Are you interested in starting a business photographing babies?
I’ve written this guide to Newborn Photography to help you understand what equipment and new skills you will need.
There are insights in this article that I have learnt over the past 7 years while specializing as a Newborn and Maternity photographer.
And I can guarantee that, even if you are already a seasoned photographer, there will be a lot to learn.
Here is an overview of what I have covered in this article:
Where to Photograph a Newborn Baby?
Preparing For a Newborn Photography Shoot
Cameras and Photography Equipment
So, if you are interested in learning about the perfect work from home profession, keep reading.
Where to Photograph a Newborn Baby?
Location, Location, Location!
When I first started specializing in Newborn Photography I traveled to the clients home.
This was the easy choice at first, but after a while I found it limited my creativity and had some challenges.
So my first major business choice was to create a studio in my home basement. This has worked for me and I’m still doing this currently.
On location at the clients home
Pros:
- Easier for your clients
- Younger siblings are more relaxed
- No studio space required
- Low overhead costs
- Suitable for simple ‘lifestyle shots’
Cons:
- Having to ‘commute’
- Loading and unloading your vehicle
- Limited amount of props and equipment
- Takes time to set up and then pack up equipment
- Clients homes rarely have enough room
- Typically bad lighting conditions
- Their house will not be warm enough
- Lack of electrical outlets
- Pets can be a problem
A Home Studio
Pros:
- Working from Home, less stressful
- No commute
- Everything setup and ready
- Access to everything you will need
- An ideal and consistent lighting setup
- Multiple sessions in a day (more income)
- More room for large light modifiers
- Ideal temperature control (warm for the babies)
- More professional environment
- Permanent multiple backdrop setup
- Display extra products for sale, Albums etc
Cons:
- Studio takes up your home space
- An increase in heating costs
- Privacy, people in your house
- Having to provide consumables, snacks, water, coffee etc
- Clients can be reluctant to travel
Commercial Studio Space
Pros:
- Professional Presentation
- As much space as you can afford
- Shop front advertising
- Can charge more for your services
- Rent out studio space to other photographers
Cons:
- Increased monthly costs
- Long term commitment
Working from a commercial studio space is something you would want to work up to once you are established and have a steady income.
Preparing For a Newborn Photography Shoot
There are a lot of aspects that you have to consider before you start photographing newborn babies. I have listed some that are important below.
What is the ideal age to photograph a newborn?
The baby’s age is an important consideration for the best time to photograph a baby. The ideal age is between 6-18 days old, but this is not set in stone. I have had successful shoots with babies as old as 6 weeks, but this is not typical.
The younger the baby the more sleepy they are and more docile, so they are easier to pose.
How do you keep the baby comfortable during the photoshoot?
Creating a comfortable environment for the baby is critical especially when photographing naked poses.
This involves heating up your studio space to approximately 25 celcius (77F). Also use a white noise machine and/or a baby shusher.
To heat my studio I use an electric space heater. You can read my Newborn photography Safety advice blog post.
I also use an old tablet computer to create the white noise, which I connect to a small bluetooth speaker. This enables me to turn the volume up high enough for it to be useful.
Posing Table or Beanbag?
You will need to have a surface to pose and photograph the baby. The common solution for this is to use a bean bag or a table.
When I started Newborn Photography I used a beanbag to pose the baby on, but have since moved to using a posing table.
There are no advantages to using either with regard to the quality of the photos. But each has a few pros and cons that you may want to consider.
Bean Bag
Newborn posing bean bags are made from a PVC type material. Don’t use cotton, you will need to be able to clean them easily. This type of material can be wiped clean.
They also need to be big, typically between 3 to 4 feet in diameter, (about 1 meter). Expect to buy a lot of filler beans. I remember having to buy at least 3 big bags of them.
Pros:
- Can be transported by car for in home sessions
- Can be easily moved around
- Soft formable surface
Cons:
- P.I.T.A. to fill with filler beans
- The beans compress over time, needing refills
- Need to kneel or stoop down to take some shots, which is hard on your back and knees
Posing Table
You can use a typical home desk for this or buy a dedicated (expensive) Newborn Posing table.
I have used both and I am currently using a dedicated posing table.
The dedicated posing table has the advantage of being foldable and portable. But the downside is it is not very strong. You don’t want anyone sitting on it, the one I use will not take the weight of a person.
Pros:
- Higher surface, can sit on a stool or stand to take your shots
- Firm surface is easier to repeat setups
Cons:
- Some poses are difficult to do on a flat surface, e.g. potato sack
You could of course use both. A smaller bean bag on the floor is ideal for some shots that you would take standing over the baby.
Wraps
These are one of your most important items for newborn posing. Use the wraps to swaddle the baby and to create different styles. Swaddling a baby in a wrap also helps to keep them asleep, enabling you to get the money shots!
Wrapping a baby is a skill that can take a bit of practice to master but it is well worth the effort.
You can see some of the most popular wrap styles below:
Egg Wrap
This wrap pictures the baby curled up in an ‘egg shell’.
Criss Cross Wrap
This wrap creates a cross at the front of the baby.
Potato Sack
This wrap makes it look like the baby is in a sack with its head popping out.
Blankets and Backdrops
You will need to create a suitable soft surface and background to photograph the baby. So your bean bag or table needs to be covered with blankets.
I typically use four layers of thick blankets underneath the top layer. The top layer will be your backdrop.
Backdrops
The backdrops (top layer) I use are made from a stretchy jersey material. This type of material can be stretched and clamped to get a nice smooth surface.
Posing bean Bags
Posing bean bags are small and come in various shapes and sizes. They are used between the under blankets to form contours for the baby to rest on. They also give you the opportunity to give an otherwise flat featureless table a more contoured appearance.
