Natural Light Newborn Photography Tips

Research and invest in lighting equipment.

Natural light newborn photography tips. Natural light is also a great source for newborn portraiture as it adds a warm fuzzy tone. Shoot flow is my seven step process for setting up your camera correctly in manual mode. When you are all done it folds up into a little lightweight package making storing it and traveling with it easy as pie. Use a reflector to bounce light back onto the subject s a large piece of foam core or circular reflector works great for bouncing light back onto a subject filling in shadows and bringing out detail that would otherwise fall into shadow.

Also i most often keep the baby s head toward the light to achieve shadowing i prefer in my newborn baby photography sessions. Since i travel to my shoots i prefer a reflector since it folds up small enough to fit inside my camera bag. If you don t start with the correct set up you will not achieve the desired results. A standard lens of 50mm is ideal for this kind of image.

Correct placement of your light correct equipment proper white balance and correct exposure mean everything. The most important thing you can do to create a beautiful professional looking image is to have baby in natural light says alicia gines of sacramento based alicia gines photography. The focus in this type of photography session is on shots of the baby looking perfect usually in blankets wraps hats headbands. Running a newborn photography business is a great way to photograph your favorite subject.

Newborn photography posed studio sessions typically must be done within the first 2 weeks of birth when the baby is very sleepy and mold able. Don t get too fancy with your setup. The most flattering lighting is completely natural. Step 4 time to shoot.

Use window light if possible and avoid the harsh sun because it tends to casts shadows and is also unhealthy for the baby s skin. For the best baby shots photograph during the daytime when there is plenty of natural daylight. Whether it comes from a window a sliding door or even outside in the shade natural light is going to bring. A lot of them.

Angling the beanbag set up and positioning the baby at an angle to the light source creates soft shadows which add critical depth to an attractive portrait. This will ensure amazing image quality from that soft ambient light. It s also a great way to challenge yourself. Once in place they are unlikely to change much because the light is constant and baby won t move much unassisted.

Natural light gives a soft focus look to the baby s skin. Get softer light with the white side warmer light with the gold side cooler light with the silver side or keep light from reflecting with the black side.