Posing Newborns by Kelly Brown 1

posingnewborns
By Kelly Brown
Posing Newborns by Kelly Brown 2
Creating the Perfect Environment
1
p.03
Using Natural Light Communicating with the Parents
Settling Techniques Posing on a Bean Bag Using Props
Posing with Siblings
2 3
4 5 6
7 8 9
10 11
Composite Images More on Safety Title of Chapter here
Posing with Parents Working with Multiples
Posing Newborns by Kelly Brown 3
Chapter 1
Creating the Perfect
Environment
Posing Newborns by Kelly Brown 4
T
o create the perfect environment, it is important
to understand the environment that babies come
from.
Creating the
Perfect Environment
The temperature inside the mothers womb is 38 C /
100 Fahrenheit. Because newborns cannot regulate
their body temperature as well as an adult can it needs
to be protected from both cold and heat. Its best to
warm the studio to 28 degrees Celsius/ 82 degrees
Fahrenheit. You can do this with a small space heater
and another larger heater that has a thermostat.
Its important to keep an eye on the temperature
throughout the session and to also make sure the par-
ents are comfortable with the temperature.
The womb is also full of sounds, particularly the
whooshing of the mothers blood and digestive sys-
tem, and the thumping of her heart and voice, which
sounds louder than it would transmitted through the
air since it reverberates through the bones and fluids
in her body. Because of this, its good to play white
noise throughout the session on either an iPhone or
iPad and have a small heart beat rhythm playing as
well.
Posing Newborns by Kelly Brown 5
Chapter 2
Use Natural Light
Posing Newborns by Kelly Brown 6
Using Natural Light
A great natural light scenario would be a large southeast facing window in
the studio with a sheer white curtain to diffuse the light.
Depending on where your studio is located and what your source of light is, you
may have to schedule your sessions around this. If the best light happens to
come in the morning, then youll want to try to book your sessions then. >>>
In this course, natural light is being used when working with newborns.
Posing Newborns by Kelly Brown 7
If your window has direct sunlight,
this can cause harsh shadows so dif-
fuse this with a sheer curtain.
Since the temperature of light may
vary depending on if its sunny or
cloudy, use a grey card in order to get
perfect white balance and exposure.
Angle your bag and props toward
the light so the light falls beautifully
across the babys face. By positioning
the baby at a 45-degree angle to the
light, you will softly highlight all of the
babys little features perfectly.
Use large reflectors to fill any shad-
ows when needed.
<<< Using Natural Light
{ }
Key Points:
Use natural light
Position the baby at a 45-degree
angle to the light
Use a refector, if needed, to fll in
the shadows
Chapter 3
Communicating with
the Parents
Posing Newborns by Kelly Brown 9
A
fter the parents have contacted you for the first time,
send them information about what to expect from a new-
born session as well as when the session should take
place and where the session will be held. Refer to the sidebar
on the right for appropriate client information.
Communicating
with the Parents
Educate the client: Session
information & when to book
The best time to book a newborn session is
during the pregnancy. Make a tentative book-
ing with the parents based on their due date
and then have them contact you when they
arrive home from the hospital with their new
baby. You can then arrange a suitable time and
date for the photo session.
The ideal time to photograph newborn babies
is around 6-10 days of age.
Its good to allow for plenty of time for feeding
and cuddling during the session, so it will take
between 2-4 hours. If your studio has lots of
props for you to choose from, involve the par-
ents in the styling of the session.
At Little Pieces Photography, the session fee
covers the custom-styled photography and a
private online gallery. The private online gal-
lery will display approximately 20 images, each
personally and creatively edited by Kelly. The
session fee does not include any prints or digi-
tal negatives but will be deducted from the cli-
ents choice of package when ordering.
Once a session time and date has been confirmed, let them
know to wear something cool and comfortable, and to try
and avoid logos and patterns on shirts that could be dis-
tracting in the photographs.
At the beginning of the session, ask the parents if there is
anything in particular that they would like. Some will have
very clear ideas and others will say I love everything Ive
seen of yours! At the end of the day, they have come to
you as a professional photographer to capture the newest,
most precious member of their family so they can remem-
ber every little detail about them at that age. Talking to
your client and understanding what they want, as we are
all different, is very important. Its great to get the clients
involved in the styling of the session. At Little Pieces Pho-
tography, over the last couple of years, the sales have been
higher as the clients have had input on colour selection and
the choices in props used. >>>
Posing Newborns by Kelly Brown 10
Fill your studio with colours and props
that you love, and have fun with your
clients. Its better for them to love all of
the photos because they were involved
than to have them be unhappy because
items were chosen without their input.
Some clients will come to you because
they love your work and some will come
to you because you are the closest and
most convenient and others because of
your reputation. Understanding what
your client wants will not only help your
sales, but giving them the service they
deserve will encourage them to spread
the word about your business. The best
form of advertising is word of mouth!
