>How I set up my newborn photos

>I had some people ask (and I asked a million people before me) how certain shots are set up, the lighting, the lenses, etc.So I thought I would share that information as well. I am sure anyone that has shot a number of newborn photos will see this set up as pretty simple, but I know there are people that are starting out in photography, especially with off camera lighting, that this may or may not be useful for.

Below is a recent shoot I did for my friend Kristin of her twin newborn babies. The little guy in the shot is Lucca.

Newborn photos sessions are pretty simple shoots. I have around 30 or 40 newborn/baby sessions under my belt. I am still learning tons, but thought the info below would help ease the growing pains of any new photographers.

TIMING AND AGE:

The hardest part is the timing on getting the newborns at the right age. Usually any time after 3 to 4 weeks and they are in the “discovery” mode…not wanting to lay still or sleep or trying to feed from anything that comes within inches of their mouths. Super cute and amazing to watch, not so great to photograph. Especially when they start opening their eyes. In the photo above, Lucca was perfect. He stayed asleep the whole time and didn’t mind us moving him around. I had to actually tell myself to stop shooting because I was taking too many of the same photos.

LIGHTING:

I am using an Alien Bees B800 light and shooting it through a large soft box slightly camera left and using a 50mm 1.8mm lens. (If you dont own a 50mm 1.4 or 1.8 get one now. They are inexpensive for lenses are just awesome)

If you dont have access to or own a light, you can also light this in a couple other different ways and get the same effect. You can setup an off camera flash. Before I had the Alien Bee lights I would shoot these with my SB600 and shoot with an umbrella. (you can find an umbrella and light stand on the cheap through websites like Adorama.com or B&H.)

If you don’t have an off camera flash just yet (and I say yet because if you are into photography it will be one of the many things you purchase throughout your never ending geekdom of wanting new and better gear) there is nothing better than natural light. Just position the baby next to a large window, or even better yet a glass sliding door to get an even light lower to the ground, and its really just that simple.

BEANBAG CHAIR:

The most important part of the shoot….the Beanbag! Seems logical right? You would never guess how many shoots I did without one. The first session I used the beanbag with made me want to go back and re-shoot all of my other newborn photos. Not only is it super comfortable for the baby and a key in keeping them asleep, but you can also move it around and mold it to position the baby without actually having to touch them. You can purchase them pretty cheap, I got the one in the photo at Target for $20. Being cheap is good because in a matter of time they will have been pooped and/or pee’d on….which comes with the territory of photographing babies. Which doesn’t bother me at all. I have two kids of my own. I have had to clean pee and poop off of stuff I never though #1 and a #2 could reach. ( I know the family portrait you did on the wall in your poop was really good Mason, but really it did suck to have to clean up)

PROPS:

I am not a huge fan of props. I think a newborn is amazing enough without having to surround with stuff someone slightly older than the baby made in China.

Blankets – Check out Target or like Ross. The thicker is usually better.

Fabric Stores – also good for some unique stuff depending if you can get it cheap.

Knits – Etsy.com is a great site to find random things to put on a baby.

Michaels – Great spot to find like baskets or other randoms stuff for shoots.

Weirdest advice I have ever given, but will ring true to photographers, just keep your eye out for things that you would think would look cool to put a baby in. And on that note I am out.

If you ever have any questions on gear or technique or how many monster drinks it takes to ramble on a blog feel free to hit me up!

>National EnduroCross Finals in Vegas!

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After visiting the east coast all of last week, my last stop was in Las Vegas for the National Endurocross finals. I have never shot a race before and having this be my first was insane. If you are not familiar with motorcycle racing or especially an endurocross, they build a hardcore outdoor track inside. Unlike the Supercross races that are very popular the endurocross races take a ton of skill to be able to just make it around the track without breaking all of your bones.

While I did take a lot of photos, I was ghosting other photographers and trying to take in all of their techniques. Photography is weird. There are 20 photographers all photographing the exact same thing but each photographer had different gear, different lighting setups, different angles. When I got back home and uploaded the photos it was a pain to see that I was setting my ISO too high and the power of my flash too low. Rookie mistake.

>Gia and Lucca

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These photos have been a long time coming. Our friends Kristin and Matt live way up in Rancho Cucamonga and some how my wife and Kristin talked me into thinking that packing up a 4 year old and a 2 year old in a car and driving for almost two hours was a great idea. I am glad I was talked into it though because it was such a nice day, especially getting to photograph little Lucca and Gia below.

>The Merritt Family

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>In A Years Time

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I am completely obsessed by photography. Ask any other photographer and they will tell you I am not alone. There is so much to learn, so much gear to try, and so many things to shoot that most of the time it feels like a bottomless pit and that I am sure someday I will be on my deathbed thinking of all the things I wanted to do with photography but just ran out of time.

With all of that being said I was going through my flickr account last night and found some photos I shot a little over a year ago and thought I would share. And I share these not out of trying to show off, honestly I probably know less than 1% of what there is to know about photography and still consider myself a beginner hack, but it is still fun to look back and remember when I knew completely nothing to as what I was doing and compare it to now….when I kind of know that I know nothing to as what I am doing.

>Woog Family at the Beach

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Photographers tend to gush about how every session they do the clients are always the most amazingly nice and loving people in the world. I have yet to work with anyone that wasn’t nice (fingers crossed) but the Woog family is going to be my break from telling the world about nice people, because well they just are. I met up with them at a beach in Carlsbad last Sunday morning and it was like meeting up with old friends. Here are a few photos from our session.

>My Kids…

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I think it goes without sayings, but pretty much any photographers children are pretty comfortable with a camera. I had over 500 photos of my daughter before she was even 24 hours old. My kids are drawn to attention via their bloodline and getting to capture them growing up with out any boundries is so much fun. Plus meeting their girlfriends and boyfriends for the first time will always been a fun for my wife and I….

>Diaz Family at Mission Trails

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Despite finding out that Tarantella spiders live outside of pet stores, Mission Trails is becoming my favorite place to shoot.