Hello readers,
I truly believe that this is the most important part of choosing your newborn baby photographer – have they had newborn photography safety training? So I thought I would write a little blog entry to give information on how I plan to keep your baby safe during their first photo shoot.
Most people don’t know that the newborn photography industry is unregulated or even that there is a lot to take into consideration when thinking of the safety of your newborn baby during a photoshoot. You may presume that professional photographers need to pass an exam or have some sort of qualification, however, this is not the case. This means that when choosing your newborn photographer you must ensure they have had some hands on training with the best trainers and photographers in their field.
I have attended multiple in person courses as well as many online training for all different areas of the photography I offer. One of these people is the lovely world renown newborn photographer Kelly Brown. I attend training on a regular basis to keep up with new and changing information.
This is me and the amazing Kelly Brown.
Here are the most important safety aspects during a newborn photoshoot:
§ The temperature of the room is kept nice and warm by using heaters to replicate the mother’s womb for the newborn baby. This helps them sleep during their session and feel secure, however, it is SO important to monitor the temperature throughout the whole session. I always make sure that the temperature never exceeds 26 degrees. If baby is wrapped it needs to be cooler than this so I start with these poses first while the room heats up then once they are unwrapped they shouldn’t feel a difference. If my clients are very observant, they may notice me regularly checking the thermometer throughout the session.
§ I swaddle newborn babies in all of my sessions straight away as it helps them relax in the new environment. Most of the time I use multiple wraps and so it is necessary to make sure they are not too tightly wrapped and that they do not over heat. I do this by checking how many fingers I can fit in the wrap to ensure it is not tight around the neck. I check the room temperature throughout and also the colour of the baby’s skin as this can be a good indicator.
§ My sessions are baby led and so I will never pose a baby where they are uncomfortable in. Babies are pretty good communicators and will let me know they are unhappy. In my experience I find that most babies are happy in the poses I carry out, however, the occasional one may find it uncomfortable and in this instance I will move on and will not force them into it.
§ I always wear my camera strap around my neck or wrist when photographing. I don’t stand on ladders over baby as this could be very dangerous for obvious reasons.
§ And finally: my biggest point of safety is probably this one. I will never leave the baby unattended or unsupported. Sometimes I will ask parents to support the newborn or stay by their side if I need to change lighting or get a prop. I will also ask parents to support their baby during certain poses and then I will edit this out in post-production. Like this:
I hope you have enjoyed this insight into newborn photography safety and feel reassured when attending your session. Feel free to use the contact page if you have any questions or would like further information. I would love to hear from you!
Emily x