Portraits with love

Get creative with baby photography and create stunning composites with playful backdrops - James Paterson reveals all you need to know

-  James Paterson

THE MISSION Shoot window-lit baby portraits and combine with stock backgrounds in Photoshop

Time needed Two hours

Skill level Intermediate

Kit needed Canon EOS camera, window light, Photoshop CC

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 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). 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 cameras and Photoshop skills, you can combine your subject with all kinds of readymade 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.