Last year, I decided to do something for myself for Mother’s Day – I set aside some time to take some self portraits of myself with my kids. As a photographer and mother of three, I know how all too often, the photographers in the family aren’t often in their own family albums. But I just read the results from a survey of moms on photography – and the results are sobering.

More than half of mothers – 58 percent – are “almost never” in their own family photos, according to a recent survey conducted by the UK-based photo print lab CEWE. Around 45 percent say the reason is that it’s too difficult to get in the shot, while 44 percent say they don’t get in the photos because they are unhappy with how they look.

Mothers aren’t always the designated photographer in every family, but almost nine in ten moms reported being the family photographer in their family, with 11 percent saying that their partner was the family photographer.

Despite the difficulty of getting in front of the camera, around 66 percent of those surveyed said they felt sad not to have more photos of themselves with their infants.

Around 66 percent of mothers surveyed reported using a smartphone exclusively, while 22 percent use both a camera and a phone. Only 7 percent said they “often” use a camera, and just 2 percent said they use a camera exclusively when snapping family photos.

The survey comes from more than 500 mothers based in the UK and was recently shared by CEWE.

I’m the designated photographer in my own family – I even photographed my youngest's first hours earthside from a hospital bed in the labor and delivery ward. Fitting in the demands of being a photographer with the demands of being a mother is no simple task.

Because getting myself in the frame is such a challenge, I’ve hired photographers to capture my family before on a few different occasions. The memories – and the simplicity of not having to both be in the photos and take the photos – are worth it to me.

Other times, I’ve chatted with another mom friend to find she faced the same challenges as the designated photographer in her family as well. The solution? I photographed her family, and she photographed my family.

When that’s not an option, I’ve never regretted setting up my camera on a tripod or, yes, even sticking my arm out with my phone for a classic quick selfie.

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New research from photo printing company Cewe has mapped Britain's festive photography habits – and most of the findings, to be honest, aren't that surprising.

The data, drawn from a survey of 2,000 UK adults, shows that 45% photograph their Christmas dinner spread, 35% capture present-opening and 25% shoot extended family group shots. No huge shocks there.

But here's what really drew my attention. The same research shows that nearly 40% of families take exactly the same festive photos every single year. So are Britons suffering a collective failure of creative imagination?

Actually, I'd argue it's the opposite.

For most families, Christmas photography in Britain (and no doubt elsewhere in the world) functions primarily as visual documentation, rather than artistic expression. So choosing the same shots, year on year, isn't laziness: it's about creating a visual timeline. Families are building archives, not portfolios.

The dinner spread, the tree and the decorations all act as anchor points that provide continuity across the decades. The details that do change (kids getting taller, grandfolks getting older, new additions to the family) are more visible precisely because the framing remains constant.

Perhaps the most revealing finding from Cewe is that 74% of families prefer classic Christmas traditions over newer trends. And this conservatism extends directly to Christmas photos, which remain firmly traditional in their subject matter, even if the equipment and distribution methods have modernized.

The main takeaway

If you're a professional photographer shooting family sessions this Christmas, then I'd say that this data offers a useful reality check. The main takeaway is that clients aren't necessarily looking for innovation. They want the dinner table, the tree, the group shot… just executed well.

From the pro's point of view, the creativity comes in making these familiar scenes feel warm and authentic, rather than reinventing them entirely.

People photographing the same moments annually isn't a failure of imagination. It's more a collective memory, based around the notion propagated by Greek philosopher Heraclitus that "You can't step into the same river twice". His idea was that change is constant: not only is the water in a river always new, but you are always a changed person too.

This is the real reason British families want to photograph Christmas dinner ever year. Not because they want to analyze the crispiness of the turkey, but because it represents a specific moment of family gathering that happens once a year… and will never look the same again.

That's documentary photography in its purest form. And sometimes, the most interesting angle on a story is realising it doesn't need a new angle at all.

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Those old enough to remember actual family photo albums will recall the horrible, flat or super-overexposed harsh light from a built-in flash.

Most of these pictures were taken during a completely random event – you know, while eating, or pointing at something off-camera, maybe yelling during a festive period. While the fashion choices of relatives or friends are recorded to live on forever through journalism of the elder kind. Like a stain on the character of the poor souls' life and fashion choices.

Fast-forward many years and that same style has lived on. Not through grandma's camera – no – but it's become part of the advertising content mystical journey. A rite of passage of sorts. You only have to look at the Instagram feeds of singers like Miley Cyrus or The Boys star Erin Moriarty to see that the style has been thrust into marketing machines of social media.

It’s become cool to have the look of ill-considered family photos, such as those your grandparents might have snapped on their classic compact from the Seventies or Eighties. So what does a contemporary grandma use now? One of the best compact cameras?

Panasonic recently announced an update to the Lumix ZS99, and it comes with a new USB-C port. The ZS99 has been around 10 years in the making and it's great for, you know who, 'grandma' (or indeed any relatively relaxed family member less obsessed with settings).

It comes with a few bells and whistles though it lacks an EVF, which for some weird reason Lumix has removed. Still, it's great to see Lumix keeping these pocket-sized powerhouses for those who don’t want to carry their phone around everywhere – but it does make me think.

Grandma can no longer take horrible photos; no more overexposed, harsh-shadow pictures. The mature user from my generation has lived through a technical revolution, somewhat, from film compacts with little more than a flash – perhaps even a disposable flash cube. I suspect many grandmas now have one of the best camera phones and know how to take a relatively decent picture.

Would a granny from a generation before take worse pictures than today's new batch of semi-pensioners? Yes, I suspect so, but not with something so capable as the breed of compact cameras that are available today. I'd almost like to make this a science test. I'd probably call it a battle of the biddies, but I can sense the editor wincing.

The kitsch look of yesteryear that has become the staple of advertising and influencers; invented by the generic grandma, would certainly been lost.

Saying that, maybe the next trend is just a generation of Lumix users away, probably taking better pictures than you are. How will we identify it a generation later though? Because they're 'only' 2D?

Read more...

Compact cameras make a comeback as the ZS99 is announced, or perhaps read about the Sony ZV-1 – an ever-popular alternative which is already out (no need to wait until mid February).

As a photographer who specialises in family and newborn images, Louise’s timeless images aim to tell a story about each family. She does this by creating a relaxed and organic atmosphere to capture the raw beauty of the special bond between family members. “If the subjects aren’t fully relaxed, then it shows,” Louise says. “But taking a short break to reset can really help.” Lots of patience is required, especially with newborns but, having young children of her own, she understands what’s required to get the balance between the perfect shot and a happy and calm family.

Louise prefers working in her clients’ homes and shooting with natural light. “For this shot, we were in their apartment, which had high ceilings and was flooded with natural light,” she says. “Capturing babies and young children requires you to increase your shutter speed as there are sudden movements and changes in facial expressions.” With her background in design, Louise uses a mixture of textures and fabrics to create further depth and interest. “The new mother chose a beautiful dress from a collection I have for these sessions. The delicate sleeves add a touch of elegance to the image,” she says.

In post-production, Louise carried out some basic editing steps, adding some texture around the newborn’s hairline to ensure she visually dominated the frame. “Newborns tend to have a red undertone to their skin, which quite often has patches and pimples, so I took the saturation down along with the texture,” she explains. “Once I had removed the main blemishes, the skin appeared much smoother but I avoided heavy airbrushing to keep the subject looking natural.”

