How to Take Beautiful Pictures of Newborns for a Novice Photographer?

Cute photos of newborns are in high demand. Childhood passes in the blink of an eye, so many parents try to preserve forever pleasant moments with their newborns. This is not a bad chance to earn a beginner photographer, because this genre is not as difficult as it may seem at first glance. In addition, happy parents also like to order pictures with the best shots, and this is not a bad chance to make extra money. If you additionally do photo printing and the most common contenders are lustre vs glossy pictures, we recommend reading the materials on the official Skylum website.

In this article, you will find valuable tips on newborn photos that will be very useful for beginner photographers. We have collected tips on posing, organizing a photo shoot, editing, photo printing, and many other aspects. If you listen to some of the recommendations, photographing little kids will turn into a real pleasure for you.

The first thing is safety

Many creative shots of newborns are taken using Photoshop or another photo editor. Beginning photographers are often recommended to use Luminar Neo as it contains a simpler and more intuitive interface with many professional tools. Remember that you should never put your little model in danger, sometimes it’s better to just use an image editor. All because newborns can’t hold their own heads.

If this is your first photoshoot in this kind of genre, then choose only poses in which the baby can be on his or her own. Images like this will still turn out quite cute, but most importantly – safe. This way parents will feel more confident and relaxed because you will not create any reason to worry. Over time, you will become more experienced in photo shoots with newborns and will be able to take more creative pictures using different props. It is advisable to take additional training in this type of photography to learn new techniques and improve your skills as a photographer.

Let’s talk a little bit about photo printing

Very often at the preliminary meeting before the photo shoot, the parents want to know right away if it is possible to order a photo print. You should discuss this right away and clarify exactly what kind of result they want. You can tell them right away what is lustre photo finish and show them some examples.

Maybe they want to get a picture with glossy photo paper, then tell them about all its advantages. Tell them that gloss is often used to make eye-catching family portraits that can be found hanging on the wall of every home, so it would be a great solution for newborn pictures. Help the parents make the right decision.

Choose the right time for your photoshoot

It is best to take pictures of newborns before they are two weeks old. Babies grow up very quickly and already after two weeks start to behave more actively, looking around. If you miss this time, you won’t be able to achieve the desired effect. It is up to two weeks old that the baby is much more likely to doze off sweetly and much less likely to get out of swaddling.

To avoid a lot of stress and discomfort, plan your photo shoot closer to two weeks from birth. When you are contacted by happy parents, be sure to mention this fact. Keep in mind that photos with sleepy newborns are the cutest.

Create the perfect environment for your newborn

To make sure the shots are great and the parents are much less worried, create the most favorable environment possible for the newborn. This means you will need to worry about the following factors:

• If the room is chilly, you need to bring a small heater with you to keep the baby warm.
• Take care to keep the noise level stable at all times. It is not necessary to observe complete silence, quiet constant noise will allow the child to remain calm longer.
• The same goes for lighting. Make sure that the light is set perfectly and you don’t have to use sudden bright flashes all the time.

To make your newborn nap peacefully while you do the preparations, you can turn on a quiet lullaby or even use white noise. Such care for the child will show you as a real professional, and parents will surely appreciate your skills and recommend you to their friends. Be flexible

Always be guided by the circumstances. If your baby is peacefully napping, catch that moment. When the baby starts to look around, focus on his eyes. You can also take pictures of an awake newborn in the arms of a mom or dad. This way you’ll be more creative and get more good shots that you can print. Some pictures will look better in black and white, you will realize this in the editing process. If we talk about photo printing here, In the confrontation of lustre vs glossy prints we should not forget about matte pictures. This option is ideal for black-and-white images.

Don’t forget that during a newborn photo shoot you can also involve relatives and parents. A new baby is an addition to the family, so why not photograph this sweet and beautiful moment? That way, you’ll have a big family picture that your clients will definitely want to print and put up at home.

A short conclusion

Be attentive to your baby, be flexible and take a variety of shots. Always prepare in advance for a newborn photo shoot, have a preliminary meeting with the parents, and set up your equipment and camera from the evening. It is possible that great shots your customers will want to print, so you will have to advise them on this issue. We recommend reading an interesting article about the advantages and disadvantages of lustre vs glossy photo printing on Skylum’s blog to expand your knowledge.