As a photographer, and a first time Mom, I have really been enjoying experimenting with different poses, lighting, and styles of newborn photography. I really wanted to try a backlit photograph with the parents (my husband and me) and the baby wearing white. I wanted the background to be completely blown out. These photographs could be created in a studio using professional lighting or at home using natural light. The photographs below were created using natural light and an overhead room light. To set up this shot, using natural light, you will need a window or door where the light will shine through. For this effect you do not want the light blocked by drapes or blinds.
I positioned the subject about one foot in front of the window. Play around with turning the subject's face slowly towards the camera until you get the shadows and highlights you prefer. If you select a larger aperture, playing around with focusing on the parent then focusing on the child produces interesting different perspectives.
Take-Aways:
1) The little one tends to be the most agreeable for posing after they fell into a deep sleep. Ideally they would have just eaten, burped, and been changed as well. This seems to make for the happiest most agreeable newborn.
2) When positioning a subject with back lighting, it is important to verify your focus is on the subject. Having the focus slightly off and on the backlit window or door will leave you with an underexposed subject.
3) This type of photograph is fantastic for new Mom's and Dad's that may not be back to their pre-baby size. Creating short side lighting by turning the subject slightly away from the camera and having the light hit the smaller side of the face will help give the illusion of a less full face.
Happy Photographing!
A Few Favorites
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