Tech details

Camera: Nikon D750
Lens: Nikon 50mm f/1.8
Aperture: f/1.8
Shutter speed: 1/200 sec
ISO: 320

Nearly half of British children have a confidence crisis when it comes to how their teeth look, but Aquafresh is looking to change that – with some help from Rankin. 

The celebrated photographer has partnered with the dental health brand to shoot a series of photos that sees primary school children show off their unique smiles for the camera – with gappy, wobbly and snaggly teeth proudly front and centre. 

As a recent study conducted by Aquafresh revealed that nearly half of British children aged 4-11 have experienced low confidence due to societal pressure regarding their dental appearance, the collaboration aims to put the pursuit of social media smiles to one side and show that “perfect teeth“ are in fact just “healthy teeth“.

“Perfection is an attitude – so being able to help kids embrace their wobbly, wonky teeth and realise what is ‘considered’ as perfect teeth doesn’t matter,” said Rankin. 

”Let’s challenge the status quo – and encourage kids to be unique and confident!” 

The portraits will be displayed in London on 27 and 28 April, between 10-5pm at Black & White Soho, 59 Greek Street, W1D 3DZ. 

According to the Aquafresh research, missing teeth, tooth color and alignment contribute significantly to children’s insecurities, with 36% admitting to feeling embarrassed to smile or laugh. 

The impact of this pressure extends beyond children, with nearly half of parents acknowledging their child’s self-consciousness regarding their teeth.

And an overwhelming 98% of parents recognize the crucial role that dental health plays in their child’s overall confidence and self-esteem. 

Dr Linda Greenwell, founder of the Dental Wellness Trust, said: “Whilst Rankin’s moving portraits demonstrate the joy in a child’s proud, toothy smile, it’s also heartbreaking to find out that half of children are feeling low in confidence due to the way their teeth look. We know that if teeth are looked after and healthy, they are perfect!

“Dental health should be as much a part of a child’s self-care routine as washing their body and getting enough sleep – especially as we navigate the Dental Health crisis in the UK, and it becomes harder than ever to secure a dentist’s appointment. I

“It’s so important for grown-ups – at home and in schools – to instil good dental hygiene habits in kids… habits will last a lifetime. 

“Aquafresh has kindly supported The Dental Wellness Trust for three years, helping us to promote oral health amongst children, and whilst we’re making huge progress this research proves that there’s still vital work to be done!” 

Monica Michalopoulou, spokesperson for Aquafresh, said: “We’re thrilled to unveil these captivating images captured by Rankin, empowering children to take pride in their healthy teeth— because healthy teeth are just perfect teeth! 

“Our longstanding commitment to shedding light on dental care challenges faced by families remains unwavering. 

“We are dedicated to our ‘Shine Bright’ schools’ campaign—a vital initiative that amplifies awareness and enriches dental education for parents, teachers, and children across the UK, that’s in it’s fifth year. 

“This program, accessible to all primary schools, emphasises the importance of early teeth brushing through fun and engaging activities.”

Visit the Rankin x Aquafresh pop-up gallery 

The Rankin x Aquafresh gallery will be open to the public on Saturday 27 and Sunday 28 April 2024 between 10-5pm, at Black & White Soho, 59 Greek Street, London W1D 3DZ.

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Multi-award-winning maternity, boudoir, beauty, and newborn baby photographer, Tianna J Williams, creates absolutely stunning portraits of her subjects while aiming to empower women and couples at the most delicate time of their lives, as they prepare to bring new life into the world. 

A Nikon Creator, freelance photographer, educator, and mother of two, there's nothing that Tianna can't achieve – and this is proven in her dedication to both her work and her clients. 

• Tianna uses some of the best Nikon portrait lenses to capture her work

Using her previous background as a highly trained and registered midwife, Tianna knows exactly how to get the most out of a maternity and newborn photo session. With a studio based in the Jewellery Quarter in central Birmingham, England, Tianna has regular clients but has also been internationally recognized for her work.

Tianna kindly agreed to have a chat with us about all things Nikon and what it's like to work with pregnant ladies and their newborns, and it's clear that empowering women and making them feel beautiful is at the forefront of her many talents. We asked Tianna:

We can't thank Tianna enough for taking the time to talk with us in light of International Women's Day. Be sure to take a look at her remarkable website and portfolio for some top-tier examples of maternity portraiture, and you can also book in with her for some new photographer headshots too!

Tianna offers a range of training and workshop sessions solely for photographers, and you can catch her hosting multiple masterclasses at the Societies of Photographers Convention in London on March 15 and 16.

• You may also be interested in the best cameras for portraits, as well as the best lenses for portraits, and not forgetting the best Nikon Z lenses and the best Nikon flashguns to enhance your current setup. 

• Take a look at these newborn baby photography tips, and learn from my mistakes during that time I did my very first newborn baby photo shoot, and it didn't exactly go to plan.

The best composites are often those that are photographed specifically with the final result in mind. This means that rather than attempting to merge a disparate array of unconnected images, we can instead combine a set of carefully composed, consistent frames that look like they belong together. 

What’s more, the work done in camera makes the Photoshop technique much easier and simpler than you might think.

We’ll explain how it works here, with careful lighting and positioning of the different elements that make up our playful block face composite. After photographing the portrait and a pile of toy blocks separately, the images are merged into a seamless whole using a quick and easy Photoshop technique. 

The blocks are desaturated and overlaid on top of the face then blended using the Multiply layer blend mode. Once done, all that’s left to do is fine-tune which parts of the blocks are visible or hidden by painting a layer mask.

The process also makes it easy to take pieces from different photos and bring them together. Here I used three separate images of toy blocks – for the face, the forehead and the neck – then blended the edges using masks. 

This is a key Photoshop skill that can be utilized for all kinds of image editing tasks, from surreal montages, to tonal enhancements. Over the next few pages we’ll look at both the shooting techniques and Photoshop skills required to make conceptual portraits like this. You’ll find a full walkthrough in the accompanying video. 

Shooting tips

1. A plain backdrop is helpful here. Not only does it give our final image a clean feel, it also makes it easier to combine pieces from images into a composite once we begin working on our shots in Photoshop. We used a piece of whiteboard.
2. We set up a tripod above the whiteboard, with the camera angled down on the blocks. The tripod helps keep a consistent angle and height. This means the direction of light stays the same, ensuring the separate frames fit together naturally later.
3. Our little chap here makes for a playful subject and his lack of hair means it’s easier to blend the head with the toy blocks later. We captured a range of expressions and poses of the head and body. Other subjects could work well – even animals!
4. We used two studio flashes to light our scene. One of the heads is linked to the camera with a sync cable, while the other is set to optical slave so that it fires at the same time. If studio lighting isn’t an option then window light can be as effective.
5. A large softbox attached to the key light here gives us directional light from the left of the camera. Akin to a large window, a softbox is ideal for portraits as it gently falls off across the face and offers soft-edged shadows.
6. Wooden blocks form the base for our effect. We shoot the blocks and the baby separately in roughly the same position on the board, then bring everything together in post. An array of different colors, shapes and sizes gives us plenty of choice.

Editing tips

1. Open your portrait and block images in Photoshop. To remove the letters from blocks, select them with the Magic Wand and go to Edit>Fill, set Use: Content-Aware and hit OK. Go to Image>Adjustments>Black and White. Drag over the blocks to brighten, hit OK. 
   
