Newborn Safety: Yes, it's the most important part of your session.
As a mother, I understand the excitement that comes into play when you have your baby, this precious little bundle of joy that means the world to you. Documenting those first moments are so important to new mother, and veteran mothers as well (I’m not excluding you, I promise), but many do not understand the importance of safety while they are hiring someone to capture their itty bitty squishy newborn baby. They depend on the photographer to know what they are doing, and while many have taken the time to invest into the proper training, there are numerous photographers that don’t. This lesson plan about the safety requirements in newborn photography is meant for those individuals, and anyone that would like a refresher.
Infants Need Support At ALL Times
I cannot stress all enough! There should always be a hand on a newborn, and a parent within less than a foot of them at all times. Set the baby down, put a hand on them. Place them in a basket, have mom sit right next to them, with a hand on them. Transitioning poses? Yep, you got it, a hand should be on the baby. There are no excuses, and as the photographer, you are liable for anything that happens to that precious bundle if due to your lack of care and expertise in the situation. So cover yourself ahead of time. Trust me, it’d worth the extra time in post op removing the mothers hand to make sure that infant was safe at all times.
Keep it simple if you are unsure of yourself with complex poses. Sometimes we get caught up in getting that “perfect” shot that we forget that it is part of our job to make sure that everyone is safe, including your main subject. You are privileged that your client picked you out of the numerous photographers in your area to photograph their little bundle, so don’t ruin it by making them uncomfortable by being careless about safety during your session.
A few things to always remember:
- Never leave a baby unattended in a prop, on your posing bag or with a young sibling.
- Always have a spotter or parent next to your baby when using props
- Use a support hand or finger when posing the baby and clone it out later in Photoshop.
- Don’t force a baby into any pose. Instead, adjust them to where they are comfortable.
- Have your camera strap around your neck when shooting above the baby.
- Never stand on anything above the baby in case you fall or it breaks.
- Never put a baby inside or on an object / prop that could potentially break or fall.
- Glass props should never be used.
Composites Are Your Best Friend
There are some poses that you may be asked to create by your client, especially since there are so many cute complicated poses on Pinterest done by other photographers. I cannot stress enough how important it is to know exactly how they are created safely before you even attempt to do such pose. Some, actually most, are composite images that will require Photoshop to put multiple images together into a single final image. Composite images are the only way to really ensure the safety of the newborn, especially when you are doing poses like the ‘froggy’ or ‘cocoon’ that are commonly asked for by mothers. It is your job to be able to explain to your clients exactly what is involved in the process of creating these set ups, and that they will be required to assist you if you don’t work with an assistant, even if you do many times parents would rather be involved over seeing someone they aren’t familiar with handling their little bundle.
I would explain to the parents that if the baby becomes uncomfortable at any stage, you would move onto the next pose. Never force a pose that a baby is not willing to do, it puts strain on their fragile limbs and body and can badly hurt them. Personally, I leave images like these (if they are requested) for the end of the session.
If the baby isn’t going into a position easily, or is showing signs of discomfort by waking or wriggling, it is time to move on, or finish the session if you are at the end. Even if a parent requested the pose, they will be grateful for your thoughtfulness of the safety for their child.
I would not attempt any poses like these on your own if doing them for the first time. Always make sure you have thorough understanding of the pose by practicing on a baby doll first and watching tutorials online. If you can attend a newborn training seminar, that would be ideal for learning how to safely do these types of poses because you will have direct observation and help if you are doing them incorrectly. Either way, NEVER attempt these poses on your own. Photographing two newborn sessions does not qualify as training, please for the love of mercy, make sure you have professional training when handling babies. I see way too many "photographers" out there claiming they know what they are doing and when I watch and look at their work, I know that clearly they don't. Don't be ones of those people.
Less Is More
I am a firm believer that the simpler the better, especially if you are just starting out in newborn photography. A baby’s head makes up 25% of their weight, so if you do not know how to properly maneuver and position babies based on their weight, your best bet is to do simple laying poses until you are thoroughly trained. By thoroughly trained, I mean hands on experience with a trained professional. No amount of home movies, or watching someone do it will be the same as physically being there and being shown, quite detailed I will add, how to position a newborn. Which is why I strongly suggest in-person training seminars. Understanding that there are limitations to newborns will increase your safety protocols automatically.
If funds are limited, there are plenty of free tutorials on line. There is NO excuse for not having a decent amount of safety training for any session. Our clients are our responsibility to protect during our sessions, and having the proper precautions in effect is only one step of the process. I would apologize for sounding harsh, but being a mother to a baby myself, it really opened my eyes to how many people are out there that don’t take any measure to ensure the babies they are photographing are safe.
Use Common Sense
I feel like most of us read that thinking, “Well duh, why are you even mentioning common sense, it’s well obvious.” As much as I wish it was that way, sadly it is not. So because I have to say it, I will repeat it again. Please, please, please! If the baby isn’t easily going into a certain position, or is showing signs of discomfort do NOT force them!
The more comfortable you make the baby during your session, the more content they will be. If they are continuously moved and disturbed during the photo shoot, they will become over-stimulated and easily unsettled. Use gentle, small movements that transition babies into different poses with ease to keep your babies nice and calm and ensure a smoother session. Take photos at different angles of the same pose to create variety while letting the baby be content in their position.
And remember that every baby is different. They will all have their own personal “comfy spot.” Because of this, they need to be worked with and photographed individually. What you do for one session might not work for the other, and vice versa.
Photographing newborns is an amazing and rewarding experience, you get to see the expressions of mom and dad in relation of their child when they first see the images. Those moments are one of the reasons I fell in love with being a photographer. Safety isn’t about taking away from those moments, if anything it adds to the comfort and ease of the session and makes the outcome so much more important to the parents. They will appreciate you showing that you care about their precious bundle of joy when you work. In the end, even though newborns are more work than typical sessions, they are so much more rewarding when approached correctly.
