I am so excited about this next series! I will be going through the various age groups and offering up what I hope is a set of helpful tips on posing or working with your subjects. The obvious place to start, of course, is with newborns. My goal in this post is to demonstrate how simple poses can work well. I hope you are ready… because this post is loaded .

The examples I show are natural light, in clients’ homes – but many of these poses are possible in a studio setting.

I see many new photographers obsessing about mastering the beanbag shot, at the expense of taking shots with more variety and simplicity, in which the natural beauty of these new little beings are showcased. And on that note… let us begin.

Okay, so beyond making sure the babies are nice and warm and well fed, I am usually adding to the session in three ways. First – bringing some of my own blankets, hats, and diaper covers. Second – is to make sure my client is prepared on their end with their own assortment of blankets (and hats if they have some). Third – is to assess what fabrics, furniture, and ‘backdrops’ (i.e. walls, headboards, chair backs, etc.) are available in the rooms that have the best light.

Let’s start with blankets. When they are properly placed – they can frame the baby beautifully.

 

 

The other way in which I like to use blankets is taking advantage of the original patterns I may find at a client’s home – whether it been on a baby blanket, bedspread, or rug.

 

In working the blanket theme a bit more… try and choose a color of blanket that matches the color of the baby’s eyes.

 

Of course, we can’t leave out hats or diaper covers…

 

Next up… arms. Don’t forget that newborns can do wonderful things with their arms! If possible – try and give them the opportunity to do so by not keeping them totally swaddled.

 

And… in keeping with the arms theme – use the arms or hands of a parent to help structure the shot.

 

Next we come to… angle. Play with your angles to see what works.

 

Next up – using windows to your advantage. For both these shots (the full body more than the partial), it is definitely a bonus to be able to work in Photoshop, Lightroom or Adobe Camera Raw to add some fill light (or essentially bring up the shadows).

 

 

Okay… how about furniture? This can be at the client’s home or using some carefully chosen pieces for your studio.

 

 

Or art in the client’s home…

 

And although I have used containers of one type or another, that has been more the exception than the rule and is generally not as straight forward as many of the suggestions above.

 

 

Finally, for those wondering about where to get hats, blankets, diaper covers, etc. – it’s all out there on the web – or already belongs to your clients.

Whew! That pretty much covers it for today !

So, what’s your Bottom Line?

• Use your eyes first – and see what is around you
• Use blankets in a myriad of different ways – as a wrap or lying on top
• Hats and diaper covers can totally take a picture to the next level
  
• Let the baby’s arms do their thing if possible
• Use the client’s furniture to your advantage (or buy some selective pieces for your studio)
• Use windows to your advantage
• Make use of interesting art in your clients’ homes
• If the opportunity presents itself tastefully, consider bowls or interesting containers

Okay… I’m going to ramp up my usual blurb here by asking you to share this post with friends, on your forums (by cutting and pasting the link at the top of this page), and/or on Facebook, Twitter, etc.  This post comes with years of blood, sweat and tears – and I’m sharing it with you – so if you find it helpful, please do me a BIG favor by spreading the word. Thank you!!

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Technorati Tags: newborn photography tips, newborn posing guide

Tags: newborn photography tips, newborn posing guide