Safety In Newborn Photography
The most important topic when discussing newborn photography is safety.
There are many ways you can learn the skills needed to safely photograph newborns. There are hundreds of on-line videos, classes, groups and conventions all devoted to newborn photography education. But, the number one way in our opinion is to learn from in-person mentoring and training sessions from experts. During these sessions you will learn hands on the safety skills and posing confidence needed to be a newborn photographer. Of course, in addition to this you will learn the proper soothing techniques to work with babies.
Im here to tell you that in-person, hands on mentoring and training with an expert is the number one way to learn how to pose a newborn safely. Additionally, you can take on-line education courses. Photographers can watch expert mentors conduct multiple live newborn photoshoots and ask questions. Throughout the year, there are also many baby conventions dedicated to newborn photography and include courses devoted to safety. Even the most seasoned newborn photographers will continue to educate themselves!
How To Wrap A Baby For Newborn Photography
Wrapping your baby perfectly is the only way to make your newborn feel comfortable during the photography prop. For this reason, you need to learn how you can wrap your baby effectively for the prop. These steps below are prepared to guide you in learning how to cover your baby without straining yourself too easily. The steps include
- Step1: place your newborn in the fabric wrap carefully. When on the wrap, ensure there is enough length on the shorter side of the fabric that will help you bring the wrap towards the baby.
- Step 2: Put the hands of the baby up in the chest and then pull the wraps shorter side to cover the body of your baby. Ensure the wrap firmly surrounds the underneath of the body for the baby to be more comfortable when lying on the wrap.
- Step3: Put the legs of the baby on the chest and pull the other section of the wrap. Use the longer area to cover the babys shoulder and then bring the other side to cover the bottom of the baby. Always ensure the baby is comfortable when covering the body.
- Step 4: You can now slowly lift the child while bringing the wrap through when getting the wrap, ensure it covers both the shoulders of the baby.
- Step5: When lifting the baby, you can bring the wrap and ensure it covers the whole body, leaving only the head. The wrap should entirely cover both the hands and the feet.
- Step6: When gently lifting the child, bring the fabric wrap to cover the underneath firmly.
How Big Should A Newborn Wrap Be
Fabric wraps for newborn photography are typically around 1 1.5 meters in length and around 40cm in width. Thats approximately 40 60 inches long by 16 inches wide.
Use these dimensions as a guide when youre starting out. As you become more experienced with wrapping, you may find your own preferences vary a little, depending on your style and your favourite wrapping techniques.
If youre purchasing fabric for a matching backdrop, I like to buy around 2 meters in length. Backdrop width will need to suit your posing bag/frame setup, which can vary. For me, thats around 1.75m to comfortably fit across and over the sides of my posing bag.
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Warm The Space You Will Be Working In
Now, you are ready to get to work. But there are a few things you still have to do. The most important is to heat the room you will be photographing baby in. Newborns can not regulate their body temperatures as well as older children or adults. So you will need to keep your space comfortable, cozy and warm. This is especially important during bare baby poses. You can use a space heater if your shooting area is usually cold.
Get Yourself In The Picture
Every mom probably has thousands of pictures of their babies on their phone, but down the road, your kids are going to want to see you in their baby pictures too. Lai understands as a mother of three herself. As difficult as it is and as much as you might not want to be in the frame, get in it anyway! she said. Self-timers, tripods, remotes, or having your partner assist can help.
There is more grace and patience needed when youre the photographer and the subject, so be kind to yourself, she added. With my own daughter, I was intentional about taking pictures with my hand in the frame to show just how teeny tiny she was. I cherish these images with part or all of me in them because I am just as much part of their story.
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Ask Parents To Do A Little Prep At Home
We always ask parents to keep baby awake and alert at home for about an hour the morning of the photoshoot. Baby will usually sleep deeper and longer during their time with you if they can do this. This will enable you to get in the maximum number of set ups that you will want to deliver to parents. Singing, walking around and talking, or even taking them for a stroll outside are all great ways to interact with baby to keep them awake. Also, if okd by the pediatrician, tell parents to give baby a bath in the morning. Sometimes this will keep them alert for longer periods and get baby photoshoot ready!
