WHY I LOVE PHOTOGRAPHING NEWBORNS

WHY?

There are myriad of different styles of photography when it comes to capturing a newborn baby. Some people love to use lots of props, and introduce many fun & vibrant things into every photo. Some pose the babies in unique and whimsical positions.

Although I really appreciate all the different styles, I prefer to capture newborns the ways in which even the slightest details & moments are captured with the best aesthetic lighting techniques to create the exacts satisfactory outputs as desired. Every time I see the grown up children whom I once styled and photographed as newborns, I have sweetest memories of how they were once upon a time. The sweet scents of a newborn’s head. The skinny knees stretching out. The reflex grasp of those tiny fingers. The perfect little toes and wrinkly feet. The plethora of different expressions that could keep me entertained for hours. The soft cheeks, and even the peeling skin that inevitably showed up for a little while.

These are all the things worth remembering. These are the memories I would always like to cherish. These are the moments?I try to preserve with my camera, with my newborn photographs.

THINGS HERE ARE HAPPENING REALTIME !

One of the most wonderful things I love about photographing babies more is that I can let so many ideas of perfection go. Like if a baby loves using pacifier, photographing him with a pacifier & If she’s having a fussy day, by grab a few crying photos. I'd think "It’s okay, because it’s Life , "REAL LIFE" ". I try not to create an illusion that the baby is something other than who he is, that very moment.

LEARNING PATIENCE ON THE GO....

I also learnt how to be patient and flexible when photographing newborns, with leaving lots of time to stop for feeding, burping, or changing a diaper. If my goal is to just capture baby as she is, I don’t have to be as worried about getting a whole session in within the two week old time period. I feel It’s okay if a baby isn’t quite as moldable then , I am not going to try mold them into anything in particular. Since we’re just keeping it real, I can stay calm & be more relaxed. Also rescheduling shoot for another day if the first day it just doesn’t work out. Also, I don’t try to stress out about keeping the baby sleepy the whole session. If the baby is?asleep, photographing him that way. If the baby wide awake, capture those eyes, eyelashes , impromptu portraits .... It does not matter at all.

Getting the Eye for Details

I love to photograph little details. I can’t hold a newborn without pulling her socks off to have a peek at her feet. That means that I can’t photograph a newborn without getting a few shots of those perfect little baby feet, either. Find the little details you love, and capture them. Feet, hands, ears, knees, hair; everything is cuter in miniature. It’s a good idea to capture hands and feet?with mother's and father's hands holding them too, because it will help the parents remember exactly how small they were several years later.

I try not to wait for a perfect expression, rather I focus on the wrinkly foreheads, big yawns, hungry mouths, pouty lips, and even those sad cries I feel can be perfect for creating astonishing photographs .

Knowledge based Results

I like to use a pretty wide aperture when I photograph these details. If I shoot at around F1.2 to F 2, give or take, those details will be the stars of the photos. One can't be distracted by other things, and the part I want to highlight will look especially sharp. Also shooting wide open is a good idea?when I am capturing other newborn moments, like baby’s bath, putting socks or a hat on, swaddling, or anything that I'd like the focus to be on a particular action.

I try to be careful when shooting with a depth of field this shallow that the focus is exactly where I want it, and that I don’t move after I lock in the focus. A slight movement from my part or the baby could put the photograph completely out of focus, and ruin what I am trying to achieve.