Dallas Newborn Photographer | How To photograph your newborn at home | capturing the details

So you have a baby… CONGRATULATIONS!  don’t you want to remember every single detail? i do.

Most people hire a professional once or twice a year to document their family as they change and evolve- but so much happens in between!  as you can imagine there is always a camera near me when i am home- i love the little pockets of light in each room and am compelled at least once a week to stop what i’m doing and capture what is happening.

it is important as a parent to keep a camera out.  the more your kiddos are photographed the less they are bothered by it.  i don’t mean stopping them in the middle of their finger-paint masterpiece to say “cheese” … please don’t do that. i mean they will grow accustomed to you quietly taking in their lives with your camera as they live them.  without thinking they’ll eventually invite you into their world.  one glance at a time.

newborns are are a great place to begin documenting your family because they are stationary (and they don’t talk back yet)- they make really great models for anyone with a camera!

How to photograph your newborn at home:

1. WHAT TO WEAR: or not to wear? onsie or no-sie? if you photograph your little one in his/her birthday suit be prepared for accidents! keep plenty of towels on hand and ready to go.  if you choose an outfit, keep it simple and honest.  you can get all jazzed up when you hire a photographer- let your baby be as he/she is- that is what you want to remember.
2. LOOK FOR THE LIGHT: Large windows and open doors can provide beautiful light- place your baby facing the light (your back to the door or window) and shoot from there.
3. OPEN UP YOUR APERTURE: your aperture is found in your lens… it should be as wide as it will open (the smallest number) if you are lucky enough to shoot with prime lenses this number should be really low (1.2-1.8 and macro lenses 2.8) the wider the aperture the more shallow the depth of field.  if you are shooting with a lens that came with your camera your aperture should be somewhere around 3.5 to 4 at it it’s widest point. (I photographed Nico with the Canon 50mm 1.2)
4. CHOOSE THE BACKGROUND: what is behind your subject is just as important as your subject.  it doesn’t matter how great the shot is if there is a laundry basket coming out of your little one’s head.  light walls, shower curtains, sheets, and rustic furniture make great backgrounds- when your aperture is really wide it should blur the details of the background so  make sure there aren’t distracting elements that will disrupt the beautiful blur your lens will provide.
5. FOCUS ON THE DETAILS: newborns have the sweetest features and you will want to remember how tiny their hands were, so get in close and focus on those little things you adore.  to give some scale include your hand with the babies hand or foot.
6. ASLEEP OR AWAKE: you can shoot newborns in their natural state… ZONKED OUT… or wait until right after they’ve been fed or when they wake up from a nap… just don’t stress yourself out trying to get the perfect shot when your little one is fussy, tired, or hungry- it’s not worth it.  they will still be cute when they are fed and rested… trust me.
7. UP, DOWN, AND AROUND: look through your lens from every angle.  move all around your baby- shoot from above, below, and any other vantage point you can find.  Nico didn’t move once in the 5 minutes i photographed him and look at the different shots i captured simply by moving around.  (i didn’t change my lens either)

I hope this inspires you to use your camera wisely- your life and the people in it are ART… so treat it as such! dust off your camera and get to practicing!  i would love to see what you shoot… please share with us on the Shauna Maness Photography facebook page!