2. Get the Quick Selection tool and paint over the blocks. Grab the Move tool and check ‘Show Transform Controls’ in the options, then use it to drag the selected area into the portrait. Click the bounding box, resize and position the layer so that it fits over the face.
   
3. Go to the Layers panel and change the Blend Mode to Multiply to blend the blocks with the face. Next click the ‘Add Layer Mask’ icon in the Layers panel, then grab the Brush tool and paint with black over the image to hide the parts of the blocks layer that appear outside the face.

4. We need to use the other blocks images to cover the rest of the face. Go to the next image then prepare and convert to black and white as before. Select the blocks and copy them in, then position and mask the layer. We’ve added another layer for the blocks over the neck here.
   
5. Highlight the bottom layer then click the new layer icon, then grab the Brush tool. Hold Alt and click to sample one of the shadowy tones in the plain floor, then – using a large soft brush – paint over the body to hide the parts outside the blocks. Add a mask and use it to fine-tune what’s visible on this layer.
   
6. The blocks along the bottom here look a little messy, so we can sample the skin tones and paint to make them look more uniform. Make a new layer above the background layer then grab the Brush tool. Alt-click to sample the skin then paint over the blocks to make them pink and match the skin tone.

7. Open another block image and use the Lasso tool to make a selection of some of the scattered blocks over the floor, then copy into the main image. Set the Blend Mode to Multiply and lighten the layer with Curves (Cmd/Ctrl+M) then mask the edges to blend them in.
   
8. Make a new layer then grab the Clone tool. Set Sample: All Layers in the tool options then zoom in close and use the Clone tool to tidy messy areas. Hit Cmd/Ctrl+Shift+Alt+E to merge a copy of all layers then go to Filter>Camera Raw Filter for tonal tweaks.

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Watch video: Use digital backdrops for baby photography

Although sleep-deprived new parents might not agree at the time, babies grow and change incredibly fast. Before you know it, a newborn is a rampaging toddler. So, if you’re planning on arranging a baby photo shoot for friends or family, or for your own little bundle, now is the time to do it. But how do you approach a shoot like this?

One technique is the baby composite. For this, we take a photo of the baby and then combine it with an eye-catching backdrop. You can find lots of stunning backdrops online, such as the autumnal setup we downloaded from Adobe Stock (free with an Adobe CC subscription).

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Of course, if you prefer, you could always take the Anne Geddes approach and create your own intricate baby backdrops and costumes. But depending on the props needed, this could prove expensive. With a few simple camera and Photoshop skills, you can combine your subject with all kinds of ready made digital backdrops.

You don’t need loads of studio lighting kit, either; window light is perfect for baby portraits at home. A window with non-direct sunlight offers a bank of lovely soft illumination, and it costs nothing.

We’ll also show you how to get your camera set up for window-light portraits, which is invaluable whether you’re planning on shooting for a composite like this or for any kind of portrait.

Once done, we’ll take you step-by-step through the technique for combining your portraits with the stock backdrop. (You’ll find a full walkthrough of the Photoshop technique in the above video.)

1. Match the lighting

The key to composites is in matching the lighting. Our background image (a free Adobe Stock image – search for "Newborn Digital Background Autumn Pumpkin") is lit with soft frontal light, so we lit our baby in a similar way, with a large bay window behind the camera.

2. Select the foreground

In the Photoshop Libraries panel (Window > Libraries), double-click to open your stock image. Select a part of the fluff to go in front of the baby. Hit Q, grab the brush and paint black to select. Hit Q again, go to Select > Inverse and press Cmd/Ctrl + J to copy to a new layer.

3. Cut out the baby

In the baby image, go to Select > Subject. Then Select > Select And Mask. Paint with the Refine Edge brush along the hair to improve the selection edge. Go to Output > Layer Mask and hit OK. Grab the Brush tool and perfect the mask by painting with black to hide or white to reveal.

4. Paste and position

Grab the Move tool and drag the cut-out baby into the background image. Hit Cmd/Ctrl + T to transform, then resize and position the baby. Drag the layer below the selection we made earlier of the front of the bucket so the baby looks like he’s behind the fluff.

5. Paint shadows

Make a new layer above the baby layer. Right-click and Create Clipping Mask. Grab the Brush tool, hit D for black and 2 for 20% opacity; now paint to add a shadow where the baby meets the bucket. Make another layer below the baby layer, and paint black to add shadow behind the baby.

6. Add a vignette

Press Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + Alt + E to merge all the layers, then go to Filter > Camera Raw Filter. Hit J for Radial filter and drag a circle, then hit X to invert and drag down on Exposure to add a vignette. Add grain in the Effects panel and choose a Profile to skew the colors.

7 Angle from above

Window light works best over faces when it comes from slightly above, which is why a high window or skylight works well. With babies, keep in mind that if they’re on their back, ‘above’ to them might be different from the camera position, so angle them so the window is above the face.

8. Try backlighting

As well as straight-on or side-on, you can get great light over a face by positioning the subject so that the window is behind and to one side. This way, the window backlights the subject. It’s usually best to have the face side-on in profile for this kind of portrait shot.

9. Check for catchlights

One of the great things about shooting with window light is the lovely catchlights that it usually creates in your subject’s eyes. If you’re not seeing catchlights, it might be because the subject is at the wrong angle to the window, so adjust the position until you see the eyes light up.

10 Create a Compilation of baby portraits

Once you get started taking window-lit baby photos, it’s difficult to stop, and you might find you end up with a whole memory card full of great portraits.

A wonderful way to display these is as a collection of nine images arranged in a square. This could then be printed on a canvas or put together using a large frame and a custom-made mount. You can combine the set of images with ease in Photoshop.

Begin by making a square document, then turn on the grid (View > Grid). Grab the Rectangle Shape tool and drag boxes for each image window. Once done, drag in your photos, position on layers above each shape and right-click to Create Clipping Mask. Clip each image to a shape, then fine-tune the positioning.

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London–based Kate Abbey, an Accredited Photographer with the Association of Photographers has created an unusual project after asking primary school children for their thoughts about Santa (Father Christmas, in some regions) and how he carries out the mammoth task of delivering presents.

What's most interesting is that Kate's series includes images with and without the children's quotes on Santa, which adds interesting context when you compare them (example below).

“I’ve been wanting to properly explore Santa for years," the photographer and director explains. "There was something about his outlandish representation that I found intriguing, and I wanted to reduce the myth of the perfect, jolly fella and bring him closer to me – into the real world. After all, he’s a real man dressing up in red clothes, heading off to do his job and earn an income."

Kate started to explore the idea of Santa going about his everyday business before he got to work, but it was the imaginative words of her niece that first brought sense to the process. "The make-believe landscape she described with superpowers and fantasy ideas led me to forming a real version of how he actually went about his business," she says.

Kate first went about collecting the thoughts of about 20 young children in the UK, and then worked with professional Santa, Pete Mallott, and other less ‘official’ Santas to produce a series of photographs depicting the modern-day Santa.

“I spent days and days producing it – sourcing locations on the internet, then recce-ing, getting permissions to shoot, then returning to shoot it with assistants and lights and sometimes bodyguards for the areas I felt unsafe in. I treated it like a professional shot which would have cost tens of thousands of pounds but shot it all on a shoestring.”

Kate has captured candid 'everyday' Santa portraits in locations that contrast with the expected, such as a busy city street, a petrol station, and even a bus stop. It's this juxtaposition and ordinariness that she found most captivating. 

