Lil' Baby B

During the first couple of days of my daughter's life, I only took a few photos. Surprise, surprise, I was far too busy feeding/burping/admiring/changing/loving her to think too much about getting out my camera. But I distinctly remember knowing that her newness was fleeting and wanting to capture it.  There is something so magical about newborns. Their wrinkly skin, erratic limb movements, teeny tiny features and curled up sleeping poses make them almost seem half human (in the most endearing, adorable way).

So when my friend Jen gave birth to her sweet baby boy, Beckett, I jumped at the chance to photograph a newborn again. I briefly toyed with the idea of trying to recreate those super-cute posed newborn shots - you know the ones, slightly reminiscent of Anne Geddes, baby's head resting on arms, naked bum with only a hat or hair band. However, I quickly thought better of it. Instead I kept it simple and followed some of the newborn photography tips that I had come across:

• Position baby a few feet from a bright window for ample natural light (ideally at a 45 degree angle)
• Go with a neutral background / clothes (if any)
• Get in close and use a wide aperture (low F stop number)
• Focus on the details, like the hands, feet, eyelashes
• Keep baby warm, especially if taking photos without clothes
• Take newborn photos during the first 5 to 10 days (newborns tend to be very sleepy and relatively easy going at this stage, provided they are well fed).

Although there are challenges to taking newborn shots - awake times are few and far between, the colour/texture of their skin isn't always perfect, they can change from sleepy angel to screaming terror in t-minus two seconds -  in other respects they are a joy to photograph. Lil' baby Beckett was no exception. You can get beautiful, sleepy photos of newborns. Plus you don't have to worry about them moving too much (unlike my rapidly crawling 9 month old)!