Tell them to be sure to wipe down babys eyes and face as best as they can during awake time at home. Paying special attention to any flakey skin or dry skin around the babys eyes, corner of eyes and any crusty eyelashes. Last, recommend that parents do not use any kind of oil based skin lotion or moisturizer on baby the morning of the session. Oil based lotion can add shine to babys skin that the camera will pick up. Any cream based lotion is fine to apply.
Next, have parents give baby a full feeding before leaving the house. A full belly of warm milk will help keep baby content and asleep during their photoshoot. If mom is breastfeeding, recommend no spicy foods and no caffeine for at last 48 hours prior to the newborn pictures.
Newborn Wrapping Techniques Easy And Admirable
Mastering newborn wrapping techniques is very important in newborn photography. Wraps are one of the main newborn photography props used during a photo shoot. Wrapped newborn feels safe. Fuzzy baby wrapped up calms down soon. Fed and wrapped up newborn falls asleep in a short time. So, wraps are definitely an irreplaceable prop for every newborn photographer.
However, many photographers get confused when it comes time to wrap a newborn during a photography session. Thoughts swirl in their minds about how to swaddle a baby this time so that the photos arent the same. There are many techniques to wrap your newborn in a different way so that you will be able to take beautiful pictures, but also avoid the monotony in your gallery.
In this article, Ill share some easy yet impressive newborn wrapping techniques.
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How To Wrap A Newborn Baby
To wrap a newborn requires the right knowledge of the techniques, which Im going to share in this blog. But first, Ill help you understand the benefits of wrapping your baby well.
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Remember the first time you watched as the nurses in the hospital wrapped your newborn baby? I do! My son was wrapped so neatly in a blanket like a bundle .
Back from the hospital, I had such a hard time getting my son to sleep, and no matter how much I persisted, I could not wrap him up in the same way that the hospital had, all snug and warm.
For our frequent readers, you will know it was my sister in law that came to my rescue showing me how to swaddle my baby. I call her the swaddle ninja and teaching me how to swaddle was the best gift she could have given me.
In my journey as founder of Coco Moon Hawaii, and as a mother, I have dedicated many hours of research on baby wraps and learned that wrapping a baby has numerous benefits, and that experts recommend it to parents at least until your baby is two to three months old.
To wrap a newborn requires the right knowledge of the techniques, which Im going to share in this blog. But first, Ill help you understand the benefits of wrapping your baby well.
Why Newborn Photography Matters In 2022
Newborn photography is probably one of the most important categories of professional photography.
Why? Because it freezes in time those first few precious weeks of a new born babys life.
How often do you hear parents say things like:
The days are long, but the years are short.
They grow up so fast! or Time is flying.
Well folks, thanks to Covid, 2020 and 2021 were years that kind of disappeared for some of us. So, many of us have made a vow to preserve our memories in 2022! Having professional photos to look back on helps parents never forget how tiny their little baby once was. As baby grows, these photos become even more important and sentimental.
On top of this, these photos can become part of a familys heritage and passed on to future generations to come.
To be the photographer who documents these special moments in time is an honor!
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How To Make The Basic Newborn Photography Wrap
The basic wrap for newborn photography is known as the Evolution Base Wrap. All you need to make this wrap is a stretchy fabric that is approximately 18 by 60. Here are the steps on how to wrap newborn for photography:
- Step 1: Lay the wrap on a flat surface. Place the newborn on top of the wrap, with a shorter side still enough to bring over the babys body.
- Step 2: Position the babys hands up to its chest with the arms tucked inwards, and pull the shorter part of the wrap over the babys body towards the other side. Tuck firmly underneath, making sure that the fit is snug but not too tight.
- Step 3: Tuck the babys legs up to its stomach, and bring the longer side of the wrap under the babys bottom to support the legs. Wrap the longer end of the fabric back up towards the shoulder of the newborn. Again, make sure that the wrap is not too tight.
- Step 4: Gently lift the newborn and bring the wrap enough both shoulders.
- Step 5: Bring the wrap across the newborns body, covering both the hands and feet entirely.
- Step 6: Finish the Evolution Base wrap by bringing the wrap around one more time around the body, and tucking the tail end of the wrap underneath the newborn.
Once you have mastered the steps of making the Evolution Basic Wrap, you can adjust the look and method to suit your photography shoot.