<<< Communicating with the Parents
{ }
The best form of
advertising is
word of mouth!
Chapter 4
Settling Techniques
Posing Newborns by Kelly Brown 12
Settling Techniques
W
hen the family arrives, the baby may or may not already
be asleep. The baby should be asleep for the session, so
you may have to spend time getting the baby settled.
If the baby is hungry, it is best for them to feed before the ses-
sion starts so that the session doesnt have to be interrupted.
Ask the mom or dad to undress and loosely wrap the baby, leav-
ing the nappy between their legs before they feed so that they
are not disturbed if they fall asleep while feeding.
If the baby is sound asleep when they arrive, you can start the
session straight away.
When settling the baby while they are awake and fed, loosely
wrap the baby and gently rock him or her back and forth. This
is reminiscent of the movements they experienced in the womb,
as they had been gently tumbling and floating in amniotic fluid.
If the baby is upset with a pain or wind, place them upright on
your shoulder and move them gently from side to side, patting
their back. If they become too unsettled, you can pass them
back to their mother for comforting.
Once they are asleep, place them down gently either on the bag
or in a prop.
Posing Newborns by Kelly Brown 13
Chapter 5
Posing on a bag
Posing Newborns by Kelly Brown 14
Posing on a Bag
When setting the posing bag up, its good
to layer it with up to 5 blankets and clamp
them to the backdrop stand so its nice and
smooth.
As every baby is different, you should go
through a series of poses. If they are not
comfortable in one pose, move onto the
next one.
When working on the posing bag, use cloth
nappies, because they are firm when they
are folded, to raise and support the baby
into position from underneath the bottom
layer of blankets. >>>
A
ny beanbag would be good for posing
the newborns on, but it would be ideal
to use a posing pod. A posing pod is per-
fect because of its flat-topped shape and large
size, making it safe and easy to pose on. You
can purchase posing bags at the following two
places:
Newborn Baby Posing Limited
Shoot baby
Posing Newborns by Kelly Brown 15
Its good to flow/transition from
the babys back, to side, to tum-
my. This helps to keep them set-
tled when posing them. Start
with the baby on their back,
usually with a wrap around the
baby to keep their legs and
arms secure.
When photographing down-
wards, always keep the camera
strap around your neck!
A 24-70mm lens is a good range,
allowing you to photograph
without standing on anything
where you could potentially be-
come unstable and fall.
With the baby posed on his or
her back, you can get a least 3
different angles for photos with
very small movements of the
babies hands.

>>>
<<< Posing on a Bag
Posing Newborns by Kelly Brown 16
<<< Posing on a Bag
After photographing the baby on their back, gently
roll them onto their side, clamping the blanket to the
backdrop stand. The baby can be wrapped and pho-
tographed again from different angles with slight
adjustments to their hands and feet for variety.
From the side pose, gently roll them further onto
their tummy and bring their elbow and knee together.
With this pose, you can get another 3 different shots.
Then turn the baby toward the front of the bag and
bring their arms up and under the chin so the chin is
resting on the wrists. Again, take images from differ-
ent angles and use either headbands or little hats for
variety.
During any of the above setups, the baby should
not be left in these positions for too long. If you
need to, have a parent sit close to the bag to
support the babys head if necessary. It is always
better to be safe than sorry. I will often clone out
a parents support hand from an image, and it
makes them feel involved as well, which they love.
Posing Newborns by Kelly Brown 17
Posing Newborns by Kelly Brown 18
Chapter 6
Use props to create
visual interest
Posing Newborns by Kelly Brown 19
Using Props
U
sing props is a great way to add
visual interest to your images,
and to get the parents involved
in crafting the session. Refer to page 21
for resources on what kinds of props to
use and where to buy them. >>>
Posing Newborns by Kelly Brown 20
<<< Using Props
When using props its extremely important to
choose props that are solid and sturdy.
Always have a support hand on the baby
during any of these setups unless they are ly-
ing securely on their back inside a prop, but
always have someone close by when taking
the image.
Again, cloth nappies are great to line props
with so the baby is nice and comfortable and
supported at all times.
Never should a baby be placed in something
that could potentially break or fall. The safe-
ty of the baby is the number one aspect of
the shoot.
Posing Newborns by Kelly Brown 21
Props Resources
W
hen choosing props, Little Pieces Photography looks for items that are unique and in natural tones.
Anything wooden or metal is great. You can shop online, in antique shops or homeware stores.
For knitted and handmade items,
try the following:
Brand New Babe
Love That Prop
Monkey Moo Moo
Little Doe
Love that Prop
Faas Design
Handmadebylululu Sewing My Passion
For larger props like blankets, buckets, crates &
nests, visit the following:
Etsy
Ebay
Picsie Props
Drops and Props
JD Vinatage
Mr. & Mrs. And Co.
