So you’ve seen the perfect baby poses on Pinterest, Instagram or Facebook, and want to re-enact the same poses with your newborn but Google brings up a selection of photographers claiming to be ‘specialist newborn photographers‘ in your local area. It’s a minefield.
What next? How do you choose the right photographer? Realistically, you will only get one chance at this, and you are going to entrust the handling of your most precious bundle to a stranger for the best part of a day. You have to get it right. If you are local to Redditch and the surrounding area then you would hopefully come to us at Ocean Eyes Photography, but not everyone is that lucky!
These tips come from a Canadian Photography Society and I thought they provided the perfect starting point to share with you.
1)First and foremost when seeking a photographer, you want to make sure the photographer you choose will be experienced enough to capture your little one in all those cute poses safely. Although poses of little ones resting their chins on their hands or hanging and standing upright in sweet bundled sacs look adorable, what’s more important is that they’re done as safely as possible.
2) Ask questions. How long has your photographer been working with newborns? How many newborns have they photographed approximately? Does the photographer shoot with an assistant or will they ask or allow you to participate by spotting your baby in the setups?
3) Check out the images on the photographer’s website and Facebook pages. Do the babies in your photographer’s images look comfortable and not strained? Are their heads supported? A strained face, furrowed brow, colour change in the face (towards red or purple) or claw like fingers can be indicators that babies are experiencing various levels of discomfort though sometimes they can simply be characteristic of a baby in particular. Seeing a few of these characteristics in your photographer’s work is expected, but if the majority of their photographs look this way you may want to think twice.
3) Has your photographer attended any newborn baby posing workshops? One of the best ways to ensure your photographer practices safe posing techniques is through their attendance at workshops aimed at teaching safe posing . When choosing a workshop, photographers should aim to learn from someone in the same position as themselves (for example learn from a solo photographer if you yourself photograph without a partner or assistant) with a background of experience or knowledge in physiology and safe handling techniques.
4) The final point which I personally think is crucial – has the photographer experienced first hand the attachment you have with your new baby? Do they realise how precious he / she is and can they remember being a parent to a newborn themselves? A newborn shoot can last up to three hours so your photographer will need the patience of a saint, she must be able to chat whilst you feed (and be comfortable with breastfeeding if this is how you are feeding your baby) and she must remain calm when your baby cries, vomits and poops all over the props!
If you take into account all of these considerations you will find yourself the perfect photographer.
If you want to chat some more about what to expect from a newborn shoot and how to get the most out of your experience, please email me info@oceaneyes.co.uk or give me a call on 01527 962022.
Katherine x
Ocean Eyes Photography 