Newborn photography is a huge market within our industry. This posed style of newborn photography has been around for a few years, and the trend isn’t going anywhere. Besides needing talent and knowledge of photography techniques, newborn photographers also require a lot of other types of certain skills to ensure the safety and comfort of the tiny babies they are photographing. If you are a new photographer wanting to jump into this genre of photography, here are a few things to think about as you get started!
Newborn Photography Tips for Beginners
Newborn photography involves a ton of crucial aspects that involve careful consideration. While it’s tempting to simply get started with a camera in hand and passion for the job, approaching the job like this could spell disaster if you don’t have the knowledge of how to pose newborns for pictures. After all, the number one priority is naturally the safety and comfort of the newborn. Other aspects like the props, lighting, and photography techniques are no doubt valuable too, but they are secondary to the baby safety factor. For those of you who are new to this domain, here are some newborn photography tips for beginners worth considering before getting your hands dirty:
Patience is Key
Most newborn sessions can last anywhere from 3-4 hours. You’ll be dealing with a newborn who might be fussy and you’ll be required to hold, comfort, soothe, pose, wrap… So a key newborn photography tip for beginners is: Just remember to take a deep breath, and have patience as you work the baby into a pose.
Practice the Basics
Don’t try to jump into poses like “head in the hands” in your first session. You don’t want to try something too complicated before you have the basics down, as this would be too risky and would set you up for failure. More importantly, if you place the baby in an unsafe position, you’d be risking the infant’s safety. So keep it simple, and work on simple lying-down poses where the baby is wrapped. It’d be best to nail these basic poses first and master your lighting and composition instead of diving into complicated poses that require knowledge and expertise. For additional help, read our blog on how to safely pose newborns for photographs.
Invest in Newborn Photography Education
Make an investment in yourself and your business. Education, especially when it comes to newborn photography, is extremely important. It’s not just about the quality of the images, but the safety of newborn posing. So it makes sense to learn from and observe someone who has experience with this type of photography. Whether it’s purchasing a course from Creative Live or taking an in-person workshop from an expert photographer you admire, make sure you do your research and read reviews.
Keep it Simple
You don’t need a whole mass of props, headbands, and blankets in order to get started. Instead, consider buying a couple of neutral blankets and wraps to practice with and maybe 1-2 simple headbands. Practice with these combos as you hone in your skills (which is where your focus should be). Then as you build your business, you can slowly add to your collection.
Have a Contract in Place
Besides getting education in the niche, another important newborn photography tip for beginners is having a contract in place. Especially while you’re building your portfolio, having a contract that sets expectations of what the parents will receive from their session is very important. It keeps client expectations clear and you want to have the best business practices in place from the start.
Bonus: We’ve prepared a free newborn questionnaire for photographers that will help you capture the most adorable pictures. We have a question for those of you who are more seasoned newborn photographers: what advice or newborn photography tips for beginners do you have for those who are just getting started? Leave your advice in the comments below!
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