"These men aren’t magical, with their naff, PVC boot covers and the Velcro fasteners in their mundane settings. There was nothing necessarily exceptional about them and yet they had their quirks and uniqueness, which still looked pretty special to my mind. The magic is always wonderful, but it’s the reality that I love and find much more remarkable.”

Kate Abbey is an accredited photographer with the Association of Photographers. To see more of Kate's Santa series visit her website.

Taking great family photos can be a fulfilling and wholesome way of making some extra cash from your camera, and many portrait photographers turn it into full-time vocation. However, being a family photographer isn't without its challenges: children, toddlers and babies are often unpredicatable and can be difficult to get them at their best.

From toddler chaos and looking everywhere but the camera to full-blown tantrums, child portraiture can be extremely challenging to get right. That's why this month we teamed up a reader of PhotoPlus: The Canon Magazine, Jonathon Crook, for a masterclass in family portraiture with full-time family pro photographer Taylor Brady. 

Taylor has been working as photographer for over a decade. She began by doing a Level 3 course in Photography before going on to do a foundation degree. She explored lots of different aspects of photography but portraiture was always the main interest. After completing her degree, Taylor set herself up as a freelance photographer working from a studio at home for newborn and family photo shoots, but she also outdoor shoots and on occasions weddings. See more of her lovely portraits on her Instagram.

Before you get started, you might also like to look at the best lenses for portrait photography – prime lenses for perfect portrait pictures.

1. Fast 35mm prime lens

Taylor uses a Canon EF 35mm f/2 IS USM lens, which has an equivalent focal length of 56mm on her APS-C EOS 7D Mk II. This is an ideal focal length for mid-length portraits and has a wide maximum aperture of f/2, making it easy to blur backgrounds. It also has Image Stabilization to reduce camera-shake when hand-holding the camera and shooting using natural light.

2. Shoot in manual

The portraits in the morning session were all going to be lit by the large window light in Taylor’s living room – this would give the images a soft, gentle feel, especially as the lighting was very overcast on the day. Thanks to the total cloud coverage, the lighting was really consistent, so Taylor set her camera, as well as Jonathan’s, to Manual mode and entered in settings of 1/160 sec, an aperture of f/2.8 and an ISO of 800 to lock them off.

3. Shoot Raw

Taylor suggested Jonathan set his Canon EOS 760D to shoot Raw files, as these capture much more detail than the compressed JPEG files which are also processed in-camera. This detail is hugely beneficial, especially if the exposure is a little over- or undercooked and can help you restore blown out highlights or lift dark shadows with the push of a slider in software.

4. Use Face detection for easy focus

Face detection is getting increasingly better with each generation of Canon’s cameras. It can be a very handy AF when shooting little children or animals, which both have unpredictable movements. The algorithm finds the face and continually focuses on it until you take the shot.

5. Canon EOS 7D Mark II body

The 7D Mark II camera body is amazing for working in tough lighting scenes. Taylor often works with natural lighting rather than artificial flash. The high ISO performance is good and holds up well, and the Raw images provide loads of extra highlight and shadow detail. Taylor says she’d love to upgrade to a full-frame Canon in the future, but the 7D Mark II has served her so well that she’s not in a rush to go out and get one.

6. Get closer with a macro lens

Macro lenses are great optics for portraits because not only do they allow you to get much closer than normal lenses, so you can focus on the finer details like an eye, or baby’s tiny hands, for example, they usually have wide apertures like f/2.8 making it easy for you to blur the backgrounds of your portraits.

7. A ‘nifty fifty’ prime lens

One of Taylor’s go-to lenses is Canon’s EF 50mm f/1.8 II as it has good image quality, being a prime, and a super fast f/1.8 maximum aperture, so it can flood the image sensor with light and create beautifully defocused backgrounds. These are often called ‘nifty fifty’ lenses, because they’re so affordable, with the new Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM lens retailing for just £99 brand-new.

8. Sculpt light with a reflector

A reflector offers a huge bang for its buck as they’re inexpensive but make a big difference to your lighting. Whether you’re using the available natural light or flash, you can position a reflector carefully to fill in shadows and make the lighting look much more even. We used a 5-in-1 reflector which has Gold, Silver, White and Black sides as well as a diffuser when no skins were attached to the reflector frame. As you can see here the white side lifts shadows nicely while the gold side helps give them a warmer quality.

9. Keep them distracted

While it’s easy enough to ask the parents to look towards your camera, it’s not as simple with babies. Holding a colourful toy in one hand and waving it around, or having somebody else do this, usually works pretty well at getting the babies looking towards your camera, so you can take that perfect family photo.

10. Bring a brolly

Taylor has a boot full of handy props for her shoots and when it began to rain lightly she reached for this colourful rainbow brolly. This helped keep our family dry while we waited for the rain to pass and provided some fun photo opportunities too. We asked Sophie to twirl the umbrella, we then used a slow shutter speed to blur the colours for a vibrant backdrop.

Newborn baby photography is a highly sought-after service that many families find desirable, with images captured of their newest addition to treasure forever. Despite being so popular, many photographers have never considered or attempted this type of shoot, myself included, and perhaps it's for a good reason.

I consider myself to be an extremely patient person, always willing to work a little harder and adapt to tricky situations, but this shoot with my three-and-a-half week old nephew was challenging to say the least, and a word of warning: projectile vomiting is something to be expected and prepared for.

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I don't know about other photographers, but I personally do not charge friends and family for shoots, seizing the opportunity in my spare time to practice a different style that I wouldn't normally consider, and it usually allows me to take my time during the shoot without the added pressure of having to be professional, or getting images edited and delivered in a timely manner.

This of course has its downsides – with a few awkward conversations needed reminding relatives how copyright works, and reiterating how providing me with credit and a nice review on social media can help my business through word of mouth, and it wouldn't kill them after having a free shoot.

A few occasions have also cropped up with family members having mugs printed and canvases made of images I've taken, without my knowledge, that have resulted in blurry and pixelated prints that could have been easily avoided had they simply asked me for a higher-res version of the image, boasting a greater dpi for printing. 

It can certainly be easier working with a paying client over family, but not charging for shoots when things don't go to plan can also sometimes work in your favor, especially in instances when a refund may have been necessary. The shoot with baby Hayden (or little H as we call him) got off to a regular start, and after he had been fed, burped and winded, we were ready to go!

The equipment and setup used for this shoot was pretty simple, consisting of my two cameras: a Canon EOS 5DS paired with a Canon EF 50mm STM, and my Sony A7III paired with the Sony FE 90mm f/2.8 Macro G OSS. I also had a microfibre cloth, Nitecore Stick-it Wrapper, a portable handheld fan, a Fudesy light stand and backdrop setup kit from Amazon, and the SmallRig RC 220B video light that I used for the very first time and reviewed during this shoot. 

I set up the RC 220B in normal mode using around 45% intensity at 6500k, and had the light positioned behind me while I sat on the floor, attached to a light stand, and adjusted the beam to be angling downwards towards little H to create the perfect look of natural daylight that wouldn't be too overpowering for his newborn eyes. 

What did I learn on my first baby shoot?

The first rule as I learned with newborn baby shoots – make sure the room temperature is bearable enough for the baby. We planned the shoot pretty late in the evening last weekend, around 9PM, hoping it would be much cooler given the heat wave that the UK has been dealing with - but without any indoor air con it didn't make much of a difference to the humidity, despite it beginning to go dark outside. 

