3 Ways Newborn Photography Differs from Family Photography
I recently had a client inquire about the differences between a newborn session and a family session. This was a great question so I thought I would devote a short blog post to it, and to provide some example images. Newborn photography is a very specific niche for a few key reasons. It is an elevated family session, with a few special characteristics.
1. Newborn photography requires specific knowledge and safety protocols.
As a photographer who photographs newborns occasionally (or only in lifestyle sessions), its important to have a general comfort around babies. You must know how to safely hold and soothe, as well as understanding basic newborn cues. For photographers who offer posed newborn sessions, there are additional tips for safety within specific poses. In fact, some of the most popular poses are actually composited from multiple images. It doesn’t hurt to know how to swaddle, as well!
In these examples, you can also see that the background was removed from the original image. This is because the little one wanted mom very nearby so we couldn’t place him at the necessary angle to have a clean background.
Top left – raw, unedited image
Top right – lightly edited image for preview gallery
Bottom – fully retouched and edited image for final gallery
2. Newborns require additional time during the session.
I mentioned soothing in the previous reason, and I’m mentioning it here again because it’s SO IMPORTANT! You simply cannot rush a newborn session. Babies need specialized care, which includes feeding and soothing breaks, diaper changes, and a comfortable environment. I find that making the space warmer and adding white noise or music can help. That being said, babies can’t tell us what they need so it often takes a few guesses (and plenty of time) to get them comfortable.
Time during the session also needs to account for family needs. Have a toddler who can’t wait to be photographed with their new baby sibling? They may need a snack break or some time to warm up to get comfortable, too.
3. Newborn images require more editing than a traditional family session.
Newborns, in all their adorable and squishy goodness, also tend to have flaky and uneven skin. As their skin adjusts to its new environment outside of the womb, it can often cause excessive dryness and an uneven tone. Newborns generally have a pink and purple tone to their skin, especially those cute little fingers and toes!
All sessions include light skin smoothing and blemish removal. However, standard newborn editing also includes evening skin tones throughout different body parts and retouching flaky skin. Newborns can nick themselves with their tiny fingernails and regularly have small scratches that must also be retouched.
Top – raw, unedited image
Middle – lightly edited image for preview gallery
Bottom – fully retouched and edited image for final gallery
Newborn sessions are such a beautiful way to celebrate your newest family member, and all they need is plenty of time and attention to detail.
