While it can be quite rewarding to take photos of cute babies and toddlers, it can also be a source of frustration and irritation.
Babies tend to sleep, eat and cry a lot and won't pose in front of the camera but don't let that put you off photographing them. Do not be discouraged by this - instead, use this challenge to motivate you towards creating the best baby portrait you could.
One of the most important factors in photographing babies is patience and the way you apply child psychology when relating to the baby. One classic example would be babies six months and above, as they are usually shy and defensive in nature. Here's where you can use child psychology to the best of your capabilities, talking in baby talk, playing with the baby, or even acting like a friendly little baby yourself. The keys of your car can be very effective. But remember, your job is to take a baby portrait; you must be able to react quickly when the infant responds to your entertainment. Shooting a portrait of a newborn baby can be difficult. Because newborn babies are largely stationary, your best is to take headshots of the baby in close-ups. Try using natural light from a bedroom window to add mood to the portrait.
Babies over a few months of age will be more alert and will have a lot more movement in them. Shooting fast is a necessity, the infant will tire quickly.
This is especially true if you are working with babies seven months old and above. The baby will bore quickly and will not want to stay in the same position.
If you are serious about baby photography and you tend to shoot from your own studio make sure you have a lot of toys to amuse the infants. You may want to shoot color photos or black and white ones, but in any case, they look best with a light colored background.
Parents may be worried about the affect of studio lights on their baby. You have to confidently explain that strobe lights are safe even for babies. Try to explain this before it becomes a concern.
Ask for the parents' permission first before handling an infant. Most parents will be very protective and won't react well to a stranger lifting the infant.
Be especially careful when shooting fingers - an infant sucking his or her thumb may be amusing, but could block out the rest of the face.
If you plan to resell the baby photograph to an agency make sure you get a release form signed from the parents. Agencies, magazines and other forms of media will not touch a baby photo with a ten-foot pole if it doesn't have the proper consent from the infant's guardians or parents. For baby portraits to be sellable they must be technically perfect, but the picture must illustrate the baby being active or some form of child care.
Babies tend to sleep, eat and cry a lot and won't pose in front of the camera but don't let that put you off photographing them. Do not be discouraged by this - instead, use this challenge to motivate you towards creating the best baby portrait you could.
One of the most important factors in photographing babies is patience and the way you apply child psychology when relating to the baby. One classic example would be babies six months and above, as they are usually shy and defensive in nature. Here's where you can use child psychology to the best of your capabilities, talking in baby talk, playing with the baby, or even acting like a friendly little baby yourself. The keys of your car can be very effective. But remember, your job is to take a baby portrait; you must be able to react quickly when the infant responds to your entertainment. Shooting a portrait of a newborn baby can be difficult. Because newborn babies are largely stationary, your best is to take headshots of the baby in close-ups. Try using natural light from a bedroom window to add mood to the portrait.
Babies over a few months of age will be more alert and will have a lot more movement in them. Shooting fast is a necessity, the infant will tire quickly.
This is especially true if you are working with babies seven months old and above. The baby will bore quickly and will not want to stay in the same position.
If you are serious about baby photography and you tend to shoot from your own studio make sure you have a lot of toys to amuse the infants. You may want to shoot color photos or black and white ones, but in any case, they look best with a light colored background.
Parents may be worried about the affect of studio lights on their baby. You have to confidently explain that strobe lights are safe even for babies. Try to explain this before it becomes a concern.
Ask for the parents' permission first before handling an infant. Most parents will be very protective and won't react well to a stranger lifting the infant.
Be especially careful when shooting fingers - an infant sucking his or her thumb may be amusing, but could block out the rest of the face.
If you plan to resell the baby photograph to an agency make sure you get a release form signed from the parents. Agencies, magazines and other forms of media will not touch a baby photo with a ten-foot pole if it doesn't have the proper consent from the infant's guardians or parents. For baby portraits to be sellable they must be technically perfect, but the picture must illustrate the baby being active or some form of child care.
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