HOW DO THEY DO THAT? | NORTHFIELD NEWBORN PHOTOGRAPHER

by Amber Skluzacek

We have all seen them. Those super cute, beyond adorable images of babies doing the seemingly impossible. How are they sitting up all on their own, holding their heads up like a little frog, perched on a shelf like a teddy bear or hanging in the air in the cutest of fashion?! Here is the perfect example with sweet little Jack in my Northfield Newborn Photography studio. 

 

I'm sure you are wondering how on earth do they do that? How did that photographer make that baby do that? Wow! That must be such a strong baby! That photographer is amazing at posing newborn babies! 

The above statements are all False! This Northfield Newborn Photographer has a few secrets to share with you today. 

The answer is quite simply newborns DO NOT hold their own heads up or sit up on their own (or should never be posed without support)! Newborns like all children are incredibly unpredictable. They may startle, wiggle and squirm at any time. As I work with newborns often and have had four of my own babies I can testify that newborn babies are feisty! Just as you soon as you get a baby exactly in the right position one of their favorite things to do is kick out his/her legs, throw his/her head backward or launch themselves forward. Babies should never be placed anywhere where they aren't supported or secure, it's never worth risking safety to get a picture.

Okay so... babies don't hold their heads up on their own (or shouldn't) it's not safe, and babies can't sit up on their own either... How then? How do photographers create these mysterious images of newborns? I'm sure you are hanging on the edge of your seat with curiosity at this point.

It is actually much more obvious than you may think (if you didn't already know).

Many newborn poses are not what they seem. They are not a newborn baby suspended in the air but a baby sitting safely in an assistants hands. They are not baby holding his head up in his hands but a baby having his hands supported and head supported. Theses images are often an illusion or a compilation of multiple images to create the final product, or the picture we see. This is called a composite. As a Northfield Newborn Photographer I practice using composites with all images where a baby cannot support themselves naturally or safely. 

Composites can be done with multiple images of baby to create a safe environment for him/her or be done to create a unique style as well. Often photographers will take a different backdrops to create a special image with 

If you or a friend come to visit me in my Northfield Newborn Photography studio rest assured that your beautiful baby will be cuddled and kept safe and cozy throughout his/her session.

Here is just a little example showing Jack during his session, he never has a hand taken off of him, he is swaddled very securely and is also posed with support under/around him. All modifications to create the final image were done in Photoshop.