lindsayamanda
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken at my clients home. I was so excited to finally meet this sweet little girl after having photographed both this couples maternity and baby shower images. She was so adorable and perfect! Typically for a newborn session I try and get the baby to sleep so its easier to pose and capture shots. But little Ariel was wide awake and oh so curious! It took a lot of feeding, rocking and cooing to get her sleepy enough to take this shot. But it was all worth it in the end!Time
I am so proud of how this image turned out! We had planned a morning session in hopes that Ariel would be asleep, which meant a 7am coffee run for me and my assistant followed by half an hour of lugging all necessary equipment into the car. We then proceeded to drive to the client’s home, unpack, set up, and get ready to begin. We began shooting at 9:30am with a wide-awake newborn and some pretty adorable props.Lighting
I wanted the image to look clean and crisp and to really show the love this father had for his new daughter. I also wanted to capture the creative side of this daddy by making his tattoos a key feature in the image. I placed them both along a neutral wall in the living room, where some beautiful natural light was shining though the bay windows. And so, standing on a stool to get a height advantage, and to access the best light, I got this shot.Equipment
This image was shot on a NIKON D5200, using a 18-55mm f 3.5 lens. No other equipment was used.Inspiration
When I was taking the maternity shots for this couple, I couldn't help notice how happy this man was to be having a little girl. When their gallery was complete and we were going through their images, he starting crying saying he was so happy and excited to meet her. I knew then that I wanted to capture an image of him and his newborn that displayed his raw emotions for his new little angel.Editing
I used lightroom to edit this image in order to enhance that crisp clean look I was going for. Typically newborns have a lot of red and purple undertones in their skin, so I used a brush to soften the skin and remove those pigments. I also added some detailing in the tattoo to enhance it just enough to make it pop. I softened the background and finished up with a touch of enhanced lighting around the baby.In my camera bag
I always pack my 18-55mm 3.5 lens, I love this lens and I use it for almost all of my portrait and newborn photography. The other 2 lenses I always have on hand are my 55-200mm lens and my 50mm prime lens. With these 3 lenses on hand, I am usually ready for anything that comes my way! Lastly I always make sure I have my trusty speed light (NIKON SB-910) for when I need that extra bit of light.Feedback
Patience is key! This shot took about 2 hours because newborns are not always going to be the perfect subjects. They get hungry, cry, fuss and simply refuse to sleep sometimes. Just be patient and work with what you've got. Try using white noise, a soothing back rub, or have mom rock the baby until they are sleepy enough to work with. remember to always try and work with natural light when photographing newborns. Try finding the best spot where natural light hits a perfect backdrop, like the neutral wall used in this photo. This shot definitely came with its challenges, including getting peed on! But in the end we were able to get that one perfect shot. That one shot that made it all worth it.