Heating pad
This is an additional option for keeping the baby warm. The heating pad is placed lower down in the blanket layers to just make the top surface warm to the touch. Keeping that baby sleepy as much as possible throughout the session is important.
Vibrating Pad
This can be used to keep the baby asleep when you are in between shots. Just cover the baby with an extra blanket and place the vibrating pad next to the baby. I use the Lulla vibe vibrating pad.
Bonnets and Headbands
These accessories are a must, most parents love having a headband or hat on their baby.
Typically headbands for the girls and hats for the boys, the ‘teddy bear’ hat is especially popular.
Knitted body suits also add variation and interest to your photos.
Miscellaneous Equipment
Yes, there’s more.
Once you have all the essential equipment, you will need some extra support equipment.
I have a small utility cart filled with smaller items, these include:
- Clamps – for stretching and securing backdrops
- Digital room thermometer
- Soothers – for grumpy babies
- Pee pads – for use under the table backdrop
- Diapers
- Baby combs and brushes
- Baby wipes
- Burp Cloths
- Bottle warmer
Cameras and Photography Equipment
No, it is not essential to have lots of equipment to photograph Newborn babies.
But, you need to be able to get consistent results and shoot different types of scenarios in one session. This includes, family, baby, siblings and detail shots. This means a certain amount of investment will be needed.
What Type of Camera Do You Need for Newborn Photography?
You will need to be able to switch between taking baby, family and detail shots while using an off camera strobe. So using a DSLR or equivalent Mirrorless camera will be essential.
Which type, brand or how expensive is really up to you or your budget. I started out with a low cost DSLR but it didn’t take long before I upgraded to a full frame (high end) camera.
With regards to choosing between a DSLR or a mirrorless there is no difference in quality between the two types.
Check out my article on Newborn Photography camera settings.
What Lenses Do You Need for Newborn Photography?
For my Newborn Photography studio sessions I only use three different lenses, but I could probably get away with using just two.
50mm Prime Lens
This Lens is the one I use the most.
It gets used for both shots of the baby and the family. I have quite a lot of room in my studio so I am able to stand back and get all the family in frame using a 50mm lens.
If you have less room in your studio space or you travel to clients homes you may need to have a 24-70mm. This will make sure you can get those family shots when there is a lack of space.
35mm Prime Lens
This is useful when taking shots standing over the baby.
When you are doing the bucket shot for example, the baby will be in the bucket on the floor. I’m not very tall, so using the 35mm lens means I don’t have to stand on a step to get the shot in frame when using my 50mm. So while this lens is not necessary, it is something to consider to give you a little more flexibility.
100mm Macro Lens
A 100mm Macro lens is a must have for detail shots.
Capturing the baby’s lips, eyelashes, toes etc in close ups, is really popular with parents.
Studio Lighting
The simplest light source for taking a newborn photo is window light. The problem with this is you need to have a window in the perfect position in your home studio or the clients home.
This usually does not happen.
Even if you do have the perfect window, the light will not always be the same or even ideal.
So, this means you will have to invest in more equipment.
Strobe
Using a strobe for studio Newborn Photography will be essential for you to get quality images for every session.
You don’t need a high end strobe, but reliability is an important factor if you are working with paying customers.
I use a large umbrella light modifier with my strobe using multiple diffusers to soften the light.
The light stand needs to be able to lower the strobe and umbrella all the way down for when you are posing the baby on the floor.
Baskets, Buckets and Prop Furniture
You will have to provide your customers with plenty of variations to choose from. So posing the baby in baskets and miniature furniture props is very popular.
Editing Software
The ability to edit your RAW images and convert them to a file standard that the customer can use is another important process to learn. All photographers will need to learn how to use photoshop to get the best from their images.
Standard Newborn Poses
There are a lot of ‘standard’ poses in Newborn Photography.
Most of them have names.
I will give you a quick rundown of some of the most popular poses.
Taco/Womb
This pose is supposed to mimic the position the baby took in the womb.
Tushy Up
Facing Forward/Head on the Hands
This pose shows off the baby’s face and hands.
Nighty Night
This pose represents the baby sleeping in a bed.
Froggy
The froggy pose is one of the more difficult poses to master and involves multiple photos and some photoshop editing.
The baby needs to be really relaxed to get this shot.
Detail Shots of the Baby
The following examples are why you need to use a Macro Lens. Capturing all the fine detail shots of the baby’s features like the lips and toes is essential for selling your services. These shots will complete the portfolio on your website.
Family Portraits
Not every client wants to have parent and sibling portraits taken, but most do, so you definitely need this skill and the equipment needed to do them.
A paper roll backdrop system is helpful, along with some floordrops for taking the parent and newborn poses.
I typically use my 50mm lens for the family portraits but as previously mentioned you may need to use a wider lens if you have a smaller studio space.
Having a bar stool in your studio is a good way to deal with a big height difference between couples. The taller person sat on the stool and the other standing will bring the heads closer together for those loving poses!
If you have had previous experience with family portrait sessions then you will be aware that dealing with toddlers can be a challenge. Patience is generally needed if the sibling is not cooperating.
Organizing for the Dad to arrive with a young sibling at the end of the session can be helpful. Then get the sibling shots done asap before they have time to even realize what they are there for.
How Do You Get Started?
This part is easy, just dive straight in!
You can advertise in your local online listings for a model call and when you are happy with your photography, start charging a fee.
You do have options with the style of photography you can do when you first start. For example, taking simple lifestyle images is popular.
This has the advantage of needing minimal equipment and props, letting you expand your business while you earn.