Choose Wraps That Coordinate With Your Backdrop
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Newborn Wraps For Photos
At Foxbackdrop, we have a wide range of newborn wraps that are a perfect fit for your baby while you capture the moment. These cheesecloth wraps just elevate the picture of your baby to a whole new level. These newborn wraps with a perfect backdrop are all you need to capture the amazing moments of your babys childhood. We understand the importance of these memories with your baby and design the best newborn wraps that you could ever find. Newborn babies are naturally cute, if you add some beautiful wraps, you make the best combination.
We have a variety of fabric wraps like retro wrap tassels, coarse hemp props, fabric blankets, baby stretch wraps, and much more. Along with these ready-made wraps, we also accept orders before offering customized wraps. All you need to do is select the design, color, size, and overall approach of the wrap and we will do our best. We have darker colors, lighter colors, and various combinations of colors that you can choose from. If you are skeptical of the overall design, our team will help you explain what colors and designs look suitable for your baby. Based on all the inputs provided, you can make a more informed decision.
Keep The Little One Safe And Healthy
A babys well-being is more important than anything else during the shoot. Its not just about knowing how to take photos. Its also about safety, says Buck. Youve got to know how to hold babies and pose them without hurting them. To facilitate the best sessions, learn how to handle the baby and what to do if they wake up and cry.
Never leave the baby unattended during the shoot. I always have a spotter. A parent within arms reach, says Vega. A newborn photo might look like the baby is asleep alone on a cushion, but an adult always needs to be close.
Babies that are hungry or need a diaper change are part of the newborn photography game. Be ready when they cry out for their physical needs. After the shoot, launder and sanitize all of the props and outfits you use to make sure they are nice and clean for the next baby.
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The Best Cameras For Newborn Photography
Every professional newborn photographer uses a DSLR, or a digital single-lens reflex camera. Most recently, many are making the switch to the new mirrorless cameras. Without getting too technical, both are wonderful for photographing newborns. Some of the more popular DSLRs being used today are:
How To Get A Baby To Stay Warm
Take advantage of having a tiny newborn in your hands and curl them up. 6.Wrap the newborn tight for sibling shots. Babiesstartle easily and swing their arms and legs around. Swaddling them tight creates a nice clean look and keeps them warm. You dont have to worry the baby scratching their sibling or rooting. 7.
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Have A Newborn Wrapping Workflow
Just like with your posed or lifestyle work, you should have a plan. Set aside the wraps you want to work with, keeping mind what textures and colors go with your current background. Start with wraps where you dont have to move the baby too much, think of them as your safe shots, then go for a more complicated wrap. Layer your wraps for added variety. This is great to do if the baby isnt in a deep sleep or fussing a little. Start with a tighter swaddle and then add a darker color over. Here, the blue wrap was placed over the beige wraps.
Start With A Basic Swaddle For Simplicity
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How Do You Make A Baby Wrap
Make sure you use durable rings that are intended for a baby sling. Keep the short end of the fabric tucked under the rest of the sling as you wrap it.Feed enough of the short end through the rings that the weight of the fabric will hold the rings in placeat least 1012 in ,depending on the material More items
Thought Process For Beginners And Getting Consistently Good Poses
I keep saying parents choose, parents love, etc. To simplify things, I should explain how I work. This is not for everyone, but its how I have worked since day one.
To keep my results consistent, I ask parents which poses they want to do. They get to choose from my portfolio. If they choose poses they have found online, I simply explain that I havent done this pose before and it might not work. I have done everything in the portfolio before and I know exactly how to replicate that pose. The copy and paste approach.
When I began I didnt have many poses. I would strongly recommend that you set up roughly 10 tester newborn photoshoots. As a beginner, you need to practise to learn how to nail the simple poses first. Learn how to pay attention to small details and notice them.
Once youve done 10 shoots, you should have a set of roughly six to eight poses to work with. These are poses you have done again and again. You will be confident recreating these poses and able to experiment from there.
For me, recreating poses, or the copy and paste approach, was key. The more I did a certain newborn pose, the quicker I could nail it and move onto the next pose. I know it sounds boring and, as a photographer, you want to experiment and try new things, but the goal is to fill the gallery with newborn poses parents love. I want to develop a nice variety and, if the newborn photoshoot goes well, I try perhaps one new pose or new prop set-up.
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