lighting, shadows and black and white photography to create a ‘landscape’ of the newborn’s body, with its delicate curves, lines, bumps and shapes.
Consider using props to achieve certain poses and to add a little something, such as the use of huge cuddly toys, baskets, rugs, buckets, hats, umbrellas, flowers, balls, baby beds, bean bags and so on. Your imagination is the limit! The rule is to focus on one or two props and use that as the theme. Too many props make photo cheesy and/or too busy. The use of knitted slings (hung from a tree/pole), cocoons, hammocks, wraps and blankets using neutral coloured natural fibres create a more simple and organic image. You can create very arresting images using black and white and sepia tones for these images. Just be careful when tying these slings and make sure your baby is secure and have some foam/net catcher under the baby for safety purposes. Also never leave the baby unattended. However, you can still create a gorgeous photo without props – the baby is the only accessory you will need!
Lighting
I prefer to use less harsh and direct lighting when photographing babies. Firstly, I find when using direct lighting/flash, babies generally blink and look unfocused/startled/are upset. Babies are unable to hold expressions like adults can and the moment can be lost. Secondly, I understand direct lighting/flash is not harmful to babies’ eyes, however, I prefer not to use it. As a professional photographer, I use soft box, a device which produces diffused lighting and umbrella lighting. However, these lighting devices are expensive and if you do not have them, you can ‘bounce’ lighting off surfaces. Thirdly, a softer and more natural image is created. I generally use lighting bounced from the ceiling (or off the wall), or if baby is lying on their bellies, a reflector placed under the babies’ face will brighten their faces.
If the sky is overcast or it is night-time or there is not enough light, you can increase the ISO setting (stands for “International Organization for Standardization”) on your camera. The benefits of increasing the ISO setting is you can take photos in very little light without having to use flash, however, the disadvantages are the photo will be more grainy (or blurry).
Jay Shin is a Senior Photographer at Coco Dream Studio.
