Newborn Safety

Someday, I hope to specialize in newborn photography.  My heart and soul goes into those sweet babies, and I believe it shows.  I have taken several classes on photographing newborns, that have taught me how to achieve those sleepy, dreamy, curled up poses that we all love, as well as how to edit their sometimes blotchy, acne and jaundice-prone skin, but the most important part about photographing a newborn has to be their safety.

When I photograph newborns, an adult is always right next to baby.  Newborns are notorious for startling easily, so having mom, dad, or myself right next to them at all times is key.  The same goes for when I place a newborn in a prop, which happens to be some of favorite setups!  In the following images baby was inside of a prop, with an adult’s hands on them until I was ready to take the shot.  I would take a quick shot, and the adult’s hands would go straight back to baby.

And, sometimes you need to do a composite (images combined together using Photoshop) in order to keep baby safe.

For instance, a baby’s little neck muscles aren’t strong enough to hold their head up straight on their own, so with this next shot, I had dad gently place his finger against baby’s head, to help keep it in the upright position.  I later removed dad’s finger by doing a composite, which leaves us with this beautiful image as an end result!

Newborn safety is critical, which is why hiring a professional with training to do your newborn session, is so important!  🙂