Due to the extraordinary circumstances we find ourselves in worldwide with COVID-19, and many photographers having to postpone sessions for newborn photos, I thought it might be helpful to offer some simple tips on how you can document your newborn at home in the early days using your own camera or mobile phone. It's such an important time, and even just one of these tips might help you create the best images you can, using what you have right now. Of course these photos are not taken on a phone, however I'm using them to try and illustrate. You can do it!
There are many things to consider but I'm going to try and break it down to the most important only. You can find lots of other photography tips online and things that are specific to your phone and it's camera settings. I encourage you to read all you can and learn. These are just some basics to get you started. Once it's safe to hire a photographer again, my heart hopes you will!
1. Light
The most important factor here is light. You want to aim to position your little love or family members in great natural light. At home this might be on the lounge with the blinds open and you faced slightly towards the windows, in the bedroom on the bed, again with faces either to the side of the windows or facing towards. This might not always be possible, but it's very important to ensure the room is well lit especially when using mobile phones that may not let you adjust settings. Unless you are feeling brave and trying to get creative, avoid harsh direct light and instead stand or sit a little back from the windows. You might also like to try shaded outdoors or the soft light of afternoon outside. Avoid overhead lights in your home, or any lamp lighting that might add unnatural tones. If you can, turn off the flash and only use natural light.
Start paying attention to the way the light falls in your home and how it changes during the day. The more light you have to work with, the easier it will be to take clear photos. You might notice that you have the best light during the morning in your lounge room or even your kitchen. In darker rooms the camera has to work harder, and if it's on automatic it changes settings so that if your children move, it might blur and the photos may also appear very grainy or colours may appear unnatural. If you need to take photos in darker rooms, hold your phone or camera as steady as you can and ask your subject to stay very still. Sometimes your mobile phone allows you to adjust brightness as well before you take the photo. On the other hand, if your room is too bright or casting shadows on faces, consider diffusing the light with a sheer curtain, moving further away from the light source or turning your blinds a little to change it's direction.
A great guide to see if you have it right, is to ask one of the people to look at you. If you can see some catch lights in their eyes, like their eyes are bright and shiny and reflecting light, it's probably a great spot.
2. Safety
Please don't try and recreate something that a professional photographer does with props. Please don't put your baby in any danger by placing them into or onto anything other than someone's arms or their cosy bassinets or your bed. Please always supervise them and never leave them unattended. If you have a partner ask them to help you with siblings. It doesn't matter if someone's arm or hand has to be in the photo. Safety first. Please do not put them in any unnatural positions that might obstruct their breathing. Please do not stand precariously above them or hold heavy cameras over their face that aren't attached to you. Keep it simple, keep it safe.
3. Simplicity
Less is more. This is so true for documenting your new little love. If something doesn't add to the story or the image, consider removing it so it's not in the frame or changing the angle of your phone/camera to exclude it. Frame your photo to capture what is really important at the moment. Remove clutter if you can or simply change your position. Keep colours simple and where possible neutral. Bright colours can reflect onto your baby's skin and make their face appear that colour. This would be very hard to fix on a mobile phone, though there are some great editing apps around nowadays.
4. Flattering Angles
This seems like a strange thing to worry about with a newborn doesn't it? They are perfect from every angle. However you will find most newborn photographers avoid photographing up a baby's nose. We change our angle to be sure we are shooting front on or from slightly above the face. A good guide here, is if you can see the dark part of the nostrils really well, you probably need to adjust your position. The same goes for photographing your partners. Nobody looks their best shot from below. Encourage your partner/mum/sidekick to be slightly elevated above you when taking your photo or in the very least on the same level. Pay attention to any shadows that might be showing on faces and adjust your perspective accordingly.
5. Focus on the Details
When photographing the little details like hands and feet, this is best done when baby is very settled and sleepy. That way their feet and hands are still and easier for you to capture. Keep the frame clear of anything other than these details. Avoid busy patterns on clothing and wraps and really focus on what's important. Make sure the hands or feet are well lit. Wait for your camera or phone to adjust so that you ensure the foot or hand is in focus and not the background. Perhaps put your phone on silent to take these ones so the sound doesn't startle your little love and then make them move their hands. This will create blur.
6. Don't use Filters
Avoid using filters to heavily edit your photos or if you do, at least keep the original safe. Many of these filters add strange colours to skin tones or add too much contrast. Remember the main goal of these photos is to document your little baby to the best of your ability with what you currently have now at home. You might regret changing the original photos later on, just because something was on trend today.
7. Take that Selfie
You and your partner (or just you if a solo parent) will be spending a lot of time sitting down with a little one snuggled into your arms or on our chest or feeding. This is the perfect time to be in the picture if there is no one else to do it for you. Your little one is mostly likely calm, you probably are too because they just smell so delicious and are so perfect.. and besides you can't move because you'll probably wake them, so snap away and take lots. If you have a mirror to use somewhere take a photo of yourself with your little love in the mirror.
8. Let go of Perfect
Finally, it's ok to let go of perfection here. What you are wanting to do is document and preserve. You might get frustrated, especially trying to take sibling photos. Take a deep breath and relax. There is no photo that is worth putting your baby at risk or hurting the feelings of their big brothers or sisters. So be patient, keep your phone or camera close by and just wait for moments to unfold naturally. You will come to notice patterns in behaviour and should have plenty of time to capture natural sibling interaction. Perhaps your toddler might come in and snuggle while you are feeding your newborn everyday. Ask your partner if you can to photograph it next time it happens. You might notice that when you put them in their bassinet daily that their brother or sister comes over for a sneaky kiss each time or to look at their hands or feet. The opportunities will come and what's most important is that you take the photo, not that it's perfect. Every photo we take during this time is going to be so special to us.
If you need any more advice, I'd be happy to help out at this current time. What's most important is that you aren't missing out on documenting your little family. Somebody needs to be taking these photos right now and if you can't access a professional, that's your role at the moment. But as I mentioned before, always exercise caution and never attempt anything that might harm your children.
Stay safe beauties and feel free to share this with anyone you think it might help.
x Mandii
