Little bundle
A week old baby boy.
A week old baby boy.
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Aug, 2016Views
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Awards
Featured
Contest Finalist in Beautiful Babies Photo Contest
Peer Award
Top Choice
Absolute Masterpiece
Superb Composition
Outstanding Creativity
Superior Skill
Magnificent Capture
All Star
Virtuoso
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Behind The Lens
Location
This was an in-home session. The photo was taken inside the client's home.Time
Newborn sessions are usually scheduled to begin mid-morning - a time that is best for babies. This photo was taken towards the end of the session, around 12:30pm which is also an ideal time for window light. The light is usually brightest in the middle of the day.Lighting
I love natural light and look for big windows that are north facing. I hang a white, party table, plastic sheet in front of the window on bright, sunny days - it diffuses the light and turns the window into a huge light box. In the southern hemisphere, light from a north-facing window tends to be brightest and warmest. A reflector is sometimes necessary to bounce light back on the shadow side. It just depends on whether a cloud is passing or the room has dark walls etc.Equipment
Camera: Nikon D700 Lens: Nikkor 50mm 1.4GInspiration
I'm drawn to natural images of newborns. Not too many frills or fancies. A baby is a beautiful creation, all on his own.Editing
I post-process almost all my photos to add my own look and feel to the images. I use Lightroom to tweak white-balance, exposure etc. This baby's skin was actually blemish free so very little processing was required overall. The blanket just needed to be evened out in some of the corners and this was done in Photoshop.In my camera bag
50mm 1.4G: My go-to lens for newborn sessions. It is a perfect for working in small spaces and the focal length is just right 90% of the time. 105mm 2.8G Micro: For close-up details. 24-70mm 2.8G: Slightly wider for including families in the photos. 85mm 1.4G: My favourite portrait lens, especially outdoors where there is more space.Feedback
Newborn photography is a very specialised field and not for everyone. It takes a lot of time and patience to work with babies and the photographer must ensure that the baby is safe, warm and comfortable. I use a newborn posing bag during my sessions and have plenty of blankets and wraps on hand to work safely and efficiently during a session. A parent or assistant standing by, just out of frame, is always necessary should the baby startle. Once baby is happy and settled, position yourself between the window and the posing bag and capture shots from above or from the side to get a variety of images. Focus on the baby's eyes or eye line and turn the beanbag so that the light falling across the baby is flattering. Ideally, the baby should be positioned at a 45º angle to the window. Expose for the baby's skin and check your histogram to ensure that there are no blown out highlights - particularly on the skin. White-balance is set to around 5000K as a starting point and adjusted as necessary.
