There are few things more precious than a newborn, especially a newborn who is just hours old. I'm always in awe of the absolute miracle of it all. As a photographer, I can't help but think how every single detail needs to be documented.
Here are 5 Tips to take beautiful newborn pictures while they are still in the hospital:
#1: Open all the blinds and use a low aperture.
Often times hospital rooms are not exactly conducive to taking natural light photos. But not to worry, there is always a way around it. First of all open the blinds (pull them all the way up, don't just open the slats). Next, if you still don't have a fast enough shutter speed, dial your aperture all the way down. (f/1.8, 2.0, 2.2 etc.) This will hwlp you achieve a nice and fast shutter speed.
#2: Position the baby where there is not a lot of clutter and distraction.
Let's face it, hospital rooms are packed with eye clutter...cords, trays, buttons, your own stuff, the baby's stuff...the list goes on and on. When taking pictures of the baby push that clutter aside and fill your frame with the baby.
#3: Take some detail shots of the baby and the room.
A newborn's skin is so soft and furry and often times so wrinkly. And unfortunately this stage only lasts for such a brief moment. Take some close-up pictures of the baby and even some of the surrounding area to document exactly what the baby looks like.
#4: Step back and take a picture of the entire room.
Just as you took pictures of the details, take some pull-back pictures of the entire room to show what it felt like and looked like in the hospital room.
#5: Take some pictures with the baby and Mom.
Of course you need to document Mom holding the baby and the special bond they share. To help take the pressure of being in front of the camera off of Mom try suggesting things for her to do. For example say, "Hold the baby in your left arm and gaze down at the baby." (click, click, click) or "Put the baby on your belly and look up at the camera." (click, click, click) "Good, okay now look down at the baby. " (click, click, click)
And there you have it! A beautiful photo shoot with a beautiful baby and a beautiful mother.
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great tips!! and what beautiful pics of Dana and Clara!!!
ReplyDeleteYou have perfect timing. I'm due in a few days and I can't wait to take the first pictures of my baby. Thanks for these tips, they'll certainly come in useful. :)
ReplyDeletethanks for the tips! I'm due in May, so hopefully there will be beautiful bright days... (kind of hard in the west of Ireland...)
ReplyDeleteBrigita and Irina...Congrats on your upcoming new additions to your families! I hope all goes well and that you get some beautiful shots of your sweet newborns!
ReplyDeletefantastic tips thanks for sharing! I hope you'll stop by and share this at my What We Wore and Made Wednesday Link party
ReplyDeletemarissa
http://raegunwear.blogspot.com
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ReplyDeleteThanks, Katie. :)
ReplyDeleteOh my, I just saw these!
ReplyDeleteSo pretty Katie. You do such a fantastic job. I'm excited to take more photos :)
Thanks for sharing!
Beautiful pictures! Quick question? What ISO and lens did you use for this shot?
ReplyDeleteThank you for the great tips! I'm due in July. Oh and I love the heart garland!
ReplyDeleteGreat tips and lovely pictures!
ReplyDeleteGreat tips! I smiled at the first one because when our third was born, it was finally during daylight hours. Our previous two were born after sundown/before sunup. My husband was most excited about that. He said something like, "finally, some decent light to get good baby pictures!" And we pushed apart the curtains and put our baby by the window and enjoyed the photography along with the newborn!
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely gorgeous moments!!! Dana and Clara look just so precious! Great job!
ReplyDeleteKatie - these photos are beautiful! Thanks for sharing. I almost wish I were having my 3rd just to try it out! haha just kidding... I'll just try it out with someone else's baby :o)
ReplyDeleteThis was a perfect read for me as I'm prepping to have a baby in a few weeks!
ReplyDeleteI loved seeing those fun pictures of Dana and Clara. :)
Oh and I have to tell you how much I LOVE your valentines shoot with your kids. The outfits, the wall...everything. Very nice job.
Really I Love This Post.....Very Nice post ..Thanks For Sharing
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Beautiful photos and great tips. Love the heart bunting, so cute.
ReplyDeleteYou have the right idea, but it's not a low aperture that you need, it's a "high" one, or actually a big one if you want to be precise. Here is a diagram of apertures to give you an idea of what I mean. If you think of the aperture number as a fraction (so replace the f with the number 1, then you turn f/1.8 into 1/1.8 and you turn f/22 into 1/22). It's basic fractions; if you were having a slice of pie, would you rather about half or would you rather share with 21 other people?
ReplyDeletehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Aperture_diagram.svg
Hi Alexandra,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the explanation but it is actually a low aperture that you want. A low aperture does mean a "small" number, i.e. f/1.8, f/2.0 etc.
And when you have a very low aperture, meaning a very wide opening, meaning a very small number you let more light in through the lens thus giving you the ability to achieve a fast shutter speed in a low light situation.
Found this on Pinterest! How cool!!! I'm giving birth at St. David's in Georgetown (hopefully in the next few days!) Beautiful pics!
ReplyDeleteThis is great!
ReplyDeleteThese are beautiful. I am trying to teach myself on my new camera which I know nothing about but this helped me understand a little bit about lighting and shots. As well as the aperture! I'm loving your blog to help me get started.
ReplyDeleteThese are beautiful! I just have to add that I have a daughter named Clara who was also 7 pounds and 13 ounces at birth! Now she's 3 1/2!
ReplyDeletegreat tips! love these!
ReplyDeleteSome pictures you should also get are the father and newborn, and the siblings' first look at new baby.
ReplyDeleteThis is a great post. Thank you very much for this. Jx
ReplyDeleteGreat baby photography tips here. Some other tips here I want to suggest are location learning, discuss the wardrobe, room temperature, go for natural posing and be prepared.
ReplyDeletebandana bibs
How would you handle a situation where the hospital room doesn't have a window?
ReplyDeleteThanks for the tips, this is really helpful and inspiring! Beautiful pictures, I'm sure the parents are thrilled to have those moments captured forever.
ReplyDelete-Mary
http://marylorenzo.blogspot.com
I will remember all the pointers you said.
ReplyDeleteclick to view