First Newborn shoot tomorrow!!! Help!

[ForTheLove]

Hello fellow TPF members... Tomorrow I have 2 Newborn Shoots, they will be my first ever Newborns....I am a bit worried that I won't live up to my high expectations... If you have done a newborn shoot I would appriciate your tips on how to have a smooth and calm baby... and also what should the parents wear

This is what i have so far for the shoots (please let me know if i need anything else...)

posing bean bag
pee mats for under blankes
white noise app on my iphone
several backdrops and props

...anything else... :/

 

[Austin Greene]

...I won't live up to my high expectations..."

Your expectations, or theirs? It may or may not help to remember that those are likely two very different things.

 

[shutterbugmomma]

a heater. It needs to be toasty warm for newborns. Newborns are sleepy little creatures by nature (the best age to shoot newborns is under 14 days) so with a toasty room and a full tummy, things should be smooth sailing. Be sure to practice SAFE newborn posing. Momma should always be just out of frame. I hope you post some of your work!

 

[MLeeK]

TIME... lots and lots of time. Patience-newborns do not cooperate!

If you can get the baby without mom first do that. When you start shooting with mom start away from the body-the shots of baby in the hands, etc. Then work towards mom's body. Reason: baby smells mom and she is food which starts the reactions just like Pavlov's dog.
Have mom remove the diaper and just lie baby on the diaper about an hour or so before you arrive so that there are not wrinkles from it on baby's skin.
Probably 85-95% of newborn photography is a trick-you shoot in between crying and feeding and anything else going on. Most newborn "cute" poses are a trick-like the propped up head-mom holds baby's head, count to 3-mom moves and you shoot rapid fire until baby flops.
Shoot on the floor if you can. If you must the sofa is good, but the closer you are to the floor the safer everything is.
Warm your hands!!!! Dress lightly and make sure the room you are shooting in is warm so baby is comfortable.
Shoot the details in between shoots when baby is fussy and feeding or being soothed.


Newborn processing is a whole other story... When you get there come back... You'll need help

 

[ForTheLove]

...I won't live up to my high expectations..."

Your expectations, or theirs? It may or may not help to remember that those are likely two very different things.

My expectations... I always hate on myself if i don't "nail" a shoot.... Just who i am..

a heater. It needs to be toasty warm for newborns. Newborns are sleepy little creatures by nature (the best age to shoot newborns is under 14 days) so with a toasty room and a full tummy, things should be smooth sailing. Be sure to practice SAFE newborn posing. Momma should always be just out of frame. I hope you post some of your work!

Both bubs were born last week, so under 14 days a girl and a boy

I will post some of my photos next week for C&C

 

[ForTheLove]

TIME... lots and lots of time. Patience-newborns do not cooperate!

If you can get the baby without mom first do that. When you start shooting with mom start away from the body-the shots of baby in the hands, etc. Then work towards mom's body. Reason: baby smells mom and she is food which starts the reactions just like Pavlov's dog.
Have mom remove the diaper and just lie baby on the diaper about an hour or so before you arrive so that there are not wrinkles from it on baby's skin.
Probably 85-95% of newborn photography is a trick-you shoot in between crying and feeding and anything else going on. Most newborn "cute" poses are a trick-like the propped up head-mom holds baby's head, count to 3-mom moves and you shoot rapid fire until baby flops.
Shoot on the floor if you can. If you must the sofa is good, but the closer you are to the floor the safer everything is.
Warm your hands!!!! Dress lightly and make sure the room you are shooting in is warm so baby is comfortable.
Shoot the details in between shoots when baby is fussy and feeding or being soothed.


Newborn processing is a whole other story... When you get there come back... You'll need help

Cool thanks for the info, I am not a mum myself so don't really know how long babies sleep for and so forth... I was wondering how they get the propped up head poses, thanks for that! We are in our summer here in Australia and I live in a town that you could say some of our days are like Miami weather.. hot and sticky! So warm shouldn't be a problem.

