Babies bring heaps of joy to any family. Their Innocence and giggles make people forget their stress and life problems. Family members show immense love and affection towards infants. However, newborn babies quickly turn into toddlers and eventually teenagers. When that happens, parents recollect those invaluable moments of yesteryears. While you can’t get back to the time, you can capture those memories through a newborn photoshoot. However, taking such pictures isn’t a cup of tea. You need to get familiar with the DIY newborn photography setup. Plus, you must set aside enough time to create a temporary home studio. Let’s delve deeper into the topic to get more information in this respect.
How to DIY a newborn photoshoot setup?
When it boils down to snapping quality pictures of the newborn, most parents lack information. Many of them don’t know how to set up the event. A majority of parents just take a camera and start shooting pictures. However, a significant number of these photos turn out to be less pleasing. As a parent, you’d like to maximize your photoshoot incident. So, why not employ the right techniques for the newborn photography setup? Here’s a handy checklist that should help you set up a home studio for the photoshoot.
1. Decide the location for the home studio
A DIY newborn photography setup begins with the choice of location. The good thing is you’ve multiple options concerning the location. However, the sad part is not all places suit a baby photoshoot. You need to come up with a shooting location that can make the shot elegant and cozy concurrently. Remember, there’s a world of difference between capturing photos of adults and infants.
Decide the location for shooting your newborn baby carefully. Don’t choose a living room. A room with limited space is ideal for a home studio. It bounces light back and lets you capture amazing photos. A 10 by 10 square foot room makes a great choice in this respect.
2. Create the best lighting in the studio
The quality of the photoshoot largely depends on lighting effects. Without lights, you can’t snap high-quality pictures. However, make sure to use lighting properly. Some folks get crazy and use too much lighting when snapping photos. However, the final quality of the image gets hit. At the same time, avoid shooting in the dark. The final photo will look unappealing. Your whole legwork of the newborn photoshoot will go waste. So, try to use lighting in a balanced manner.
It’s best to choose a room that has enough natural light. Such a place will let you get the glow and the angelic look that you want in baby pictures. Pick a room that receives the most sunlight and set up the DIY baby photo setup there. You may also want to use a couple of focus lights lying at your house for the photoshoot event. Just brainstorm some ideas and use lighting options for your home studio.
3. Gather relevant accessories
After deciding on the room, learn some tips on shooting amazing pictures. Here, you may want to get familiar with the setup rules. Use a white cloth on the main wall. It should bounce back lighting and let you snap the best photo. Also, place a white-colored sheet on the floor. Make sure to take out everything else from the room.
Visualize the studio that you see in a professional setup. What else do you need? Besides the white cloth, you need lights, a couple of tripod stands, and two umbrellas. Just figure out how to position those accessories for the photoshoot. A little bit of practice should help out. You may even seek help from your friends in this respect. Those handy with photography will lend you the much-sought help in setting up the temporary home studio.
4. Find the right shooting time that suits your baby’s schedule
Some parents get carried at the thought of hosting a photoshoot event. They hardly pay attention to the shooting time. Sadly, a majority of them wrap up with poor-quality photos. In many instances, the child is in a bad mood and starts crying. The resulting images capture the floods of tears of the baby. No parent would like to snap such photos. On the contrary, they’d love to photoshoot their child in a good mood.
So, try to find the right time to shoot matching your infant’s schedule. Monitor the schedule of your baby. Find out when he/she is happiest. Usually, a baby feels happy after a feed. Also, make sure that your child has already enjoyed a sound sleep. Proper feeding and sleep make the baby energetic and happy. Figure out such hours and host the photoshoot accordingly. Some babies may not allow you to snap photos easily. If that’s the case, consider photographing the baby when he’s asleep. If you want to calm down a mischievous child, turn on the music during the photoshoot event.
5. Choose the right background
At this point, you know how to use lighting and have decided the location and timing of the photoshoot. However, your photoshoot setup isn’t over yet. Many other factors go into the event. Backgrounds are worth mentioning here. Properly chosen backgrounds can accentuate the picture of your child. On the other hand, poorly-chosen backgrounds can hamper the image quality. So, don’t overlook them for the photoshoot.
However, backgrounds don’t need to be too complicated. For example, a simple designer blanket is enough (as a background) for photoshooting a baby asleep in your arms. Without investing too much time and money, you can enrich your child’s image with an intriguing setup. If you want to capture your infant’s picture when he’s sitting or playing, have a blank or big pictured photo as background. The choices are varied. Just brainstorm some ideas to come up with a couple of relevant backgrounds.
6. Clothing
Once you’ve done some legwork, it’s time to focus on your baby. Make sure that the infant is in good health. If the child is ill, don’t go for a photoshoot. You won’t be able to get the best shot. A healthy child will let you snap quality photos. However, you must pay attention to the outfit of the newborn. Many people endorse the photoshoot of a naked baby. Small nude babes look lovely and draw the attention of all.
However, you just don’t want to snap all the photos of a baby without clothes. So, figure out the outfit for the photoshoot. Designer cotton clothing should come in handy. Such a dress accentuates your child’s personality. At the same time, it’s comfy on your baby’s body. Add a small cap or hat to your child’s head. That will complete the outfit for the photoshoot.
7. Set up the camera to get the best shot
As mentioned earlier, you can use a camera or Smartphone for the newborn photoshoot event. A camera is a preferred device. It comes with a myriad of shooting options. Plus, you can adjust the lens of the camera for brightness and clarity. All such possibilities are limited with a Smartphone.
If you carry a point and shoot camera, set it to the portrait mode. By doing so, you can blur the backgrounds and smooth the hair and skin tones of the child. If you use a DSLR camera, open the aperture and set it to the smallest number. In this way, you can get a soft background. Now, pair it using a portrait lens. Zoom in and concentrate on the baby’s eyes. A little bit of legwork will pay off here.
8. Use toys or songs to catch your baby’s eye
Capturing a photo of your child when he’s asleep is easier. However, parents love to shoot photos of their babies in different moods. What if you wish to photoshoot an infant when he’s sitting or lying around? Snapping such moments is easier said than done. Why? Babies may start crying or act unusually when looking at the camera. That will defy the purpose of the photoshoot event. Also, you’ve to invest more time to take a photo.
You may want to distract the baby and keep him occupied to ensure he’s at ease. So, how to do that? Use his favorite toys to distract his attention. You can also play his preferred song to catch the baby’s eyes. Once you’re able to handle the child for the photoshoot, click the snap. Try to be patient and look for those glorious moments for the shot. Be sure to take multiple photos to pick the best one.
Concluding words
Sharing those squooshy, ephemeral moments is something anyone can cherish forever, thanks to the DIY newborn photography setup. A little bit of imagination and time could come in handy. Check the above tips on – how to DIY a newborn photoshoot setup? Also, make no mistakes during the setup and the photoshoot event. Above all, use a high-quality camera in the home studio. If you adhere to the above tricks properly, there’s no reason why you can’t capture amazing photos of your infant.
