Ideas for a baby photoshoot

babygodzilla

My friend asked if I could take some shots for her few-months-old baby and the parents. The baby can't do much except for lying on her back and on her tummy, so she cannot sit. I don't have a studio so we'll probably just do it at her house, which I'll be surveying first as soon as possible.

Any ideas for poses, how to induce nice candids, etc? The following is the gear I have:

Nikon D7000
Nikon 35 mm f/1.8
Nikon 17-55 mm f/2.8
Nikon 85 mm f/3.5
Nikon SB-800
Nikon SB-900

That's about it. I don't have any light shaping equipments, but I could rent some if needed. So don't count them out of your advice. I don't think I can rent any portable seamless backgrounds though, unless you have some DIY advice on that.

If you could give some sample pictures that can give me some ideas, that'd be much appreciated. Thank you!

SimpsonBrothers

http://www.youtube.com/user/HeidiHopePhotography

r3t1awr3yd

My favorite shot from my last baby shoot:

Bryce Wilson

I have been playing around with a few ideas for newborns and infants. I have shied away from doing babies until they were able to sit up as I just couldn't capture anything I was remotely happy with. There are only so many things you can do with a subject that "just lays there" and is sleeping most of the time.

I don't have this perfected yet, it's still a work in progress, but it may give you an idea.

babygodzilla

r3t1awr3yd wrote: »

My favorite shot from my last baby shoot:

Pretty cool! Can I ask what your environment was at the time? Were you in a studio? How did you get the black background? What was your lighting equipment?

Unfortunately I probably can't do anything like this since the baby can't even sit yet.

Thank you!

babygodzilla

Bryce Wilson wrote: »

I have been playing around with a few ideas for newborns and infants. I have shied away from doing babies until they were able to sit up as I just couldn't capture anything I was remotely happy with. There are only so many things you can do with a subject that "just lays there" and is sleeping most of the time.

I don't have this perfected yet, it's still a work in progress, but it may give you an idea.

Thank you! That's a pretty creative idea. Is that a background that you bought somewhere?

babygodzilla

SimpsonBrothers wrote: »

http://www.youtube.com/user/HeidiHopePhotography

THANK YOU VERY MUCH! That video and her website gives me some ideas! One question, in the video I see that she is shooting against a wall, and obviously the wall is not seamless. Yet in the sample result in the video around 0:40 it looks like the background is pretty seamless. How would she have done that?

Thanks!

Bryce Wilson

babygodzilla wrote: »

Thank you! That's a pretty creative idea. Is that a background that you bought somewhere?

No, not purchased. Made it myself with fleece some green felt and a heavy duty needle. I have found that fleece absorbs most of the light but am still working on eliminating shadows from the baby laying directly on it.

babygodzilla

Bryce Wilson wrote: »

No, not purchased. Made it myself with fleece some green felt and a heavy duty needle. I have found that fleece absorbs most of the light but am still working on eliminating shadows from the baby laying directly on it.

wow you sew that yourself? pretty awesome thanks for sharing

any other photoshoot ideas? Thanks!

quark

I didn't execute this very well but the parent hand/arm shot is a classic for newborns. I used a navy blue piece of fabric and draped it over a chair near a window.



I like to focus a bit on the parents and the interaction. I think these shots are probably more popular with parents than I ever expect.





Good luck! I am sure you will figure out something awesome.

babygodzilla

quark wrote: »

I didn't execute this very well but the parent hand/arm shot is a classic for newborns. I used a navy blue piece of fabric and draped it over a chair near a window.



I like to focus a bit on the parents and the interaction. I think these shots are probably more popular with parents than I ever expect.





Good luck! I am sure you will figure out something awesome.

Thank you very much! the first shot is indeed classic. It would have been perfect if the baby's face was more visible

afev0602

You mention the baby is a couple months so it is more of an awkward age if your not used to them. Past the traditional newborn shots but they can't quite sit up yet. Ask the mother if she has a Boppy pillow or a Bumba. Likely she has one of the other. These are great positioners for babies. Both of the shots shown are with the Bumba. In one she was able to hold her head up but not quite keep herself in sitting position and would fall over. In the other with the bubbles it was just she and I without another 'handler' for helping...and the Bumba was great for keeping her put in one place.




Good Luck with the shoot!!

afev0602

Bryce Wilson wrote: »

No, not purchased. Made it myself with fleece some green felt and a heavy duty needle. I have found that fleece absorbs most of the light but am still working on eliminating shadows from the baby laying directly on it.

Bryce---I just might (aka.. most definitely will) steal this idea. It's just so simple but clever. Thank you so much for sharing!!

f-rider

babygodzilla wrote: »

My friend asked if I could take some shots for her few-months-old baby and the parents. The baby can't do much except for lying on her back and on her tummy, so she cannot sit. I don't have a studio so we'll probably just do it at her house, which I'll be surveying first as soon as possible.

Any ideas for poses, how to induce nice candids, etc? The following is the gear I have:

Nikon D7000
Nikon 35 mm f/1.8
Nikon 17-55 mm f/2.8
Nikon 85 mm f/3.5
Nikon SB-800
Nikon SB-900

That's about it. I don't have any light shaping equipments, but I could rent some if needed. So don't count them out of your advice. I don't think I can rent any portable seamless backgrounds though, unless you have some DIY advice on that.

If you could give some sample pictures that can give me some ideas, that'd be much appreciated. Thank you!

PMJI, I've got a new grandbaby coming as well as a shipment from B&H of some umbrellas, stands, reflector panel and a new Nikon SB700, to complement my D90 and SB600.

Any recommendations on the use of flash, umbrellas and reflectors for newborn photography? I want to make the lighting as soft as possible but my "studio" is just going to be the temporary use of my living room, where I have little natural light.

Any suggestions welcomed.

SimpsonBrothers

f-rider wrote: »

PMJI, I've got a new grandbaby coming as well as a shipment from B&H of some umbrellas, stands, reflector panel and a new Nikon SB700, to complement my D90 and SB600.

Any recommendations on the use of flash, umbrellas and reflectors for newborn photography? I want to make the lighting as soft as possible but my "studio" is just going to be the temporary use of my living room, where I have little natural light.

Any suggestions welcomed.

For the softest light keep your umbrella as close as possible to your subject. The larger the "aparent light size" the softer it will be.