When my first little guy was born I just completed an intro to photography class. I was SO excited to take photos of all of his little features and special moments, but aside from knowing how to use my camera, I had no idea what I was doing. Let's just say, after my fourth little one was born, I felt confident in capturing her in the hospital in just a few minutes.
Let's be honest. After pushing out a baby, you really don't feel like doing a whole lot except resting, eating, and snuggling that bundle of joy. The option to hire a professional photographer to document your baby's first 48 hours (also known as a fresh 48 session) is ALWAYS best. However, in these times where hospitals are limiting the number of visitors, it may not be an option for you. Because of that, I thought I would share some of my best tips for how to photograph your baby in the hospital whether you have an iPhone, a point and shoot, or a fancy DSLR camera.
Lighting and Time of Day
No matter what time of day your baby is born, it is best to wait to take images during the daytime. Natural light will be the best option for getting the best images. One trick is to turn off all of the lights in your room (even lamps) and find the biggest window possible to move the bassinet near. That natural light pouring through the window will be enough light for your shot and you won't have any yellow or blue fluorescent light tones on your baby.
Setting up for your shot
After you have moved the bassinet parallel to the window make sure that all the clutter around is removed (bags, trashcans, etc.). I like to bring a solid colored swaddle the wrap the bottom of the bassinet in for a clean look, but anything will do! I normally start with baby swaddled, then slowly remove layer by layer until I just have baby in their diaper for those detail shots.
Getting all the Tiny Features
Don't forget to get those little features, eyelashes, wrinkles on the feet, swishy cheeks, bubbles in the lips, hair, hospital bracelets, umbilical cord clip, etc. Before you know it, all of those features will be completely different.
Composition
When composing your shot you want to make sure you are shooting from straight above, so moving a chair to stand on or whatever you can find. (Side note, if you are going to stand on a chair, make sure your significant other is there to help- we don't need any mamas falling). Shooting from straight above will allow you to see all of baby's features without distortion. One thing you don't want to do is take photos from the angle up their nose.
Editing
Simple editing is all that is needed if you use natural light. You may need to slightly brighten your images depending on the cloud coverage, but don't overdo it. One thing to keep in mind is baby's skin tone. You don't want to make them look jaundiced, so avoid messing too much with the warmth of the images. I love using lightroom for my editing and they even have an app that is perfect for editing images on the go.
Hello Jude Photography is a North Georgia Newborn Photographer specializing in luxury family, maternity, newborn, and baby photography. I believe in the beauty of simplicity and the value of tangible heirlooms that you can pass down from generation to generation.
Bailey serves clients in the North Georgia region including Habersham County, Hall County, White County and beyond. Our natural light studio is located in Clarkesville, Georgia.