We had Hayden in just a nappy/diaper to begin with, as the flat at the time was on the slightly warmer side, even with all doors and windows open. This meant that we couldn't dress Hayden in a few of the onesies and outfits his mum had planned, as he was already starting to overheat a little just from being in her arms for a prolonged amount of time, and with the heat from the SmallRig light. 

As for the scenery and background, we attempted to replicate the trend of having a newborn placed into a soft and safe basket/bucket with a blanket. I quickly learned that this wasn't going to work, as Hayden's heavy head meant he couldn't be propped upright fully without swaying over to one side a little, and he was in no mood to be placed into a certain position or laid down gently to keep still. 

Editing your images to Black and White in post-processing is also a great way to save some of the images that didn't necessarily turn out how you planned, though some photographers have mixed opinions on whether doing this is really the saving grace that it's made out to be, or is it just a cop out?

• Read more: You can't just make an image black and white and expect it to work

By this point around 5-10 minutes into the shoot, everything seemed to be going relatively smoothly, despite the super warm temperature and positioning of Hayden – minor issues that we swiftly dealt with. However, as we ditched the bucket idea and placed Hayden on the soft carpet next to his trusty stuffed elephant friend, the tantrum of all tantrums began to break out.

Now, being the nature of a family shoot in an environment I was already familiar with, and with Hayden's mother on standby, this wasn't such a big deal. Although if this were a paid shoot with a limited time frame or if i'd have had another shoot lined up afterwards I would've been freaking out. 

It took almost 40 minutes to get Hayden to calm down, with multiple trips to the colder balcony for fresh air and musical Mickey Mouse playing rockabye baby on loop helping to lull him into a calm state. 

Then the vomiting came, and believe me it didn't look even remotely real. We're not talking a cute little oopsie or a milky hiccup, this child was projectile vomiting like you would see in a cheesy comedy movie with Kevin Hart or Adam Sandler. 

This of course meant that poor Little H needed a bath, and his moses basket that we never really had the chance to use also needed a deep clean.

The take away from this should be to quote a day shoot (or minimum of 3 hours give or take) for a client wanting newborn photos, unless of course you're an absolute pro at newborn baby photography, like Karen Wiltshire, and not a complete newbie to the genre like I was.

Extra time can allow for regular breaks, feeding, cleaning, winding, and any unpredictable tantrums that may occur during the shoot, though factors like temperature, time of day and the baby's own schedule should also be taken into account when shoot planning to reduce the amount of wasted time.

The images were shot using both camera setups, switching occasionally between them based on the type of zoom (both lenses were primes) and depth of field that I desired for the shoot – my Canon being better for high-res portraits, and my Sony paired with the macro G OSS 90mm capturing the close-up and smaller details.

Overall we managed to achieve around ten useable images, though most of them were of elements such as his hands and feet, as well as Dumbo and Mickey Mouse making a few cameo appearances. The images of Hayden while pretty cute were a task to catch him in sweet moments in between tears – use a fast shutter speed!

You may also be interested in these Newborn photography tips, learning How to take stress-free children's portraits, and the best photoshoot ideas for photographers!

Internationally renowned photographer Anne Geddes released her first set of NFTs over Mother's Day weekend in the US. The New York-based photographer is best known for her adorable staged portraits of babies in anything from bunny costumes to cabbages but like so many artists, she's had to find new avenues to make a living. 

The term NFT has been circulating like wildfire recently. While some photographers are scared of NFTs and the community surrounding them, some are jumping at the opportunity to find a way they can make more money from their creative outlet. Certain photographers have even been accused of exploiting the people in the photos (such as the photographer who sold NFTs of Nirvana). Still, one street photographer has given a helping hand by sharing the NFT royalties with the street performer in the picture. 

The collection of nine images by Geddes will be minted as digital art prints and collectors will be able to redeem a corresponding physical 8 x 10-inch print on purchase. The NFTs went on sale on 6 May 2022 and every image included in the collection has been made specifically for this release. Prices started at $50.00 for a single edition digital art print and go up to $5,000 for the one-of-one collection which includes an authenticated digital signature and a one-of-a-kind physical print made exclusively for this release. 

As well as selling the collection of nine images as digital prints, Geddes will also be selling 20 prints of each image in the Signature Series. She has also created nine mother's day images exclusively as NFTs and she is auctioning off a private shoot in her New York studio to raise money for mothers and children who have been affected by the conflict in Ukraine. Commemorative NFTs will be on sale to raise even more money, all of which will be donated to The American Red Cross. 

We spoke to Annes Geddes to find out why she decided to sell NFTs now and whether she thought it was going to be a fad. 

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Duchess Kate Middleton has recently revealed an insight into how her children see her love of photography in the final phone call from the Hold Still series. This series was inspired by the Hold Still: A Portrait of Our Nation in 2020 book, which showed different aspects of life around the UK during the coronavirus pandemic. 

Ceri A, Edwards captured a photograph of her daughter Poppy hugging her dad before he began his shift as a paramedic. Poppy was worried about her dad working during the pandemic, so gave him a hug every time he left for work. Edwards submitted the photograph to be considered for the Hold Still book and it ended up becoming one of the finalists.

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As reported by Hello Magazine, Kate Middleton phoned Ceri to discuss the photograph, saying, "It's such as sensitive and tender moment between a father and a daughter. These simple moments have impacted so many and really resonated with so many across the country, so thank you for sharing your photograph and your story." 

The two then went on to discuss their love of photography. Kate Middleton asked Ceri whether she was a photographer, who answered, "No. Well, Mark would say otherwise, just because I do take a lot of photographs of the family." 

Kate Middleton agreed, saying, "It's like me. Everyone's like, 'Mummy, please stop taking photograph.'" Photographers around the world will be able to sympathize with Kate's statement, as wrangling kids to stand still long enough to take a photograph can be a tricky business!

Nonetheless, this doesn't seem to deter either Ceri or Kate Middleton from continuing to capture photographs of their family. Ceri says, "I love looking back. I think when you have children, time seems to go into warp speed, really, and it's just a lovely thing for me. You look back and see how much the children have grown." 

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They say don’t work with children, or animals. I can’t comment on the latter, but I’m here to argue a case for the kids! As photographers, it’s our job to capture raw emotion and connection – and there’s no one on Earth more uninhibited than a five-year-old who has been given free reign to play. 

I love shooting with families; I started photography as a "mum tog" wanting to capture the little details and intricacies of my baby’s new life. I haven't put the camera down since and, while my work has strayed in other directions, it is the families that really have my heart. 

There are few connections more intimate, or more interesting, than those within a family unit. Creatively capturing the quirks and characteristics of these special bonds is, I believe, one of the greatest gifts you can give to the people in front of the lens.

5 tips for children and family photoshoots

01 Let children be children
Children are best captured in their own environment; let them play naturally and the images will be easy to capture.

02 Get down with them
Try shooting on your knees or crouched down. A little like wildlife photography, it's best to be on their level – and this will also open up the background.

03 Don't stop shooting
You may have set up a formal shot, but sometimes just after taking 'the shot' there will be natural moments of laughter and engagement. Snap those, too.

04 Experiment with lenses
Shooting with a long lens allows for more candid shots, but medium-length primes can capture some intimate portraits.

05 Don't overthink
You'll likely have a plan of what shots you want to create, but try not stick too rigidly to a plan if it means missing other perfect moments.