I will be shooting from the floor (safety first!) and using studio lights no flash..

so this editing... I was going to use photo professional (came with 7D) to change from RAW to TIFF then sharpen and edit in CS3.. is that the norm? Or is there something special I need to know (insider knowledge)

 

[TooShay]

In my experience... newborn skin is flaky, red, blotchy, scratched, etc. I'm not a fan of fake babies but I like to smooth the skin a bit and correct any blemishes. The luminance sliders in lightroom help a lot with newborn skintone.

 

[ForTheLove]

In my experience... newborn skin is flaky, red, blotchy, scratched, etc. I'm not a fan of fake babies but I like to smooth the skin a bit and correct any blemishes. The luminance sliders in lightroom help a lot with newborn skintone.

Thanks TooShay, I have lightroom as well so will give that a go also

 

[MTVision]

Thanks TooShay, I have lightroom as well so will give that a go also

Camera raw in photoshop has the same sliders as well.

If you are sweating - the baby will be comfortable.

What MLeek mentioned about the diaper being off before you get there will help. I just had newborn shoot and the mom didn't take the diaper off so babies butt was all wrinkly!

 

[TooShay]

No problem! It really helps take out the red/yellow (jaundice) tones in the skin. You probably already know how to correct other skin issues in photoshop.

I actually just had a friend of a friend keep cancelling and rescheduling her newborn session until the baby was too old and then they finally told me that they kept waiting for the baby's flaky skin to clear up. I wish they would've have told me that was the reason because I definitely could have fixed the flakiness in photoshop. Lol!

 

[ForTheLove]

Thanks TooShay, I have lightroom as well so will give that a go also

Camera raw in photoshop has the same sliders as well.

If you are sweating - the baby will be comfortable.

What MLeek mentioned about the diaper being off before you get there will help. I just had newborn shoot and the mom didn't take the diaper off so babies butt was all wrinkly!

Ok well the baby should be comfortable then! lol

They are coming to my studio for the shoot so I might start with the close up photos first to give time for the bum to unwrinkle..

 

[ForTheLove]

No problem! It really helps take out the red/yellow (jaundice) tones in the skin. You probably already know how to correct other skin issues in photoshop.

I actually just had a friend of a friend keep cancelling and rescheduling her newborn session until the baby was too old and then they finally told me that they kept waiting for the baby's flaky skin to clear up. I wish they would've have told me that was the reason because I definitely could have fixed the flakiness in photoshop. Lol!

arrg that would have been frustrating! Don't ppl know you can do anything with the software programs that are out today! lol

 

[TooShay]

Oh yes, I second the heater too. You will be sweating the entire time but baby will be cozy. If you haven't already, tell the parents to bring anything that they want in the photographs... special blanket, headband that grandma made, etc. Also, if you can have a spotter assist you that isn't the mom, that would be preferable. Babies smell the mother's breastmilk and are less likely to cooperate.

 

[TooShay]

No problem! It really helps take out the red/yellow (jaundice) tones in the skin. You probably already know how to correct other skin issues in photoshop.

I actually just had a friend of a friend keep cancelling and rescheduling her newborn session until the baby was too old and then they finally told me that they kept waiting for the baby's flaky skin to clear up. I wish they would've have told me that was the reason because I definitely could have fixed the flakiness in photoshop. Lol!

arrg that would have been frustrating! Don't ppl know you can do anything with the software programs that are out today! lol

I know!! I was so sad because now it's an opportunity that they can't get back. I want to specialize in newborn photography when I open my photography business so I cherish every newborn practice opportunity!

 

[e.rose]

Most newborn "cute" poses are a trick-like the propped up head-mom holds baby's head, count to 3-mom moves and you shoot rapid fire until baby flops.

Okay... I don't mean to speak out of turn here... I don't have a baby... and I never plan on having a baby... so I don't really know much ABOUT babies... but... wouldn't... letting the baby FLOP... be a *bad* thing?

Or am I just severely misunderstanding what you mean?