Photographing & Editing Tips to Perfect Newborn Photography

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Newborn photography could be daunting compared to other photography genres where either a still object or adults and even kids could be posed and moved at will. Whereas, newborn babies are delicate and need to be handled with a lot of care. Plus, you need to be patient as there could be multiple breaks during a photography session to attend to different baby needs. Hence, in a short period of time during actual shoot, the photos need to be perfect. Here are few photographing and editing tips, shared by Newborn Photography Melbourne, to help you perfect your newborn photography.

Finding the Best Angles

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This is one of the most difficult aspects of newborn photography. If you are a novice photographer, it can be a little challenging to find that perfect angle but here are some thoughts:

  • Get Down to Baby Level: Newborns are small, and you need to get down to their level while being close enough to capture the special shots. Try using a 24-105 zoom at the widest focal length. The images will seem like you are in the same space as the baby and not tower over him or her.
  • Close-Up Shots: To get a really sweet intimate shot, you can either move in really close to the baby or set your camera to a longer focal length. The longer focal length really is the best choice to create good close-up shots. Also, less chance that your huge lens will be staring into the baby’s face which can really upset an infant.

Use the Macro Mode

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Newborn babies have so many cute body parts presenting the photographer with limitless opportunities to get creative and capture those “awwwww so cute” shots.

If your camera comes with a macro mode or you have a specifically designed macro lens, you can isolate various body parts such as the baby’s fingers, toes, eyes, etc. The focus will be clear and you will create some really wonderful, creative photos.

Macros will help you highlight details that are totally lost using a standard focus. During your photo session, you will start creating wonderful pictures along with some excellent feature shots that could be a lifetime memory for the parents.

Photoshop Airbrush

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When you look at photographs of babies that are pristine and flawless, most probably the photos are edited. As much as parents want to believe their baby is perfect without so much as one blemish, that’s just not the case. All babies have different skin conditions; tiny skin scratches, birthmarks, and blotchy skin are just a few conditions that photographers run into. Something like dried milk can be easily removed, but some things like blotchy skin will easily show in the photos.

You should have some natural shots that are not edited to capture the unique characteristics of the newborn. But for very special shots that are quite beautiful and flawless, you need to perform Photoshop retouching. There are post-processing retouching tools such as an airbrush to help you out. Smoothing the skin using these tools can give amazing results.

Overexposing the Photos

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Newborns, in general, have a slight redness of their skin tone. You can reduce this look by carefully overexposing the photos. It can add a soft, pristine look to baby’s skin that everyone is going to really love.

Lightroom Sliders

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To generate smooth, creamy skin tones, use the contrast and clarity sliders of Lightroom.

When you reduce the contrast, you will achieve smoother skin tones and remove dark spots and shadows. The goal in baby photography is to create a soft appearance vs harsh contrasting images.

Reducing the clarity using clarity slider help create that soft and creamy appearance but don’t overdo it. It is recommended that the range stays between -10 to -20.

Play with Colors

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This is worth looking into because it can help remove some flaws and create a great shot.

Taking out the color will hide scratches, blotches, and other marks. It can also lessen the appearance of a birthmark and create a softer look. Because babies are, after all, cute and soft, removing some color will give you the perfect image you are looking for.

Another technique you might want to experiment with is de-saturating the colors but not to the extent of black and white. You should play around with this technique for a while before using it. If you de-saturate too much, you will end up with images that look like something out of Victorian times. They will not look natural but will look out of place. The idea is to soften and offer a different look without going overboard.

Patience is the keyword in photographing newborns. Don’t be in a rush, take your time, and keep on learning new photographing techniques. Would also love to hear any different techniques you use in the comments section below.

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