Tips for shooting NewBorns

I was so excited do shoot Bear Brown! I haven't always done photos of New Borns because they scared me a little bit. And not just because they're so tiny and fragile. It was mostly because I was expected to take pictures of this tiny person asleep. I focus so much of my photography on life, interaction, and real moments, and I always focus on the eyes. What do I do with a sleeping baby?

My fears were silly. I conquered the New Born photography with lots of practice and when Anne Brown asked me to take photos of her new baby, I had no hesitations!

So here are a few tips for shooting New Borns:

Go to their home
Both mother and baby were so comfortable during the shoot because I was at their home. No new surroundings to worry baby and Anne never had to feel like a guest or be nervous feeding her baby.

Turn up the heat
Keep the home warm to keep baby comfortable and happy. I also suggest a space heater to keep near baby. This causes the most peaceful sleep for the best pictures. Peaceful sleep is what is needed for the posed pictures.

Don't mess with Mama bear
Remember that this is a brand new baby and his mom is going to be protective. I like for the mom to do any moving or placement with the baby, and Mom's don't seem to mind that. Obviously, don't do anything that might be dangerous or even uncomfortable for baby. Please know that those new born photos you see with baby hanging in a wrap of sorts, is photoshop'd and there is something holding baby up safe (like mommy's hands).

Study
Just like an field or talent, study and learning is required. Spend time looking at photos of newborns and try to figure out how the photo was taken. Copying photos exactly is tacky, but looking at photos for inspiration is required for great photography. It would also be beneficial to see what Mom prefers in her photos. Send her some examples and ask for her imput. Often, they already have a favorite shoot in mind.

Bring the Macro Lens
To capture those precious moments and photos that remain special. Baby's are small and their precious body parts are even smaller. Bring the Macro to capture their hair, ears, and toes. Mom will appreciate it.

Schedule a lot of time
Even though I am often asked to just shoot for an hour, I schedule about half of my working day (4-5 hours) for the shoot. I like to arrive an hour early to set up and talk with mom about the shoot. I talk about what will happen, my shooting order, safety and comfort is first, and then I show her photos and ask if she wants to do something similar. When I am offering a shoot for 1 hour with new borns, I do not include the time used for feeding or posing baby. That takes up a lot of time. Be prepared for that and ALWAYS remain patient. If your stressed or anything but happy, mommy will notice and she will reflect that in her photos.

Bring a New Born "look book"
I keep a folder on my iPad for each photo shoot of photos I found on the internet that reflect the style that the Mom wants and what I think she wants. I always include photos that she liked or showed me in advance. I will show this to Mom at the shoot and get her opinion on many photos. This keeps me focused and calm during the shoot and keeps Mom's trust in me.