IN-DEPTHFEATURE SPECIAL

Child photography

12-PAGEGUIDE

Unpredictable they may be, but

babies and children can make

for mesmerising subjects with

the right know-how

T he delicate softness of a newborn or the cheeky impish grin of a toddler captured on camera goes beyond that of any ‘ordinary’ content in a photograph. The personal subject matter means these cherished frames can become some of

the most memorable and valued items a parent can own. For that reason newborn and toddler photography is a rapidly expanding market, with only a select few photographers scaling to the precipice of success. The one thing that sets the crème de la crème apart from the baying pack of copycat shooters is the ability to hone a unique and thus lucrative style.

San Diegan Carrie Sandoval and Atlantan Brittany Woodall started out as online acquaintances who shared a mutual passion for babies and photography; today the pros jointly run one of America’s hippest newborn photography studios, Baby As Art, thanks to their ability to achieve a much-sought after ‘look’. The duo’s client base spans all of Southern California, and although based in San Diego, the pros have hundreds

Capturing the beauty of a newborn baby or the personality of a child in a photograph is something every parent craves. Natalie Johnson interviews the pros to highlight how you can achieve such shots

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Newborn and child photography

of clients in competitive hot spots Orange County and Los Angeles. The pair have also been flown out to photograph new babies in Hawaii, Colorado, Washington, New York, Tennessee and Montana, and that’s only this year. What’s more, among their healthy catalogue of happy customers is such high-profile names as NASCAR racing car driver Jeff Gordon and his family.

Famed for their clean yet soft, creamy imagery that has been likened more closely to fine art than photography, Carrie and Brittany have quickly become doyens of this delicate genre. Joining forces in 2008, their images effortlessly resonate all manner of cuteness and their ability to photograph blissful-looking infants in the most serene of indoor and outdoor settings has earned them great respect from their peers and clients alike. “I wanted to identify a word for my style early on in my career: organic,” Brittany explains.

“I want my images to show the organic beauty of a newborn without any distracting elements.” This is a statement her

Newborn & child photographypartner agrees with: “Britt and I do crave new and interesting poses and props for the babies, but it is so important to keep the baby as the main focus. We do this with composition, shallow depth of field and complementary textures rather than competing ones. That’s one thing that keeps things unique: we find many of our props at local antique shops and barn sales. We commission other artists such as wood carvers and knitters to create custom pieces for us. We also like to pluck things from Mother Nature, such as tree stumps and branches!”

With a steady growth of competition in this market, the couple know only too well the importance of creating a unique style and moulding this into an almost tangible brand image, which parents and clients can identify with. “Unfortunately the trend of new photographers is to copy rather than think independently; our work is often imitated by others, leaving less variety within newborn photography,” Brittany continues.

“However, this doesn’t hinder our creativity – rather it pushes us more to think of new and never-before-done setups. These 8

Bright-EyEd “a black-and-white image

presenting a baby boy, relaxed yet alert”Shot details: Nikon d3S with 50mm lens at 50mm and f2.5, 1/320sec, iSo 500© Carrie Sandoval, Baby as art 2010

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days I have begun venturing outside of the studio and into some of the most beautiful outdoor scenes conceivable to capture images of new babies. Combining baby and Earth together is one of the most pure and organic art forms, and is immensely inspiring to me.” Together the team’s reputation for soft, plush and natural photography has attracted a large proportion of attention that Baby As Art has been quick to capitalise on, as their work is not only better than most, but its subtle differences from the plethora of ‘traditional’ newborn photographers shooting very cliché images make the team a trendsetting force in this industry. “There is something so special about the newborn stage,” Carrie opines. “It only lasts for a couple of weeks and I am in complete awe of these little creatures! I knew from my very first newborn session that I wanted to specialise in them. I also love a challenge of pushing the creative envelope with a subject who sleeps 90% of their days!”

