We would like to welcome Emily Hodge of Simply Blessing Photography to the blog today. Emily is an Unraveled Expert Artist and soon-to-be Instructor here at the Academy with a lesson coming out in the Fall of 2020 on studio newborn photography. Her newborn photography is clean, minimalistic and calming in nature. Today, we have asked her to provide us with 10 of her best tips for photographing newborns.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Emily is lover of adventure, dogs, sunshine, mountains, and fresh air. She bought her first camera, a canon rebel, after her son was born in 2013. “I spent so many hours staring at my little miracle, taking so many pictures because I wanted to preserve every amazing little bit of him.” Her passion for her small subjects grew even more after the birth of her daughter, Selah in 2014. Becoming a mother was the reason her love of photography began to blossom. Capturing the raw beauty and innocence of children is a total rush! Her style is described as rustic, organic, and moody. She also works part time as a registered nurse for home health and hospice and is an affiliate photographer with Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep. Emily lives in New Castle, Colorado with her husband and two wild children, Noah and Selah.

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10 tips for Photographing Newborns

I find that most photographers do not enjoy photographing newborns, mostly because they simply do not know what to do with them! Posing newborns doesn’t have to be scary. Emily will show you 4 newborn set ups using a few simple props (a box, a bucket, and a bowl).

Start them early

Because most of the photographs I take require babies to be sleepy, I find it’s best to photograph newborns when they are between 5-12 days old. If you try to photograph them earlier sometimes the mother's milk hasn't come in yet and baby will be fussy and not easily satisfied. If you go much longer than that babies are more alert and not as easily posed.

Wear them out

I usually advise parents to try and keep the baby active for at least an hour before their session, giving them a bath, letting them kick around in their diaper, even letting them fuss a little bit (no pacifier or swaddling) to try and wear them out before the session

Pacifier

I ask parents to bring a pacifier if the baby uses one (the soft, bendable kind are best and don’t leave marks). I find that many fussy babies can be soothed back to sleep with a pacifier. Many parents will make an exception if it means getting the shot which is why I also keep unopened ones stocked in my studio.

Keep it warm

I keep my studio around 85 degrees. A blowing heater works best as you can point it at the baby to keep them warm, but don’t forget to monitor the heat at all times. If you are going to their house I ask parents to warm up the house about an hour before you arrive and I bring a space heater as well.

White noise

If it’s too quiet the shutter click can startle the baby, I use an app on my phone called the baby shusher, but any white noise app would do.

Always wash your hands before starting

And please, reschedule if you’re sick. It’s the nurse in me.

Full belly

I ask parents to feed the baby either right before the come or as soon as they arrive at my studio. If the baby is waking and seems to want to suck, it might be time for another feeding.

Patience

I often say that newborn photography is about 90% waiting for them to fall asleep and 10% taking pictures. My newborn sessions typically take 2-3 hours on average. Stroking the baby’s face can also calm a fussy baby and induce sleep. The sweet spot is usually right in between the eyes stroking upwards or downwards. If baby fusses every time a small modification is made, leave him alone for a few minutes and then try again. Sometimes just a short break will allow the baby to drift into a deeper sleep.

Keeping them wrapped

Fussy baby? Even if you and the parents do everything “right” to prepare, some babies are just fussy, whether they have gas, need to burp, are constipated, etc. I find it best to just keep them wrapped. You can easily swaddle them and then change the outer wrap and your angles for a variety of looks.