Today we are joined by newborn photographer Nancy Alcott. Nancy’s studio in San Francisco specializes in newborn and child photography. Today she helps us address some common issues to posing twins: when to take the photos, how to position them, and how to light them. Read on as Nancy gives us a crash course in newborn portraiture.
1. Start them early. To get those adorable shots of your little ones wrapped up together, start early. Really early. Brand new babies are accustomed to being knotted up together from their months in the womb, and the very best poses are often when they’re curled up. If this is what you’re hoping to capture, you’ll have a better success rate if they’ve not grown accustomed to a good, long stretch. Best to capture them within the first week to 10 days of life.
Capturing this pose proved a little more difficult because they were actually much older than a recommended age for posing, as they were 7 weeks old. Because of this it was quite difficult to get them posed next to one another asleep, so we had to shoot them awake. This is very typical of the advanced age, which is why it’s so crucial to start early.
2. Catch them sleeping. Newborns are best captured while they’re in a deep sleep. Fill your little one’s bellies beforehand and turn the heat up a few notches to ensure a deeper slumber. If you can ensure your newborns are completely zonked with a full belly, you’ll be able to manipulate their little arms and legs without fear of accidentally stirring them from their sleep.
3. Kill the flash. Use natural light instead. Place your babies as close to a large natural light source as possible. Use a large window or sliding glass door which provides ample, indirect light to blanket your baby in the perfect, brilliant light.
4. BYOB (Bring your own blankey). Try posing your baby on blankets with interesting or chunky textures that have luxe-type fabrics and weaves. This will add depth and dimension to your photo and frame your baby in a tranquil setting. If you want to shoot against a black backdrop, use black fleece, which absorbs the light, leaving just your sleeping baby as the focus. Be sure to avoid reflective fabrics.
5. Have patience. Once your twins are in a deep sleep, handle them gently and pose them slowly. Allow them to fall back into a deep sleep if they stir during the posing process.
6. Birthday suits are best. There’s nothing more beautiful and natural than a newborn baby’s skin, so in between those shots in fun hats or cocoons you bought on etsy.com, try to capture the angelic simplicity of your twins’ skin against skin.
7. Pump it up. If you’re a breast feeding mom, it’s helpful to have pumped milk in bottles available tat your fingertips to provide your babies if they begin to stir awake. This top off can extend your photo shoot considerably and save you the trouble of having to start the posing process all over again.
Nancy closes her remarks with the best quote, “I really have the greatest job ever.” If you’d like to contact Nancy Alcott directly, you can reach her by email at alcottphotography@gmail.com or phone at 415.385.6459.
Best of luck with your own newborn photography. Remember the basic tips of simple lighting and photograph the first week with a full tummy while sleeping and you should be all set.
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