Newborn Photography Ideas And Tips For Better Portraits! by Scot Voelker

In this article I wanted to share some tips I used from a recent newborn session.

A couple of weeks ago my cousin gave birth to a precious baby girl. Five days later she contacted me and asked if I had any time to stop by that afternoon and take a few pictures for her.
We all know that babies are sleepy during their first two weeks of life and this is the best time to capture those sweet sleeping images so I couldn't resist!

Tip #1 - Turn Up The HEAT!

I told her to crank the heat up and I would be there in an hour.

Here's a list of what I took with me for this session.

Small white vinyl backdrop (5′x7′)
Large soft blanket
Heating pad
Few cute props
....and of course my camera.
No Excuses...Use What You Have!

I want you to know that all I had was the items I listed above. I didn't have a big fancy studio or my professional lights. I used natural light and bounced my flash when I need to. So, because I didn't bring a backdrop stand, I just draped the backdrop up on her bed. The lighting was pretty good and the bed was high enough that she didn't have to bend over much.

Anyone who has given birth and has had a c-section will tell you that bending over can be dangerous and not to mention extremely painful! I like to make sure the Mom is comfortable and doesn't have to do much bending during the sitting!

Before draping the backdrop over her headboard, we took a large piece of plywood and put it underneath, so when I set the props down they would have a hard surface to keep them stable. Always remember that safety is your first priority with newborns!

I usually let Mom choose which props she would like to use first. Since my cousin is a bird lover, she decided to use my grapevine basket that looks like a little bird's nest. I scrunched up a neutral colored blanket that was warmed up in the dryer and put it inside the nest.

Next...we placed Baby Gianna in her warm nest where she looked so cozy and peaceful. She was even smiling at times. I think she must have been dreaming of mamma bird bringing her lunch.

Then we decided to try a distressed green wooden bucket I just purchased. Once again we warmed the blanket and place her inside. Her cheek was a little scrunched up at first so I took a small washcloth, folded it a couple of times and placed it under the blanket to lift her head. Mom was standing right next to baby and I told her never to look at me and only focus on Gianna.

Remember... you are never limited to what you have. You can use creative cropping to zoom in and get an entire different look and you can also use a Digital Background to give you even more options. The options are endless.

This was so much fun and I plan on getting together with her again this week!

I hope you see that you don't need a BIG fancy studio to create professional portraits. All I used was what most people already have available and we got some great shots.

You can too!

Scott Voelker is the creator of NewPortraitBiz. He has taught 1,000's of students how to start a photography business. To receive his Free video lessons and Blog posts visit New Portrait Biz Blog.
You should also check out this Digital Portrait Idea he posted that shows you a simple technique you can use for inspiration.

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