Newborn Willow 2
3-1-2 week old baby girl
3-1-2 week old baby girl
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Sep, 2016Views
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Awards
Legendary Award
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Featured
Contest Finalist in Image Of The Month Photo Contest Vol 14
Contest Finalist in Newborn Smiles Photo Contest
Peer Award
Outstanding Creativity
Superb Composition
Absolute Masterpiece
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Magnificent Capture
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Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Behind The Lens
Location
Believe it or not, I do all of my newborn photography in a small space in my living room next to a large window. I literally push my dining table to the other side of the room and set up a mini photography space for small children and babies. I do not have a professional studio space at this time. Just a mom of three, doing photos in her living room while the kids are at school.Time
My babies always visit me in the morning when the light from the window is soft, and my kids are off at school.Lighting
For newborns I typically like a soft side light, leaving a little depth and some shadows on the other side. So the window and a supplemental softbox when needed on one side works great.Equipment
I shot with a Canon 5D mark III. For these overhead shots with newborns in a basket surrounded by flowers, I have to stand on a little bench and use a 35mm lens, otherwise I cannot fit everything into the shot. So I'm careful to use a camera strap around my neck and a low, wide bench for safety. All my photos are handheld and not done on a tripod. My supplemental lighting is Westcott constant light setup in a softbox. Most people prefer flash, but I do find that for babies and young children, a constant light setup is less startling for them, and keeps them more at ease during the photoshoots.Inspiration
I'm always looking for something different and more interesting to try with newborns. Most newborn photography ends up with the baby posed on a blanket or in a basket, which is great, and I still do those shots. But I wanted some images that made my newborn photos stand out from the crowd, and at the time I was brainstorming I had a lot of baby girls lined up, so I was thinking about how to incorporate some flowers. I figured the mom's would be pleased with some flower photos as well. A wreath type design seemed like the best idea, and after a few test set ups I came up with something I liked. This photo was actually taken in the beginning stages of the overhead flower wreath photos. They have evolved a bit since then using better flower designs and better posing. But the idea was very popular, and now I get clients coming to me specifically because they want these overhead flower wreath photos for their babies, and other photographers in the area do not offer them. So, its worked out quite well.Editing
Yes, I process my images in photoshop. Newborns especially sometimes need skin correction due to rashes, baby acne, scratched, bruising, flaky skin, etc. So I edit to remove any obvious skin blemishes, but try to leave enough texture so they dont look plastic. I also normally soften the shadows in post processing, and for this particular photo I have also added a digital texture. My original background for this picture was simple grey colored background paper.In my camera bag
I have my Canon 5D Mark III, and a 35mm, 50mm, and 135mm. That is all I use. Like I said, I'm just a mom of three taking photos as a little side job. I dont have a huge amount of equipment. I use the 35mm and 50mm for my indoor setups with children due to lack of space. Outdoors I prefer the 135mm when possible, but also use the 50mm.Feedback
For these over head shots with a newborn or with anything else, you can design them however you like, but I think the key is just using a shorter focal length lens and standing on something to be sure you can get everything in the frame. More importantly, try to find something that you like to take photos of, and do it in a way that makes you stand out from the crowd, even just locally, and will attract customers to you specifically for what YOU can offer them. Find your inspiration and make it yours, and the rest will follow.
