How To Photograph Your Newborn At Home With Your Iphone

Tips For Photographing Your Newborn At Home With Your Iphone

Are you going to be welcoming a newborn this Spring or Summer and are wondering about how you are going to be able to capture those sweet newborn moments when you can’t have a photographer come and take your newborn photos in person? We know that right now things are not business as usual, but we’re here to help. We can’t be there in person to take gorgeous newborn photos, but we can give you some pro tips that will help you still get beautiful photos of your new addition. to help you get great pictures, we developed an easy guide for you to use to help you get some breathtaking photos of your baby at home – using just your iphone!

When is the best time to take newborn photos at home?

The best time to snap photos of your newborn is when they are full and sleepy. Your baby will be most relaxed during this combination of factors which makes taking photos easier for you and your baby. Also, pick a time when you are not in pain or very tired (well, more tired than a regular day of being a newborn mom) Try to take them in the daytime as nighttime won’t get you much soft, dreamy lighting that results in those insta-ready and have-to-frame -this pics. I have found that mid-morning around 10am is usually great for both lighting and baby’s moods but go by your baby, if your baby is cranky, try again at a different time or day.

Where are the best places to take newborn photos at home?

The crib

I love using the crib as a setting for some beautiful, classic newborn photos. There are many different angles you can shoot from which will result in great finished photos. Taking newborn photos in the crib will also let you capture and save the memory of their newborn size – they won’t be that little for long! While you are in the nursery take a few photos of their room – it’s a great way to document this time in their lives.

 

On the floor

As always with a newborn, safety first. Make sure the baby is safe and no toddler, pet, or adult will trip over them. Place a blanket on the floor (the simpler design or pattern the better so not to distract from the baby) and position it close to window light (but not too close so the sunlight is streaming in and creating shadows). Play around with the positioning until you have the best lighting.

Now it’s time to start snapping pics. Place the baby on their back and stand directly overhead to get a full body shot. You will also want to move in close to get those the detail photos.

The Most Important Elements of taking beautiful newborn photos at home

 

Lighting

The direction of light is very important. Take a look at your light source and try to make it come from above your baby’s head. Here is a tip for getting the right light direction: check and see if there is there a shadow under the baby’s nose or to the side. If there is, that’s great. Just try not to have the light ‘up the nose’ when taking your newborn photos at home – the result of his will look like something I call flashlight lighting. You don’t want this kind of lighting as it makes for very unflattering photos. If there are overhead lights causing color cast or bad shadows turn off the overhead lights.

More tips on using your iphone camera to take newborn photos at home

• Just use the regular photo mode. Portrait mode can distort the face a little and the blur just looks fake. If you want to try it you can, but make sure to take the same photo with the regular camera on the phone too so you have two options.
• Make sure you use the regular color, don’t shoo your newborn pictures with a filter on them. If you want to, you can always add filters later. In my experience I have found that the regular color of the photographs are more timeless. Black and white is also very classic, but again, do that after you take the photos
• Make good use of the focus tool on your iphone. The yellow box that appears on your screen when you go to take a picture is there to help the camera focus on the subject. When you have your shot ready, click on the yellow box to place the focus on your newborn and you will get a more focused, clearer image.
• Control the exposure of your photos before you shoot. Located close to the focus box is the exposure meter. If you are not familiar with the term exposure or how it affects your photos, it helps lighten or darken your images. So if you are looking through your camera and the image is too blown out (too much light so images are hard to see) or too dark, you can fix it before taking the photo just by adjusting the yellow exposure slider up or down to allow more or less light into your photo. Adjusting your exposure before you take the picture can make the editing process a lot easier.

Editing tip: I like Snapseed for the editing if you need to edit the photos, but if you make sure you get it right on your phone you most likely won’t need to edit them (which is perfec because what new mom has time!)

Don’t forget about yourself!

Don’t forget to get in some photos with your newborn. When your baby is not a baby anymore you and your child will love to look back on those moments that you captured of you together.

For daily tips – follow @howtophotographyourkids on Instagram or visit my teaching website at www.howtophotographyourkids.com

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