NO FLASH PLEASE

Though you're undoubtedly waiting to professionally capture your li'l angels yawns and stretches, babies are not an easy subject. Here are some do's and don'ts by Prateek Rallan, CEO Bundle of Joy, a team of natural light baby photographers

Becoming parents is probably the most exciting phase in a couple's life. From the moment the baby opens her eyes, to her first tiny smile, parents want to capture every precious moment for posterity. You may have noticed the sudden influx of angelic looking baby photos flooding your timelines, wrapped in blankets and cocoons, little darlings curled up in the foetal position oblivious to the flashing cameras. Photographing a newborn is heavenly! It's an overwhelmingly emotional experience for both à parents and photographers, and much more challenging than any other regular portraiture session. There are lots of things both the photographer and the parents need to keep in mind when participating in a newborn baby photo shoot. If you've recently become parents and are looking to have your bundle of joy professionally photographed, here are some things to remember:

Do’s

1 YOUR BABY’S SAFETY COMES FIRST

★ There is absolutely nothing more important than the safety of your baby during a session. A good photographer will avoid flash. There are as many who advocate flash as there are opponents. However, your baby is not a guinea pig for experiments.

★ Multiple poses of newborns that swarm the internet are actually composite shots, meaning multiple photos taken and edited together in Photoshop to create that one image. These poses aren’t natural, but are created by ensuring that the newborn is safely held and supported throughout the process, usually by the parents.

★ Ensure that everyone involved takes every precaution to keep the baby safe at all times. Remove all jewellery, including rings and bracelets, making sure your nails are filed, hands sanitised, camera worn with a neck strap etc.

2 THE PARENT-PHOTOG RAPHER PARTNERSHIP