5 Newborn Photography Tips to Take Hospital Photos Like A Pro

With COVID-19 still on the rise in most of the states, newborn photographers are for most parents now only a luxury they are no longer allowed to bring in with them to the hospital. No reason to panic, though! 

We've teamed up with a professional newborn and family photographer, Kimberly from K. Sienk Photography, to provide you with 5 tips to take newborn hospital photos like a pro:

1) Open up all the blinds

Getting great light is the most important thing in order to create beautiful photographs, but you don't need to have any external equipment to succeed. Fully opening up all the blinds will let in all the beautiful natural light into your room. Most hospital rooms have large, or at least tall, windows that let in a good amount of natural light, so use them to your advantage!

2) Pick the right time

Take your baby photos during the time of day when you have great natural light. The best time might vary depending on what direction your windows are facing, but typically around midday is a safe bet. The sun is high, and there shouldn't be any crazy direct light blaring in through the window. 

3) Turn off all the lights

Any light in the room will potentially negatively impact your newborn photos. Turn off the tv, turn off the lights in the bathroom (or close the door if they don’t turn off by a switch) and you're off to a good start. White balance is the adjustment your camera makes to make white parts of the image look white. As long as you only have one light source (the window) your camera will be smart enough to figure that out on auto. 

4) Position the bassinet

Where you position your baby when taking the photos will have a lot to say. Kimberly loves to push the bassinet as close to the window as she can for her newborn sessions. The light will typically be the best and brightest there. If you happen to get direct sunlight in the room at the time of your photoshoot, you can move the bassinet into the shadow to create a nice soft diffused light. Alternatively, you can also wait until the sun has moved and the natural light flooding into your room is indirect sunlight.

5) Watch your shadow

When you are photographing your beautiful baby in a nice natural light, make sure you don’t get in the way of that light. Try to stay in a way that won't get in between the light coming in from the window and your baby.

 

If you are looking to further advance your photography skills for newborn hospital photos or just baby photos in general, Kimberly has created a FREE online course, which goes even more in-depth to teach you how to maximize your own abilities.