Studio Lights and Baby photos

[Bend The Light]

Hi,

I have been asked if I can do some shots of a newborn baby in a few weeks time. It will be a free shoot, as it would be my first time, and someone has kindly agreed to let me experiment on their child (which is as yet, not born!).

So, I have scanned all the forums, looked in on people's baby shots, started getting some ideas of what I'd like to do. It is now a question of lights...

I have been loaned (long term) the following kit:

1 x Courtenay SolaFlash 150 (which has flash and modelling light, each with power slider 1/4 - 1/1 in 1/12 intervals).
1 x very small soft box (might just fit over the SolaFlash)
1 x 4 foot white shoot through brolly
1 x 3 foot silver inside brolly
1 x 4 foot silver/white pop up reflector.

I also have a few flash guns, one of which is quite powerful ( I could diffuse it, or something), but whether it would help with the SolaFlash or no, I don't know.

I have an assortment of white sheets and a few ways of mounting them. I also have a projector screen which also makes a good background which can be set up so it is a background which curved down onto a table, for example.

Any ideas for the set up, with this limited equipment? Natural daylight is probably not to be relied upon - it's cold and miserable, and the house where the shoot is to be does not have an expanse of glass or French windows onto the garden.

As the baby is so small,I would probably be considering a beanbag on table, or on the floor somewhere, covered with a sheet, with the baby on top of that, with whatever props I managed to sort.

 

[Scatterbrained]

How about a beanbag and some constant lighting. With newborns strobes can make them fussy. Also, you'll want the room to be plenty warm and have the mom bring the baby just before feeding time, that way she can top off the baby and it will be out cold, or at the least quite mellow.
If you insist on strobes, you really won't need too many as the newborn won't be able to move under it's own power yet (toddlers however are entirely different). You could do just fine with one large light source and a reflector.
If you want some genera pointers on baby shooting, check out this thread; Ask me what you want. - Canon Digital Photography Forums
her shots are amazing.

 

[amberdawn]

I would be very careful of flash lights around a newborn. Its hurt their eyes, I know my son would cry every time someone let off a flash. As for natural lighting, opening just basic windows and adjusting setting seems to be enough in my case.

 

[Bend The Light]

Thanks, Scatterbrain and amberdawn. The lighting I have does have the modelling constant light, so that is an option. It is variable power, too, so if I CAN get some natural light, I can reduce or lose it altogether.
Cheers for the link, Scatterbrain.

 

[Derrel]

One large umbrella, on the side the infant's head is positioned, at about 6 feet from the infant. The 4-foot shoot-through brolly will create decent light that's soft, and will probably create some ambient fill that will function as spill light in a normal-sized room with a ceiling height between eight and 10 feet. Regardless, at six feet distance, the light will be relatively even from the feet to the head of the child. The umbrella is on the head side so that the head and face are the brightest, and there's a very subtle fall-off toward the feet end of the baby.

Set the flash lowish, like 1/4 power...with 90% of the flashes on the market, that will create a slightly warmer color temperature, and a brief flash duration. Don't want to blast a newborn's eyes with full-power flash or with flash from close ranges or with bare-tube flash.

The baby might very well be asleep...do not worry about that...that's pretty normal.

 

[Bend The Light]

The baby might very well be asleep...do not worry about that...that's pretty normal.

That's what I'm hoping for! ha ha

Thanks for all the other advice, too, Derrel. Not seen much of you, lately. Always good to hear your advice.

Cheers.

 

[clanthar]

I would be very careful of flash lights around a newborn. Its hurt their eyes, I know my son would cry every time someone let off a flash. As for natural lighting, opening just basic windows and adjusting setting seems to be enough in my case.

For what it's worth. I had a student in class once who was a pediatrician and the topic of flash and newborns came up one day. He basically said this: There was no solid proof that flash was harmful to newborn eyes, but there were questions and data that needed further investigation. In which case he advised that the correct course of action was to wait at least a few months before flashing a newborn. When in doubt, the benefit of the doubt goes to the safety of the child.

Joe

 

[Bend The Light]

I would be very careful of flash lights around a newborn. Its hurt their eyes, I know my son would cry every time someone let off a flash. As for natural lighting, opening just basic windows and adjusting setting seems to be enough in my case.

For what it's worth. I had a student in class once who was a pediatrician and the topic of flash and newborns came up one day. He basically said this: There was no solid proof that flash was harmful to newborn eyes, but there were questions and data that needed further investigation. In which case he advised that the correct course of action was to wait at least a few months before flashing a newborn. When in doubt, the benefit of the doubt goes to the safety of the child.

Joe

Of course. I am thinking along the lines of constant light if I can...I will certainly avoid zapping the kid with full power strobes.

Thanks for the advice.