White noise in newborn sessions

[Sociable]

I read an article where a photographer recommended suing several white noise sources during sessions.
I wondered if anyone has had experience of that and whether in fact it was disturbing rather than helpful?

 

[Designer]

Several? At once?

Wifey runs her table fan all night and the only one who it disturbs is me.

 

[paigew]

The white noise is used to help prevent the startle reflex. White noise helps drown out other noise (siblings, tv, dogs, etc). I the white noise app on my phone at my sessions. And yes, it helps..a lot.

 

[Sociable]

Thanks for your comments.

 

[skieur]

Recent tv news indicated white noise can adversely affect the hearing of a baby or infant.

 

[Derrel]

I read an article where a photographer recommended suing several white noise sources during sessions.
I wondered if anyone has had experience of that and whether in fact it was disturbing rather than helpful?

Buy some old, used Speedotron 102 or 102A flash heads...run three of 'em and the "white noise" from the cooling fans is pretty white-noise-ish...run six of them for more than four hours and you'll want to fall asleep...or scream...

 

[vintagesnaps]

Different babies are going to react differently, ask the parent/family what their child likes. I'd ask before I set up anything if it was OK - if you're in someone's home then you have to be respectful and be able to deal effectively with whatever is going on in their home while you're there.

My field is in child development w/specialization in birth to three and I've seen baby photography tutorials etc. that don't necessarily demonstrate appropriate techniques to use with a newborn (that might be OK with an older baby). Just because someone is doing baby photography that doesn't mean they have any particular expertise - just about anybody can post an article or video online.

If you are conducting a session, that puts you in the position of being responsible or liable for anything you do with someone else's child.

 

[Derrel]

Different babies are going to react differently, ask the parent/family what their child likes. I'd ask before I set up anything if it was OK - if you're in someone's home then you have to be respectful and be able to deal effectively with whatever is going on in their home while you're there.

My field is in child development w/specialization in birth to three and I've seen baby photography tutorials etc. that don't necessarily demonstrate appropriate techniques to use with a newborn (that might be OK with an older baby). Just because someone is doing baby photography that doesn't mean they have any particular expertise - just about anybody can post an article or video online.

If you are conducting a session, that puts you in the position of being responsible or liable for anything you do with someone else's child.

I am particularly disgusted by all the age-inappropriate posing being done with newborns these days, with the two-hands-under-chin pose being one of the absolutely worst cases of baby exploitation I've ever seen. Having an infant's head propped up, and then slamming face-down, over and over again, JUST to get that cute "hand pose" that's appropriate for a four year-old...

 

[SquarePeg]

I read an article where a photographer recommended suing several white noise sources during sessions.
I wondered if anyone has had experience of that and whether in fact it was disturbing rather than helpful?

Buy some old, used Speedotron 102 or 102A flash heads...run three of 'em and the "white noise" from the cooling fans is pretty white-noise-ish...run six of them for more than four hours and you'll want to fall asleep...or scream...

Scream gets my vote. White noise drives me insane, totally stresses me out. I know some people need it to sleep but I don't know how they can stand it. I feel bad for the babies that end up conditioned to it.

 

[paigew]

When everything is silent and your 10 inches from a sleepy newborns face the sound of a shutter is loud. I have done sessions with and without white noise. It is amazing the difference it helps when it comes to the startle reflex.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[vintagesnaps]

So am I Derrel. I can't so far find anything specifically about it but I wonder if that's because it's unlikely parents or families would consider putting a newborn in that position (except for someone with a camera who's seen it done online somewhere...) so there isn't information to educate the general public or new parents etc. about it.

I know an infant should be positioned with the head, neck, and trunk aligned, NOT with the head arched back enough to get the chin in the hands with the baby up on the elbows - not til the baby is old enough to be able to hold up the head and prop on the elbows on his or her own. When the baby isn't yet able to lift the head, propping the head up with an adult's finger or hand (that's photoshopped out) is NOT the appropriate way to support a newborn's head and neck.

I did find one resource which I'd have to go look up (on the CPSC site) although it deals with having the baby's chin down on the chest but it says within a minute or two in that position a newborn can start to slowly suffocate. As an adult if you try some of the positions being used for baby photos yourself you can feel how uncomfortable it can be and how it affects your breathing, then think about how tiny a baby's trachea is compared to an adult's.

I figure it's just a matter of time at this rate before there's a situation involving a baby in a photo session who turned blue or was unresponsive because they were left too long in a position where the baby was having difficulty trying to breathe. When they can't lift the head yet and are put in a position that obstructs the airway they can't cry to indicate they're in distress.

 

[Sociable]

Great comments - thank you