Guide to help get a nice image of baby in your home

With everything that is going on  in the world right now and with current restrictions in place, having your newborns images taken professionally in the studio or having a photographer come to your home is now not aloud, so lets try and help you to take a few photos at home that you can take yourself, lets start with this simple image below with all the tips to help you get your image.

Please remember that safety comes first for you and your baby, so the use of props are not recommended as there are risks involved and we don’t want to read about babies being hurt from at home attempts of images that professions take as composite to keep your baby safe, lets start.

• First you will need some materials, use things you have in your home, for the following I have used four throws/blankets which I got from big W and K-mart some time ago, you can use blankets in your home and if needed a sheet to help create the pillow effect, the wrap is one from Big W so you should have a plain wrap or if not use a nice wrap you have in your baby’s room.
• the bottom blanket is being used folded to create a softer area on the floor next to a window as the floor can be cold at times and we don’t want your baby on a cold floor, ensure your baby is warm but not hot.
• the next blanket is folded over a few times to make the pillow effect or help provide a little lift/tilt.
• the next blanket is used for more padding and folded at the top to help smooth the lift up a little bit.
• the next blanket is placed over the top to create the base of the photo and left running down on the bottom, this will be used to fold up later to look like baby is sleeping in a bed, if baby’s eyes are open at that time do not worry as they may look up at you.
• use the light from the window to help create show and light your area.

• Lighting is all natural, I have kept to the same things you will have available to help in the tutorial for you as this is what you will have available to you, you can see the light in the first image below coming from one side, I added to the other side a cloth nappy to help with filling in light, this can be brought closer later, to help reduce the harsh shadowing.
• trying to hold baby’s hands in the middle as pictured and hold legs up, if they will go, if they don’t, please do not worry as no one will the wrapping effects shortly, I have a smaller amount on one side for the first wrap to go over and down on baby.

• wrapping, I know this can be difficult with a squirming baby so please don’t worry too much, bring the shorter side over and down wrapping under baby on the opposite side.
• Bring the longer side over and down so we can see baby’s face, and wrap under baby to keep firm but not too tight, just tight enough to help keep those hands down a little, but if they poke out a little at the top that is fine as well, we are just trying to keep then off the face.

• flare out the bottom of the wrap and then fold up and fold down the top so that baby’s face is showing and then fold firmly under baby to keep baby from wriggling and to keep nice and comfortable.
• Once wrapped up bring the bottom of the main blanket up and fold down to look like baby is tucked into bed, as you can see in the pull back above, then try to smooth out the blanket to reduce wrinkles and krinkles in the final photo ( i am not editing any of these images as this is something you will not be able to do to the professional standard, but will be able to get an image you should be happy with all the same until the studio re opens later)
• Angles – if you have been to my studio and I have photographed you or your baby or all, you will often hear me talk about angles, we don’t shoot up the baby’s nose the angle will be looking down from above baby, this baby is already on a slight angle so directly above baby is fine here, usually I will shoot just above the nose and down towards the top of the nose but with focus on the eye’s or eye closest to the camera. see image below.  Safety warning – if you are using a camera please place the strap over your head and neck, if you loose your grip on the camra it can fall onto baby and cause great injury, never shoot above your baby with the strap over your heap and neck to prevent the camera from falling down, when using your phone to take the photos please keep a good hold on it or have a strap on it that can be attached around your wrist to hold onto the pone to prevent falling and prevent injury again.

Final images below when I zoomed the lens in to help crop out the ugly part of the blanket, keep your baby’s face in the center of the image and try to smooth out the around the head and where the blanket comes up and folds down to help look tidy, I did not edit these images so you can see what they look like without editing, keeping in mind the stand in baby has clear skin and has not wriggled, and is a co operative baby, for a little girl you can use a little headband that can easily be brought from local stores like Big W or K-mart, for a beanie or bonnet, you can knit one up if you want or use a little hat from the store if wanting a hat or just leave without a hat. Good luck and show me your images below, if you are wanting one or two more edited please drop me a message or email and I may be able to help you out or guide you through a simple edit. Even take one on the side but up in angle and ensuring the blanket is all that is seen in the background.

Add some colour if you want or if all you have is a coloured blanket for the top and bottom, make it your own and use colours that will suit your home.

I cannot wait for this pandemic to be over so I can get back to shooting and creating the art I love doing.