A simple guide to shooting with families

01 Get the kids involved

The kids are the undoubted stars of this show, and their comfort in front of the camera is key to a beautiful shoot. Help a shy child feel better by making the process collaborative; show them your camera, let them see pictures of themselves. This will help them to trust you, and not feel so afraid of the strange clicking machine you’re aiming at their face.

02 Embrace your inner child

Fun and movement create magic on family shoots. Get the kids running and playing alongside you, and take the shots when they’re totally engrossed in whatever game you’re playing. Slightly older kids love to hunt for The Grufallo, and bubbles don’t go amiss at any age. Come prepared to be a bit silly, and you won’t go far wrong.

03 Save the best for last

The posed group family shot – most people want at least one, so it’s a good idea to get it done and dusted first. While they’re there, ask them about something funny that’s happened this week to capture the more natural version of this crowd favorite. Instigate some walking-and-talking shots, before letting the real fun – the unposed, unscripted chaos – commence.

04 Make use of aperture priority 

It's sometimes frowned up to shoot in a semiautomatic mode, but photographing children can be very unpredictable at times – so why not use some of the camera's options to your own benefit. Aperture priority enables you to manually control the aperture while the camera largely determines the rest, leaving you free to play and create. Set the ISO to auto (fine for most outdoor photography), then you can determine minimum shutter speed – I recommend 1/500 sec for those high-speed kids you’re shooting.

05 My shooting skit

I shoot mainly with my Canon EOS 5D Mark III with the Sigma 35mm f/1.4 DG Art lens, which is a fantastic set-up for most family shoots (I love the easy back-button focus on this camera, enabling me to lock in continuous autofocus on my fast-moving subjects). 

I have also just recently started using a Sony A7 III, a more lightweight mirrorless camera with amazing touchscreen focus and excellent low-light abilities (for in-the-forest type shoots). I use my Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 lens for the close-up detailed shots, with a Sigma MC-11 adaptor for the Sony. Throw in some bubbles for the kids, and I’m good to go!

You can check out more of my work and tips via my Instagram.

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Newborn photography offers the chance to capture babies in their tiniest, sleepiest, most youthful state, and the results can be tear-jerkingly good. If you’ve been asked to photograph newborn babies, then you’re in for both a treat and a challenge. But great patience, sound technique and a little luck is required – especially when shooting twins, as we were!

We’ll explain how to approach the shoot, with advice on the right camera settings, the best lens choices and how to set up your own makeshift natural light studio in the home.

If you want the babies to look truly newborn, it’s best to schedule the shoot within the first two weeks after their birth. However, newborn twins may be different, as they often have to spend time in hospital. Ideally, schedule the shoot before they reach the 40-week stage. 

If you want the contemporary newborn look that’s very popular at the moment, consider bringing along a selection of textured blankets and colourful wraps, like the ones we’re using here, from Baby Props. Not only do they give you a smooth, clean backdrop for your portraits, but they can also help to keep flailing arms and legs in the right place! 

Safety first

If you’ve seen a photo of a newborn baby perched on top of a guitar, a crate or anything precarious, it’s probably a composite. The baby’s safety is paramount, so don’t pose or position them in any way that could result in a fall or worse. If you do want to capture them posed on a precarious prop, set the camera up on a tripod. You can take one shot with the baby and parent (making sure the parent’s arms or shadow don’t obscure the baby), then take another shot of the prop on its own in the same position.

Get prepared

1. Blankets and props

We want a contemporary look for our photos, and a big part of this is picking the right colours and textures for the backdrop. A wrap or a hat can be a great way to add a splash of colour and texture to your shots.

2. Check the settings

Time is limited; babies need feeding and nappies need changing. So, get your setup sorted before bringing the baby in. Use a toy roughly the same size to check lighting, backdrop and camera settings are spot on.

3. Direct the light

Window light is ideal here – it’s soft, flattering and falls off slowly. The direction of light is crucial; a slightly side-on position to the window creates pockets of highlight and shadow to give depth to your subject’s features.

4. Bounce the light 

Held opposite the window, a simple reflector lets us bounce light back into shadows, which evens out contrast for lovely soft lighting. If your reflector has gold/silver/white surfaces, white or silver is best here.

5. Camera settings

Set Manual mode with a shutter speed of 1/200 sec for sharp shots, and set a wide aperture to around f/3.5 (anything wider might be too shallow). You can now use Auto ISO so that the camera adapts the ISO to give a correct exposure.

6. Best lenses 

A lens with a wide maximum aperture is crucial for the shallow-focus, soft-backdrop look. Prime lenses are good, as they offer wide apertures and great optics. We used a 50mm f/1.4 and a 100mm f/2.8 Macro lens.

Is flash dangerous?

A couple of years ago, several websites ran a dubious story with the headline: ‘Three-month-old baby left BLIND in one eye after family friend forgot to turn off the camera flash while taking a photo close up.’ Understandably, this left many parents concerned about the use of flash in baby photography. However, optometrists and health experts have completely de-bunked the story. Rest assured, flash will have no harmful effect on a baby – for one thing, it’s hardly any stronger than bright daylight. What’s more, if it were true, we’d hear about cases of this happening every day.

Setting up

1. In the home

A shoot like this is easily done at the family home, as we don’t need a huge space and we’re more likely to have relaxed babies and parents in their own home. Besides, as any new parent knows, getting out of the house armed with everything you need can be tricky!

2. Window light is best 

We need to find a space with large windows, so a living room is ideal. If necessary, rearrange the furniture to create a space next to the window. Here the window is to the left of the camera. We don’t want direct sunlight shining through the window, so north-facing is best.

3. Beanbags

Newborns are unable to hold their bodies up, so the foundation of our set is vital. Some photographers swear by dedicated beanbags or even dog beds. It needs to be soft enough for the babies to be comfortable, but firm enough to hold them in place.

4. Make the set

Once the foundations are laid, we can clip blankets over the top to create a mini studio. A stretchy textured blanket like this dedicated baby prop is ideal. Stretch out the blanket to minimize creases, as this will save time having to tidy it up in Photoshop.

Top tips

1. Posing twins

Posing is often the biggest challenge, as newborns lack the strength to hold themselves up. Plan your poses but be prepared to improvise. If necessary, ask a parent to hold the babies in place, as we did. Try to hide the arm from the frame, or clone it out later.

2. Head towards the light

People look more natural if lit from slightly above, as this is how we’re used to seeing light falling on them from the sky. This applies even if the subject is lying down, so angle the head towards the window and feet away slightly, so light falls on the head from above.

3. Details and scale

Detail shots can help to tell the story, and are easy compared to trickier wider portraits. It’s especially nice if you can include a sense of scale, by comparing the parent’s hands with the baby’s tiny fingers or toes. A black-and-white conversion is a good choice here.

4. Pin-sharp eyes

When the plane of focus is very shallow, we need to focus precisely on the closest eye, so move your focus point. Try to get the twins’ eyes on the same plane of focus. If not lined up, we can shoot two frames to ensure both sets of eyes are sharp, and combine later.

5. Retouch spots

A brief retouching job helps polish things off and hide distractions. Use Photoshop’s Spot Healing tool to remove small spots and marks, and switch to the Clone tool, set to 20% opacity, to gently smooth out rough patches or creases in the material.

6. White noise

Newborns spend a lot of time asleep, which is usually what we want for our shoot. But all the commotion might disturb them. A white noise machine is ideal, as it recreates the sound of the womb. You can play a white noise track on your phone or tablet.

