My sister in law has asked if I would take some pictures of her 6-8 week old. I took some the other day when they came around just on a lambskin lying on our floor but she would like one to be framed. I have no lighting equipment so I rely on natural light so ideally would like to be outside or somewhere with some nice gentle light but I'm really stumped on how to do this with a little bub. I'm also trying to think of background stuff - where can I take these pics and have a nice background that's not distracting or odd looking? When I think of baby photos all I can see in my head are studio shots.
Have you got any tips for taking a very young babies picture outside? Or what can I use inside to create a nice background?
Have you thought about shooting inside a local church? If you place the baby on a pew bench near a stained glass window you can catch the light through the colored glass.
You can also try shooting at a park, which could offer up many possibilities. Use the golden light of early morning or late afternoon to its best advantage.
I don't know where you live so I can't really offer up a lot of suggestions. You'll have to scout around by car or maybe Goggle "Best places to Photograph" in your area to come up with a location that will suite your purposes.
I generally just use windowlight, sometimes an open door. Never direct light. Never flash / strobes (it hurts their eyes).
A large-ish piece of core-foam, or even white cardboard, can be used as a reflector to fill in the shadows on the side away from the light.
In relation to distracting backgrounds - simply shooting them on a bed near a window, and having a parent or other family member hold up the bed linen behind your subject, usually works just fine. I do the same thing with brides, incidentally...
Hey there, I just took my first baby shots of a 1 week old. Only used window light, luckily there was lots to choose from. We had some shots on the bed with a white furry blanket and some on the comforter that had a nice cherry blossom pattern. Others like the one I am showing here, I just had her in her diaper on my knee when I took it. I had some of grandma holding her by the window also...I wish I knew how to link them up here so you could see. Anyhow at times it was good to slightly over expose them to give that soft ethereal look. Good luck!
I found a white and black throw blanket at WalMart for about $3 a piece and I use Jinx's suggestion...When taking pics of my nephew, I use window light and have my niece hold up the blanket behind him...Works perfectly.
I like window light too! Walmart has Twin sheets in all different colors for not much money so you could always get a couple of those to use as backdrops for the baby. Also Michael's and ACMoore have some seriously cute baskets and they are almost always on sale or you could use a coupon for one.
@positronicmommy thanks - yes was thinking of some baskets! @ozziehoffy but this could be an excuse to get some nice stuff :-) @positronicmommy thanks that is a good idea - was thinking of just getting some cut fabric that would work too
@saranna Yeah fabric is great too. I got a really pretty shimmery soft white a couple years ago and have used that several times as a backdrop for my kids. In the pic below I used the white fabric and I wrapped white LED Christmas lights around it for the backdrop.
I softened the background to help hide the wires a little better in post processing.
(Just my 2 cent's worth!) Not one you'd frame as a professional shot, but I thought the basic principles would apply to you if you decide to shoot indoors: uncluttered or decluttered background, use of natural light and portrait. This one's a little fuzzy, but it's taken with a p&s and the subject was moving (he was on top of grandpa's shoulders!). The light is somewhat diffused because he's further away from the window, but it's still strong enough for some drama. Good luck with your photo shoot!
i took this shot outside in the shade. It may look a tad over exposed but I like it that way. I also took some nice shots with her brothers on her parents bed...white sheets and an open window letting lots of natural light made a great backdrop. Good luck. I am sure your sister will love whatever you do.
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You can also try shooting at a park, which could offer up many possibilities. Use the golden light of early morning or late afternoon to its best advantage.
I don't know where you live so I can't really offer up a lot of suggestions. You'll have to scout around by car or maybe Goggle "Best places to Photograph" in your area to come up with a location that will suite your purposes.
A large-ish piece of core-foam, or even white cardboard, can be used as a reflector to fill in the shadows on the side away from the light.
In relation to distracting backgrounds - simply shooting them on a bed near a window, and having a parent or other family member hold up the bed linen behind your subject, usually works just fine. I do the same thing with brides, incidentally...
Windowlight, rug, core-foam reflector:
Windowlight, core-foam reflector, "mum" holding up bedlinen behind the subject:
Hey there, I just took my first baby shots of a 1 week old. Only used window light, luckily there was lots to choose from. We had some shots on the bed with a white furry blanket and some on the comforter that had a nice cherry blossom pattern. Others like the one I am showing here, I just had her in her diaper on my knee when I took it. I had some of grandma holding her by the window also...I wish I knew how to link them up here so you could see. Anyhow at times it was good to slightly over expose them to give that soft ethereal look. Good luck!
this is my baby girl, i took this out side in the shade, layed down a white sheet and then took flowers off a nearby tree and placed around her
@sarahcampbell - that is a beautiful shot! Thank you!
@saranna I wouldn't think it would have to be exy bed linen... Target currently have a sale on though lol.
I softened the background to help hide the wires a little better in post processing.