Newborn photography is a very special type of photography. It’s a subset of photography that requires hours upon hours of training in order to do it correctly and safely. I can always tell when a photographer doesn’t specialize in newborn posing and has agreed to a session outside of their typical offerings (for whatever reason). The bummer part is that often parents (the typical consumer of newborn photography) can’t differentiate between a skilled newborn photographer and a photographer who is unskilled in this particular genre. If you’re hiring a newborn photographer, you want him or her to be skilled.
Newborn posing is a skill that is learned, not randomly stumbled upon. I worked long and hard to learn how to pose brand new babies. I took workshops and purchased training videos. I study constantly, even today, four years in to my newborn photography business. I never stop learning and developing this craft. I’m constantly looking for ways to elevate my business and my offerings.
Newborn posing requires an understanding of how newborns move and how they need to be supported. What you see the baby laying on top of is deceiving. Underneath the layers are a myriad of supports and props to get your baby in just the right position to be photographed beautifully and SAFELY.
Another important element in newborn posing is the temperature of the studio. My studio is always set to at least 76 degrees and there’s always a heater fan gently (and safely) blowing onto my tiny subject when he’s undressed to keep him warm and comfortable. A warm baby is a sleepy baby and that is one of the keys to newborn posing and photography.
Additionally, I like to do a mix of naked and wrapped shots. Depending on how sleepy your baby is, I’ll start with the nakey shots and progress through my workflow. Once we get to a stopping point, baby tanks up on some yummy milk and then we move on to the wrapped, prop poses. I have many baskets, buckets, beds, crates, and bowls to pose your sweet babe beautifully.
Funny story: I recently had a dad in the studio and he asked me what kind of dog I had. I assumed he could see Lucy or Emma running around the yard outside the studio window so I answered him. He then asked me if they found the dog bed comfy. I looked where he was pointing and had to laugh. Yes, I have a dog bed in the studio. No, a dog has never touched it. I use both a dog bed and a cat scratcher to pose my newborn clients.
Bottom line: when you come to Liz Viernes Photography for newborn photography, you can rest assured that you are getting a trained photographer who is *also* a registered nurse with over 13 years of experience handling newborn babies. Newborn posing is something that is learned and developed over time…with me, you can sit back and relax knowing that your baby is in good hands.
Liz Viernes Photography is based near White Oak, Maryland, and specializes in maternity, fresh 48, posed and lifestyle newborns and first year milestone portraits.
leave a comment