Local antique stores
Homeware stores
Posing Newborns by Kelly Brown 22
Chapter 7
Posing newborns with
the siblings
Posing Newborns by Kelly Brown 23
When posing newborns with their older brothers or
sisters, keep it really simple and photograph them at
the beginning of the session while theyre nice and
interested.
Wrap the baby so they feel secure and so its easy
for the siblings to hold them. This will also prevent
the baby from startling.
For siblings under three, I like to lay them down and
place the baby in their arms, I have mom or dad nice
and close in case they move as well. By laying them
down, it avoids the baby from falling if the toddler
decides theyve had enough and jumps up.
With older siblings, I will place the baby in their arms
while theyre sitting comfortably on the floor.
Posing with Siblings
{ }
Parents absolutely
love the sibling shots
Posing Newborns by Kelly Brown 24
Chapter 8
Posing newborns with
the parents
Posing Newborns by Kelly Brown 25
Posing with
the Parents
N
ot every parent will want to be in the
photos but its always encourage them
to be in them because its such a special
time. Tell them that if they dont like them they
dont have to buy them, but they always do.
Photograph the parents separately first,
and then together. Make it all about the
baby. This also helps the parents relax a bit
more as well. Take a series of images of the
parents looking at their baby, then looking
at the camera and then interacting with
their baby and each other.
When photographing the dads, show them
first how to hold the baby and then talk
them through the photo. Ask first if theyre
comfortable with taking their shirt off for a
skin-to-skin image. >>>
Posing Newborns by Kelly Brown 26
When positioning the baby with
the Mum I like them to hold the
baby close to their face, this is
a great way to capture the con-
nection and love between them.
Most mothers will be feeling a
little self conscious about their
bodies after birth so this is a
great way to come in close and
shoot from the chest up.
When photographing the par-
ents together, bring the dad in
from the side and turn them to-
wards each other so the baby is
in the middle. Talking to them
during the images and guide
them on what to do.
<<< Posing with the Parents
Posing Newborns by Kelly Brown 27
Posing Newborns by Kelly Brown 28
Chapter 9
Working with Multiples
Posing Newborns by Kelly Brown 29
Working with
Multiples
W
hen photographing more than
one newborn, plan on doing 2-3
set ups with the babies together
and then photographing them separately
in an additional 2-3 set ups.
The perfect time to photograph babies
the babies together is when theyre
both asleep.
Try using larger baskets and props like
washtubs to pose twins and triplets in
together.
The length of the session and the ses-
sion fee can remain the same when
photographing multiples as its import-
ant to remember that the parents are
usually sleep deprived so its good to
get the session over as quickly as pos-
sible. You can do fewer individual set-
ups with twins as you will photograph
them together and those setups take a
little longer achieve.
Posing Newborns by Kelly Brown 30
Posing Newborns by Kelly Brown 31
Chapter 10
Composite images
Posing Newborns by Kelly Brown 32
Composite Images
T
here are some poses that will require some
Photoshop compositing. This means that you
will have to take more than one image (with
the camera in the same exact location) and them
merge them later in order to remove things such as
a supporting hand. Whenever you see a newborn
photo where it appears that the baby is holding his
or her head up with their hands, the image was com-
posited. >>>
Posing Newborns by Kelly Brown 33
Composite images are the best way to really ensure the safety
of the baby when it comes to this pose. You dont have to of-
fer certain poses like the wrapped sitting upright or the froggy
pose but every now and then a parent will request them.
Its important for the parent to understand how the images are
created and what they have to do to help.
Inform the parents that if the baby becomes uncomfortable at
any stage, you will move onto the next setup. It can be good to
leave these poses until the end of the session anyway. The baby
also needs to be extremely sleepy for these setups.
You dont want to attempt these images on your own for the
first time.
<<< Composite Images
Chapter 11
Important Safety Tips
Posing Newborns by Kelly Brown 35
More on Safety
T
he safety of the baby is the most important aspect of your
session. Parents will also feel more comfortable throughout
the session knowing their baby is in safe hands
Always have a spotter/parent next to your baby when using props.
Use a support hand or finger when posing the baby and clone it
out later in Photoshop.
Dont force a baby into any pose. Instead, move them to where they
are comfortable.
Have your camera strap around your neck when shooting above
the baby.
Never stand on anything above the baby in case you fall or it breaks.
Never put a baby inside or on an object that could potentially break
or fall.
Glass props should never be used.
Lastly, when photographing newborns, it doesnt have to be compli-
cated. More often than not, less is best. Capturing the tiny details
that parents want to remember about their baby is what sells, not
the most elaborate, tricky setups.
Posing Newborns by Kelly Brown 36
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