7. Control the temperature 

If you’re planning on taking off their clothes or blankets, the space you’re shooting in should be well heated – warm enough so you’ll only need a light shirt. Bring along a portable heater and, if necessary, position it close to your makeshift set.

Combining images

At times, you might want to make a composite from two or more shots. Maybe you have one shot where the face is perfect but the background is creased, while in another the backdrop is clean. As long as both shots are in rough alignment, piecing them together shouldn’t be too tricky. This is just a quick guide:

1. Open both images in Photoshop and make a rough selection of the clean area with the Lasso tool. 

2. Right-click it and Feather by 20 pixels, then copy (Cmd/Ctrl+C) and paste in place (Cmd/Ctrl+Shift+V) into the other image. 

3. Hit Cmd/Ctrl+T to transform, then use the box to fine-tune the positioning. 

4. If necessary, add a layer mask and paint black to hide parts of the newly added layer.

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Watch video: Home photography ideas – Take beautiful bokeh baby portraits 

Most parents want beautiful shots of their babies, and one way to get that is to use a shallow depth of field to add plenty of background blur, emphasizing the softness and fragility of the subject. 

A prime lens with a wide maximum aperture like a 50mm f/1.4 comes in handy here. The wide aperture means that we can shoot with a narrow depth of field, picking out details while blurring everything else. Wide apertures also enable us to work in lower light, so they're perfect for window-lit portraits where the light can be fairly low. 

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Younger babies, like two-month-old Alice here, won’t be crawling or sitting up on their own, which means you can focus precisely and take a little time over framing the shot. On the other hand, it also means that you’re restricted in the types of poses you can try. 

There are really only three options: lie them on their backs, try them on their tummies, or ask the parents to hold them. The limitations of the shoot can be a blessing, forcing you to focus your attention on perfecting the shots while working with what’s available.

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It helps if you come prepared. Bring a few blankets and cushions to the shoot – furry rugs can be handy, as they add texture to the shots and babies like the feel of them on their skin. 

To the outside observer one baby looks very much like another (but don’t say that to the parents!), so look for ways to add personality to the shots. A favorite toy or blanket can work well. Ask the parents for a few changes of clothes, too. Hats are particularly effective, as they frame the face and provide a splash of color. 

A reflector proves invaluable when shooting with window light, which illuminates one side of the subject more than the other. Positioned opposite the window, the reflector bounces some of the light back at the subject, lifting the shadows. The effects are often quite subtle, but vital for professional results.

You never know what you’re going to get when photographing babies. They could be happy, grumpy, sleepy, hungry or a mixture of these things. You need to be ready to adapt your approach. One thing is certain: you’ll need to work quickly!

Baby portraits: step by step

Windows work like softboxes in many ways: the closer your subject is to the light source, the stronger the light is. Unless you’ve got sunlight falling through the window directly onto the baby (which will probably cause a lot of grizzling and eye-scrunching), it should be fairly soft. To increase or decrease the light, you’ll need to move the baby closer to the window or further away.

01 Soft options

Bring light and dark blankets to the shoot. They give you different background options, and babies like soft textures or fur against their skin. Use quilts, clothes and toys that are personal to the baby as props. They’ll help to add color to your portraits and, for a shallow-depth-of-field shot, any patterns will blur beautifully.

02 Position the baby

In a photograph, you can tell where the window is from the catchlights in the eyes. Make sure that the light is coming from above the face, rather than below – picking out the top of the head, cheeks and tip of the nose, not under the chin and nose. This is a more natural angle for light, as our eyes are used to seeing light coming from above.

03 Select aperture priority

Set your camera to aperture priority mode. This way, you can choose the aperture while the camera works out the correct shutter speed for a good exposure. This means that you have full control over the depth of field in the shot, and can narrow the aperture slightly if you decide that you’re getting a little too much blur.

04 Choose a wide aperture

Set your lens’ maximum aperture – this allows for low light and enables you to create a very shallow depth of field. This is where prime lenses with wide maximum apertures like f/1.8 or f/1.4, or even f/1.2 come into their own, as the wider the aperture you’re able to use, the shallower the depth of field in your pictures will be. A lens like the Canon RF 50mm f/1.2L USM will produce exquisitely soft results.

05 Set a high ISO

As the baby can’t pose on request, you’ll be shooting handheld for flexibility, so set an ISO high enough to allow for a fast shutter speed of at least 1/100 second. With window light and a wide aperture, ISO400 should be enough, but you might need to go up to ISO800 or 1600 (or alternatively set Auto ISO).

06 Focus precisely

As is usually the case in portraits, the eyes are the most important point. Though for some of the shots, you could get creative and focus on the tips of tiny fingers instead – perhaps with the parent’s fingers to give a sense of scale, allowing the rest of the baby to fade into a gentle blur. You'll have to work quickly, though, as babies don’t stay still for long! 

07 Time to reflect

A fold-out reflector is really useful for bouncing window light back on to your subject. Most come with matte and silvered surfaces to change the character of the light, and the best reflectors for photography come in all shapes and sizes.

However, if you’re not going to use a reflector regularly, you don’t need to rush out to buy one for this project. A piece of white card will bounce light back towards the baby, removing hard shadows and reducing contrast, or for a more reflective effect you can cover the card with foil.

Presenting your portraits

Baby photos are going to be put on display by proud parents – possibly for decades. Think hard about how they’ll look on show. An unusual shape or other presentation method can really make your portraits sing.

Crop to square

A square crop helps to give your portraits a timeless quality and enables you to come in really tight to the baby’s face. 

Convert to mono

Use the HSL Panel in Adobe Camera Raw, or Lightroom’s Black and White presets for a punchy monochrome conversion.

Compile a grid

Detail shots and close-ups can look beautiful when presented as a grid of images. Crop all the images the same and arrange them in Photoshop to visualize how they’ll look when grouped.

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Newborn photography and baby portraiture is more popular than ever – and especially if you're isolating at home with your bundle of joy, it's a great opportunity to capture precious moments before they grow up.

While most parents just snap away with their camera phones, though, the best way to capture more memorable photos is to learn how to take studio-quality photos like a professional.

In this series of 10 pro portrait photography tips, expert photographer and 'Baby Whisperer' Karen Wiltshire explains how to capture great newborn photographs that you will be proud to hang on the wall, put in your portfolio or enter into competition.

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01 Use Manual mode

“Because we were using supplemental lighting, I told Heather to put her camera into Manual mode," explains Karen. "The flash sync speed on my camera is 1/160 sec, so that’s how fast our shutter was going to be, and we kept the aperture at f/4 because I don’t want too much of the image falling out of focus. The ISO was at 100.” 

02 Yes – use studio lights!

"I was very surprised that we were using lights," says Heather. "On my beginner courses it was very much, 'You don’t use flash with babies,' but as Karen said, 'That’s rubbish!' It’s hard to get a lighting pattern, because babies have such tiny noses, but the catchlights are at the top and the mum loved the open eyes looking around." 

03 Preparation is key

Preparation is key. Have a workflow planned so that you can easily transition the baby from one position to another. Make sure your camera and cards are ready, and that props, hats and blankets are easily accessible.

It’s also important that you’re calm and relaxed throughout the shoot, so the baby feels safe and comfortable with you. Parents also need to feel that you’re confident, if you're photographing someone else's baby.

Newborns have trouble regulating their temperature, so you need to keep the room warm – 71-75°F / 22-24°C is ideal. Make sure that your blankets and wraps are warm, as changes in temperature will startle and wake the baby.

