How to take birth photos like a pro photographer?

Successfully taking a photo of a newborn's birth is a real challenge. Which is normal, because babies aren't very cooperative and don't do what their parents, aspiring photographers, expect.

Whether you want to use a photograph of the newborn as a birth announcement or insert it into a birth photo album, you need to do a good shoot of your baby and for that, it's important to know when to do it and how to do it.

When should you do a photo session?

Bad night, too tired, too grumpy, still sleeping... as we can understand, children, especially in their first days, aren't very expressive and spend a lot of their time sleeping. And even, after a few months, our little ones are not smile-dispensing machines. From one tiny one to another, the mood will vary, hence the interest of capturing the moment and not necessarily just the expression on the newborn's face.

To do your photo session like a pro photographer, it's recommended to do it during the first 15 days following the birth of the baby, because during these times, babies cry less, sleep a lot, and have a really deep sleep. Afterwards, they are more awake and more active.

When you choose to photograph the baby naked, make sure it's warm. In their mother's womb, babies live at 37°C. Making them undergo a drastic transition in the first moments of their birth can be difficult for them.

An interesting shooting idea is to take separate photos of the mom during different stages of maternity.

It's also possible to take photos of the newborn in its incubator or when mother is breastfeeding for the first time.

How to organize your shooting day?

Dedicate part of your day to shooting: you'll need to be patient, babies can have very changeable moods.

The moment you have the slightest reprieve, go for it!

• You can start your photo session from 10 am to take advantage of natural light, as the use of flash is not recommended. It tends to harden the faces of babies and generally causes unflattering shadows on their faces.
• Preview your decor before the shoot and share it with the family. You can use a website to find decor ideas. If you have several decor ideas in mind, start with the simplest to observe the baby's reaction and note any difficulties related to the shoot.
• From your smartphone, you can use the 'White noise' app to cover the sound that the shutter makes, which generally startles the child. White noise is simply the sound that a television emits when it isn't tuned to a channel.

Some tips...

Here are some tips that can help you further improve the quality of your shots:

• Opt for a focal length of at least 50 mm, to avoid distortions of the infant's face in photos.
• Begin your photo shoots with the newborn wrapped up. Indeed, for babies, it's a reassuring position.
• Why not photograph them on a beautiful plain wool rug, or, to keep it simple, on a bed covered with white sheets? At worst, you can take a photo on a baby cot.

• If the baby is lying down, make sure the light comes to their head, to enable taking photographs without flash.

Finally, all you'll have to do is choose the photos you'll put in his birth photo book. You can also uniquely use one or two photos of the infant by using them as a birth announcement.

Remember that babies can sense the atmosphere of the room.

Avoid being stressed and relax, you now know everything you need to take quality birth photos.