NEWBORN PHOTOGRAPHY
TIPS & TRICKS
MEET KAREN
Melbourne Newborn Photographer - @shotfromtheheart_kids
"My name is Karen Simons, and I am an Australian newborn photographer, operating out of Melbourne. I run Shot From The Heart photography with my eldest daughter Elle. She looks after the couples/wedding side of our business, and I look after the maternity/newborn and family side."
A BABY WHISPERER
HOW IT ALL STARTED
"I LOVE babies! I always have, since I was a teenager, I have worked with babies and children. I trained as a mothercraft nurse before I had my own children, and as I also had a passion for photography, eventually combined my two loves, and started my photography business photographing babies and families.
I had 5 children of my own and gradually built my business through the years of having them at home, working mainly from my home. In 2014 we built a studio in the back of our property. It has become the most beautiful space, and I adore being out there."
3 TOP TIPS FOR THE PHOTOGRAPHER
Choose the perfect timing
Make sure to find a lovely light source and choose a time when you feel calm and relaxed and not rushetc.
Baby will pick up on any tension in that case.
Find a sound
Make sure you have a heater on if its cold, and a white noise machine/music/or phoneplaying white noise. If there are any sudden bangs or crashes in the vicinity, baby is less likely to be disturbed.
Be patient
If it takes you 20 or more minutes to get one perfect picture, then its worth the wait. Keep calm, move baby slowly once you have her in the setup, so she’s not startled. You can just hold your hands gently on her body until she's relaxed into the pose, and gradually peel off your hands.
We met Karen on Instagram, and from the moment we saw her newborn pictures we instantly fell in love with her work! We recently started to collaborate with her on some photoshoots for our upcoming collections and we are very happy that she can share with all of you some tips and tricks about the newborn photography!
FROM THE EXPERT
TOP TIPS FOR PREPARING THE BABY FOR TAKING PHOTOS
1) Make sure you have the “set up “ready.
- Find the perfect spot next to the window.
- Do the setup on blankets and pillows on the floor.
- Use the appropriate basket for a few shots too. Make sure it is big enough for the baby to be comfortable. If your setup is beautiful, but the baby looks uncomfortable, it will impact your images.
- Have plenty of soft layers, so baby will just relax into it.
- Have a few “stuffers” handy, if you need to adjust the baby’s position once you have put her in (facecloths or socks work well).
2) Have your “set up” near some natural light.
A window is best, and if the light is harsh, you can cover it with a sheer curtain or fabric.
3) You need the baby to be as relaxed as possible.
If you want the baby to be ready for the photoshoot, then the time for it is after the baby has been fed and changed, and of course, after doing a nap.
4) Have the room calm.
Even running a white noise playlist, or a baby shusher, to block out any other distracting sounds.
5) Have the room warm.
You want to be able to change, or adjust baby without her being uncomfortable, or cold.
You could have baby already dressed in what you want her photographed in before you start feeding. Just keep burp/spill cloths handy.
6) Be organized with everything, ready at your fingertips.
So that you don't need to be moving around, gettings up and down, etc.
WE HOPE YOU LEARNED SOMETHING INTERESTING!
"I am so honoured that of many newborn photographers around the world Shirley Bredal asked me to do this for her newsletter!! I have been a HUGE fan of Shirley work for years, and have really enjoyed photographing her beautiful hand-created pieces.
There’s nothing hard about what I do, and I hope that with the simple tips that I have given you, you will be able to take some really beautiful images of your own sweet babies. Keep it simple, keep calm, and create something that you will be so proud of for many years!!"
Karen