A Design For Life: Stories From Behind The Lens

2022 Part 6: For Your Babies

"To be a child is to know the fun of living. To have a child is to know the beauty of life."

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In an article I wrote last year, I mentioned that in order to know what kind of photography you want to specialize in, you have to try at least every genre of photography there is out there. While the end result may not be important, the key takeaway is that from there you will know if that genre is something that you will enjoy doing or not.

In the 9 years that I've been a photographer, I've tried my hand in at least a number of areas of photography, and the one thing I have taken away from doing each genre is that I've added a new skill to my repertoire which has come in quite handy whenever I meet new potential clients who ask me if I have any experience doing this or that genre.

One of my favourite gigs is when I get asked to do newborn shoots in the studio. While that doesn't often come around much for me these days, I always enjoy doing these shoots when given the opportunity.

Now bear in mind that unlike family photography, shooting newborns is something that takes a lot of patience and understanding. And if you're a parent, then all the more it's something that you can relate to.

Firstly, the studio can be an unforgiving environment for a newborn baby; it's cold, sterile and 99% of the time the baby has to be shot NAKED so that means you need to be quick to take whatever shots you have in mind before they start freezing from the air conditioning.

Secondly, you'd have to shoot newborns when they're about about 2 to 3 weeks old because once they reach the first month milestone, then they become a bit challenging (and a bit bigger in size) to capture. The reason for that tight timeline (and I tell all my clients this) is that when they are small in size it's easy for the parents to carry within the palm of their their hands. That is also the time when they are starting to open their eyes, so this is the crucial bit that I always tell the clients.

If that sounds daunting to you, wait till you get to the shoot.

A huge chunk of gauging if a newborn shoot is going to be a smooth one or not really lies on the shoulders of the parents (your clients). This is where patience plays a key part in making sure the shoot goes well and everyone goes home happy.

The key person in all of this is the baby, and it really becomes a waiting game depending on his/her mood on that day. I've done shoots where we had to take at least 15-20 minute breaks in between one shot because the baby needs to be comforted due to the coldness of the environment and there were a few instances where the baby actually peed just as I was about to click on the button for a shot!

Although at times the shoot itself can be quite challenging, the results are always amazing when you get to the editing table. Seeing an edited newborn photo in black and white is always a heartwarming and emotional experience, especially for the parents of the baby. There are just some things that can't be replaced, and shots like these remain with you for life.

So if you ever get asked to do a newborn shoot, go for it! Not only will you add a new skill, but you also will have a front row seat to witnessing a baby's moments captured on camera that will last a lifetime.