Five Tips for Photographing Newborns with Strobes and Flash
We are always receiving questions about newborn safety and whether or not it's safe to use strobes and flash when photographing them. In this episode, I share five of my best tips for working with and photographing newborns with strobes and flash!
HIGHLIGHTS
Tip #1 Take your light off your camera.
A lot of photographers who are new to working with artificial light will take their flash, put it on the top of their camera, set it to TTL so the flash is controlling the output and call it good. The problem with this approach is that it creates light that is flat and kind of boring. Taking your flash off camera and onto a light stand allows you to introduce some direction creating highlights and shadows, and your light will be more interesting and prettier.
Tip #2 Place your light in a relatively large light modifier.
Once your light is off your camera and on a light, use a relatively large modifier. The larger the light source, the softer the light. Soft light just lends itself to newborn photography. Using a large modifier will help you create a natural-light look when photographing newborns, and it also makes it easier to get the parents into some photos without having to change your set up!
My go-to modifier is the Westcott 7' shoot through umbrella, and I use it as a bounce.
Tip #3 Bring your light in close.
I love soft light. When I’m working with strobes and flash, my goal is to create light that looks like the kind of light you get from a perfect north-facing window. One way I create that look is by using a large modifier, but another way I create that look is by bringing my light in close to my subject. The closer your light is to your subject, the softer it is. When I’m working with a newborn, I have my light about two to three feet away from the baby.
Tip #4 Place your light at the top of the baby’s head, not its feet.
You have your light off your camera and on a stand, you're using a big modifier and you have it close to your subject. Now, you want to make sure that your light is placed up by the baby’s head, NOT their feet!
Uplighting is not the prettiest light for portraits. While most photographers know that this is not a great way to light a portrait, I see a lot of newborn images in which the baby has been placed in this kind of light. This happens when a baby is placed lying down or in the arms of a parent with his/her feet facing the light. Placing a baby in this way results in uplighting, even when working with soft light. To guard against accidentally lighting a baby this way, make sure the baby’s head is always pointed toward the light source, even when being held. This will ensure that everyone in the photo, baby included, is captured in the most flattering light possible!
Tip #5 Use a handheld light meter.
I’m a film photographer, so metering my light is essential. However, I’m of the opinion that all photographers, film and digital alike, should use a handheld light meter when working strobes and flash—especially when photographing newborns, babies and small children.
Here’s why. Newborns, babies and small children do not have the patience that adults do. If you're photographing a baby and spending a good chunk of time taking a photo, checking the back of your camera and adjusting your lights until you get the look you want, you are wasting valuable time.
Also, newborns do lots of cute things that their parents probably want pictures of. Again, if you’re spending your time fussing with the back of your camera and your lights, chances are you're going to miss capturing some of those really cute moments.
A handheld meter will tell you exactly what you need your settings to be on your camera, so you can meter once, set your camera to those settings and then have the perfect light for the rest of your shoot. That allows you to make sure your attention is where it needs to be—on your tiny client, NOT the back of your camera.