05 Tools of the trade

As a working pro, Karen shoots with the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV – the full-frame body of choice for many professional photographers. She usually pairs it with a Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM, but here she used the Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM as the other lens was in for repair!

As always, there is no right or wrong camera – the right camera is the one that's right for you. The best DSLRs and best mirrorless cameras are all up to the task!

05 Meter in advance

If using supplemental light you should be using a light meter so that you know exactly what it’s doing; you don’t want to be adjusting and messing around when the baby is in position. Set up your props and scene ready to shoot, then meter the light before putting the baby in place. If you don't have a light meter, use your camera's built-in meter to focus on the scene to set your exposure.

06 Staying focused 

“I use single AF point focusing," says Karen. "Nailing the autofocus is easier shooting at f/4 than at f/1.8, which some newborn photographers go down to, but using a single AF point gives you the most control. Always make sure to focus on the eyes."

07 The right light

Karen prefers to use a pair of Profoto-and-Bowens combos. The larger lighting setup, for shooting props and backdrops at floor level, is a Profoto Softbox RFI 4ft Octa with a Bowens Gemini GM250R. For shooting the bean bag, it’s a slightly smaller Profoto Softbox RFI 3ft Octa with a Bowens Gemini GM200RX setup.

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09 Safety first

ALWAYS have a spotter to ensure that the baby is safe at all times. Ask dad or mum to get involved if need be. Be gentle, and never force a baby into a position that it is clearly not comfortable in. "Also a full tummy makes the baby more likely to be content," says Karen. "Some need feeding every 20 minutes, others can go for hours without feeding. I warn parents to expect to feed a little more than normal during a photoshoot."

09 Props and backdrops

Having a great backdrop is essential. For her props, fabric and backdrops, Karen suggests Baby Prop Shop – along with her own custom-made floordrops.
“I took the pictures, sent the files and they printed them, so I can have all these different setups," Karen says. "They’re printed on waterproof polyfabric, which doesn’t crease or mark, and they’ve got a non-slippy backing!”

10 Turn up the volume!

Karen advises that you never tiptoe around the baby trying to keep quiet. In fact you need to do the opposite, as noise will actually help settle the baby! In addition to putting on the radio, download a white noise app for your phone. She uses White Noise Baby by TMSoft, which is incredibly cheap on the App Store, and isn’t on a timer so it won’t turn off in the middle of a shoot.

Gallery of newborn photos

Karen Wiltshire After 23 years working at a magazine printers, Karen established her Dorset studio in 2011. She was the first to receive Craftsman status in Studio Children’s Portraiture by The Guild of Photographers, where she has twice won the Photographer of the Year award, and also holds workshops as part of the Baby Whisperer Academy. For more info go to www.kw-photography.co.uk

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Most parents want beautiful shots of their babies, and one way to get that is to use a shallow depth of field to add plenty of background blur, emphasizing the softness and fragility of the subject. 

A prime lens with a wide maximum aperture like a 50mm f/1.4 comes in handy here. The wide aperture means that we can shoot with a narrow depth of field, picking out details while blurring everything else. Wide apertures also enable us to work in lower light, so they're perfect for window-lit portraits where the light can be fairly low. 

Younger babies, like two-month-old Alice here, won’t be crawling or sitting up on their own, which means you can focus precisely and take a little time over framing the shot. On the other hand, it also means that you’re restricted in the types of poses you can try. 

There are really only three options: lie them on their backs, try them on their tummies, or ask the parents to hold them. The limitations of the shoot can be a blessing, forcing you to focus your attention on perfecting the shots while working with what’s available.

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It helps if you come prepared. Bring a few blankets and cushions to the shoot – furry rugs can be handy, as they add texture to the shots and babies like the feel of them on their skin. 

To the outside observer one baby looks very much like another (but don’t say that to the parents!), so look for ways to add personality to the shots. A favorite toy or blanket can work well. Ask the parents for a few changes of clothes, too. Hats are particularly effective, as they frame the face and provide a splash of color. 

A reflector proves invaluable when shooting with window light, which illuminates one side of the subject more than the other. Positioned opposite the window, the reflector bounces some of the light back at the subject, lifting the shadows. The effects are often quite subtle, but vital for professional results.

You never know what you’re going to get when photographing babies. They could be happy, grumpy, sleepy, hungry or a mixture of these things. You need to be ready to adapt your approach. One thing is certain: you’ll need to work quickly!

Baby portraits: step by step

Windows work like softboxes in many ways: the closer your subject is to the light source, the stronger the light is. Unless you’ve got sunlight falling through the window directly onto the baby (which will probably cause a lot of grizzling and eye-scrunching), it should be fairly soft. To increase or decrease the light, you’ll need to move the baby closer to the window or further away.

01 Soft options

Bring light and dark blankets to the shoot. They give you different background options, and babies like soft textures or fur against their skin. Use quilts, clothes and toys that are personal to the baby as props. They’ll help to add color to your portraits and, for a shallow-depth-of-field shot, any patterns will blur beautifully.

02 Position the baby

In a photograph, you can tell where the window is from the catchlights in the eyes. Make sure that the light is coming from above the face, rather than below – picking out the top of the head, cheeks and tip of the nose, not under the chin and nose. This is a more natural angle for light, as our eyes are used to seeing light coming from above.

03 Select aperture-priority

Set your camera to aperture priority mode. This way, you can choose the aperture while the camera works out the correct shutter speed for a good exposure. This means that you have full control over the depth of field in the shot, and can narrow the aperture slightly if you decide you’re getting a little too much blur.

04 Choose a wide aperture

Set your lens’ maximum aperture – this allows for low light and enables you to create a very shallow depth of field. This is where prime lenses with wide maximum apertures like f/1.4 or f/1.8 come into their own, as the wider the aperture you’re able to use, the shallower the depth of field in your pictures will be. 

05 Set a high ISO

As the baby can’t pose on request, you’ll be shooting handheld for flexibility, so set an ISO high enough to allow for a fast shutter speed of at least 1/100 second. With window light and a wide aperture, ISO400 should be enough, but you might need to go up to ISO800 or 1600 (or alternatively set Auto ISO).

06 Focus precisely

As is usually the case in portraits, the eyes are the most important point. Though for some of the shots, you could get creative and focus on the tips of tiny fingers instead – perhaps with the parent’s fingers to give a sense of scale, allowing the rest of the baby to fade into a gentle blur. Work quickly, though, as babies don’t stay still for long! 

07) Time to reflect

A fold-out reflector is really useful for bouncing window light back on to your subject. Most come with matte and silvered surfaces to change the character of the light, and the best reflectors for photography come in all shapes and sizes.

However, if you’re not going to use a reflector regularly, you don’t need to rush out to buy one for this project. A piece of white card will bounce light back towards the baby, removing hard shadows and reducing contrast, or for a more reflective effect you can cover the card with foil.

Presenting your portraits

Baby photos are going to be put on display by proud parents – possibly for decades. Think hard about how they’ll look on show. An unusual shape or other presentation method can really make your portraits sing.

Crop to square
A square crop helps to give your portraits a timeless quality and allows you to come in really tight to the baby’s face. 

Convert to mono
Use the HSL Panel in Camera Raw, or Lightroom’s Black and White presets for a punchy monochrome conversion.

Compile a grid
Detail shots and close-ups can look beautiful when presented as a grid of images. Crop all the images the same and arrange them in Photoshop to visualize how they’ll look when grouped.

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