Getting ready to have a baby? Have you bought ALL the stuff yet? It may seem as though the tiny little bundle you'll bring home from the hospital have more possessions that you do. You've got to have just the right crib, a bumbo, a baby wearer, a winter swaddle, a summer sleeper, a pack and play, every brand of bottle ever invented, and a full array of binky's. Not to mention your diaper mountain!
Is it any surprise that a newborn photography studio will be equally packed full of mission critical baby gear? A good family photographer needs nothing but her skills and her camera bag to rock her session...a good newborn photographer needs all that and SO much more! Some of it is to make sure your sweet baby stays safe. The rest is to make sure your baby pictures are special and perfectly adorable.
In my Overland Park studio, there are SEVEN types of props I can't live without.
1. WRAPS
Your baby just spent the last 9 months snuggled up in the warm, tight quarters of your belly. Coming out into the cold world where their arms and legs aren't pressed in tight can be disconcerting for a newborn. Which is why babies so love to be swaddled!
I make sure to get off on the right foot with each of my sweet babies by starting the session with a night tight swaddle. Which is why you'll find a whole wall of studio is dedicated to wraps of every color and texture under the sun!
A small sampling of my wraps:
2. NEWBORN BLANKET TABLE SLING
What is a "newborn blanket table sling" you say? Great question! The purpose of the table sling is to pull one of my newborn posing blankets tight--without a frame to clip the blanket to, it will be wrinkly and distracting. It also holds the blanket at the perfect angle so that the details of the blanket's texture can be seen in the foreground, but it fades into a dreamy blur behind your baby. All of these seemingly unimportant details are the difference between a mediocre picture and one where your eyes are drawn inextricably to the sweet baby.
See here an example of a very promising picture ruined by a wrinkled background that isn't angled properly.
Now you can see how smooth and beautiful the table sling makes the blankets.
3. BOWLS, CRATES, AND BUCKETS
As a newborn photographer, it's necessary to have an almost unhealthy love of baskets and bowls...anything I might put a baby in to take his picture. Having a wide variety is the key to being able to achieve any style or theme you might request!
Bowls and nests are perfect for aerial views. They are often paired with copious amounts of flowers or greenery (see the next item in the list).
Buckets are perfect for helping baby rest his head on his hands to get a great view of his chubby little cheeks.
And finally, baskets are perfect for helping prop up the sweet little baby into an upright sitting position.
4. A FLOWER WALL
Babies and flowers go together like peanut butter and chocolate. No studio would be complete without a plethora of flowers--every color, shape and size under the sun. I employ a set of Ikea shelves help me keep all the flowers sorted by color.
5. A COLLECTION OF BACKDROPS
Having a wide variety of backdrops enables me to transform my studio into a beautiful winter, summer, spring or fall scene. You want earthy, organic newborn photos? I gotcha covered with mocha and cocoa.
You prefer to see something more vibrant in your pictures? No problem, how about teal, yellow, green, or coral?
Something darker and more soulful for your photography what you need? Give Thunder Grey or Navy Streaks a try.
How about whimsical? This backdrop is one of my favorites and it transports your sweet baby to a flower drenched southern balcony.
6. PROPS!
This might be my favorite category. I collect newborn photography props from far and wide. My studio is literally stacked floor to ceiling with fun, silly, and beautiful newborn props.
I have two newborn sized beds to tuck you little on into.
Is your newborn babe a future adventurer? How about a sailboat or airplane newborn photography prop?
Come winter time, let's pile the baby into my sled prop.
Or how about some baby sized furniture props? I've got a couch and an armchair for your little one to cozy into
7. FURS, FELTS, PILLOWS, AND BLANKETS
This last category is the glue that holds everything else together. Every bucket, bowl, crate, and prop needs something soft in it for the sweet babies to lay on. No baby ever slept soundly when laid into a cold hard crate by itself, but that same crate is transformed into a snuggly crib with a little help from a donut shaped pillow and one of my curly felted blankets. That's why over the years I've acquired soft textures in every shade of every color under the sun.