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My LOVE: I LOVE working with newborns…these littlest clients are so super special and I enjoy each of their sessions. Yes, they are hard work…and sometimes very challenging, but I adore it! This week I will be focusing on Newborns here on the blog! There will be a newborn promotion for those of you who are expecting….there will be lots of learning opportunities and we kick it off with the announcement of my newborn workshop!
The Workshop: I am so excited about this worskhop…I think it’s going to be the best one yet! In my new studio..two newborns….all things newborn! Who will benefit from this? Those of you who have worked with newborns, but you never get “the shots” that you want, those of you who are just starting out, but want to focus on newborns, those of you who need to know how to market to your newborn business and create a niche in this every growing industry and those of you who just need to build confidence and portfolio in your newborn skills.
Special Offer!!! If you register during All Things Newborn Week you can take $100 off the price of the workshop. That means only $150 to reserve you spot!
How Do I Sign UP? Go to this link….fill out a short registration form and pay your deposit…it’s that simple! Space is limited as I have already opened it to my past workshop attendants and have space for 5 more!
So now a few tips for those of you have no way of attending the workshop (which if you can…you really should…it’s a fabulous deal)
1. Be prepared. Make sure you know what you are going to do…Have a plan. I always know exactly what props, blankets, hats etc I’m going to use. And I put my blankets in order so that I can move with little confusion. (I always keep a puppy pad in between the first and second blankets. Plus if you are traveling to your clients homes you don’t want to overwhelm them with all the equipment. Try to fit everything into one bag, one bean bag and your camera gear. I also plan by doing some face shots first (while baby is swaddled and getting accusomted to being not held, to then the no diaper and swaddled images and then the naked baby images…it’s a great flow! I do the family shots last as though I love it when the baby is still sleeping, it’s not a MUST!
2. Keep things warm: I always encourage my clients to increase the heat in the house, I also bring a small space heater. (now babies do get overheated sometimes too) but most of the time, they like the blankets to be nice and warm when they lay down on them and I always am making sure their hands and feet are warm. A warm baby is a happy baby!
3. Keep the Baby SAFE!!. It’s important to keep the baby safe and happy and make sure all their limbs are able to keep blood circulating. You will know if the baby is uncomfortable, they will not settle in. I had a baby that I was posing with the hands under the chin (not the popular one) but just the baby resting on their hands on their tummy and the baby would start to cry every time I would move their arms. So of course I had to revamp and do something else…later the mom told me that she took the baby to their first week check up and he actually had a broken collar bone (which apparently is VERY common in natural births. So the baby told us. Somtimes if the cord is still on, the baby will not enjoy being on their tummy…you just have to listen to the baby! But they…not your shot come first!
4. Learn How To Edit: All those lovely photos of babies hanging in nets and cloths or with their hands holding up their chin? These poses require a spotter and lots of safety! These photos should be done by creating a composite shot. One with the area the baby will be in without the baby and one with the spotter holding them up in the photo. When you combine the two photos it can appear that the baby was there alone, but these should never be done without a spotter!
5. Take Your Time! Rushing through a newborn sessions is just not going to happen. Take your time with each pose to settle the baby comfortably, turn their cheek just so, spread out their fingers and tuck their toes. These are the little details that you’ll notice later in photos and will wish you had changed before you snapped the picture!
