Five Tips for Photographing Newborns with Strobes and Flash
I believe that when working with a newborn baby and their family, your light should be the LAST thing on your mind.
Here are five tips to help you create beautiful, natural looking light with your strobe or flash at your next newborn session, so that you can focus on the baby in front of you, and not have to worry about your light!
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.
This seems like an easy way to incorporate artificial light into your work, but the problem with this approach is that it creates light that is flat, kind of boring, and harsh.
Taking your flash off your camera and mounting it onto a light stand allows you to introduce direction to your light. The results will be highlights and shadows that look interesting and natural!
Tip #2 Place your light in a large light modifier
Once your light is off your camera and on a light stand, pair it with a large modifier (an umbrellas or a soft box).
Why?
Because the larger the light source and softer the light!
Using a large modifier will help you create a natural light look when photographing newborns.
Using a large modifier also ensures that you are creating enough light to create soft, even light for multiple people. And that means you can easily get the parents and siblings into some photos without having to change your set up!
My go-to modifier is the Westcott 7’ Umbrella.
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 taking my flash off my camera and pairing it with a large modifier. But another way I create that look is by bringing my light in nice and close to my subject!
Why?
Because the closer your light is to your subject, the softer the light will be.
How close?
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
Okay. Lets recap what you’ve learned so far.
You now know that to create beautiful, soft, natural looking light with a strobe or a flash you need to take your light off of your camera and put it on a stand with a large modifier. And you know to bring that light and modifier in nice and close to your subject!
The next thing you want to do is to make sure that your light is placed up by the baby’s head, NOT their feet! This will prevent accidentally uplighting the baby you are work with!
While there are no right or wrongs in photography, necessarily, 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 the cameras I use when at work do not have screens on the back for me to look at. So for me, metering my light with a handheld light meter is essential.
BUT, 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, and babies and small children do not have the patience that adults do. So if your photographing a baby, and you’re 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, your clients, probably want pictures of. And again, if you’re spending your time, fussing with the back of your camera and your lights, chances are you are going to miss capturing some of those really cute moments.
A hand held meter will tell you exactly what you need your settings to be on your camera and what the power of your lights need to be. You can meter once, set your camera to those settings, adjust the power on your strobe or flash, and then have the perfect light for the rest of your shoot!
Want to learn more?
If you’d like to learn more about how to create natural looking light with strobes and flash, I’d love to invite you to watch my FREE lighting training, Crafting the Natural Light Look. It’s only 30 minutes long and will teach you what you need to know to get started, including what equipment you need and how to find your perfect settings!