Famed for their organic and natural images, the pair have photographed dozens of babies in the great outdoors, from the sleepy hills of Hawaii to the Glacier National Park of Montana. However, despite this, the duo confess that most of their images are actually captured indoors. “85% of our sessions are held in my natural light studio,” Carrie reveals. “It’s a small, humble room that heats up easily and has perfect light and easy access to all of our blankets and props. The remaining

15% are sessions held at the client’s home. It is exciting to use their home as a backdrop and work in their light, but it’s definitely a lot more work! I think we surprise many clients by the spots – often tiny corners of a room – we choose to shoot. What we are looking for is natural light. Ideally, we are looking for a floor-to-ceiling window that receives indirect sunlight. If the light is direct, we will diffuse it. I like windows that are 90° to a wall that we can use for a backdrop for the family shots. We’ve been known to rearrange furniture for a setup and to remove screens from windows to let in a little more light. Low windows or glass doors are the best windows, because we are shooting so low to the ground with the baby on a soft beanbag or pillow on the ground.” To minimise set-up time on location, Brittany confides that the team prefers to screen on-location sessions before the day: “Sometimes we even request the client to send us pictures of the ‘brightest’ area of their home before the session. If we look at the lighting situation and feel that there is not an adequate amount of quality light, we will suggest that they do the session in our studio instead.”

As well as photographing newborns, the women run photography workshops at a beautiful beach house in their home state. As such, it comes as no surprise that these teachers are both more than willing to share their trade secrets with the readers of DP: “My goal when photographing newborns is to basically capture the image in camera,” Brittany begins. “I do

Alone “this little girl was just

three years old. i wanted to portray a child quite obviously wanting to be left alone. the girl carried the look off perfectly”Shot details: hasselblad h3dii-31 with 80mm lens at 80mm and f8, 1/125sec, iSo 100

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“The quality will show when you nail your technical components, such as exposure and white balance”

© lisa Visser

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very little processing, so everything must be perfect in camera: lighting, settings, setup, pose, white balance – even down to the crop! I use wide apertures such as f1.4-1.6 to create that smooth look. Lighting a newborn is actually a very difficult concept for photographers to understand. This is due to the fact that most portrait subjects are upright in relation to the light source, instead of laying horizontal to the light. Carrie and I feel that lighting has an enormous impact on the final look of the image.” Continuing Brittany’s trail of thought, Carrie adds: “Lighting is huge. It’s a long segment in our Baby as Art workshops. We are often asked if we use a black-and-white action and I always answer the same way: it starts with a properly lit photograph and ends with some really simple Photoshop techniques. We also like to use unique props and compositions, and I particularly love close-up shots using my 105mm 2.8G Micro lens. Many of our favourite images are extreme close-ups of the lips, eyelashes, ears, toes and fingers: parts that are so completely newborn.”

Another key telltale sign of Baby As Art imagery is if the scene is bottom-weighted, a feature both women claim to adore. “To me, bottom-weighting the image, with the baby in the bottom of the frame, creates a picture where the subject has impact and is easily found to be the focus of the shot. In other words, my eyes don’t have to search around for the focus,” Brittany informs. In terms of technique, Carrie describes her preferred approach: “Shutter is usually above 1/320sec, to avoid any shake. I’ll raise the ISO before choosing a slow shutter speed, because the D3S handles high ISO noise so well. Aperture for a single subject is usually f1.4-f2.8, as I love the creamy depth of field, and I close up a bit – f3.2 – for family shots, because I want to make sure all subjects are sharp. I keep ISO as low as possible, which is usually between 100-600 in the studio, but we’ve been known to use ISO 2000 in client homes before.”

Both women are loyal to the Nikon brand, Brittany choosing the D3 and Carrie opting for the more recent D3S. Collectively, the ladies own a modest but essential arsenal of equipment: Nikon D700 DSLR, Nikkor 50mm G 1.4, Nikkor 105mm G 2.8 micro, a Mac Pro, 30” cinema display, Adobe Photoshop CS5, a white noise maker, space heater, plus lots of props such as

blankets, baskets, boxes, wood bowls, beanbags, rugs and pillows, etc.

When asked to describe a typical shooting day at Baby As Art, Carrie responds, “We always start out the same way, and then ask the parents if they have any special requests. We will try to fulfil their requests next, but most clients give us free reign, which is awesome. No session is exactly the same. We would hate to get bored! We usually start at 11am, when the baby arrives. We undress him or her and swaddle them in a soft blanket. Mum feeds baby and then we photograph the infant in the beanbag with simple, curled-up poses for about an hour, then move on to more creative use of props and poses. If need be, baby feeds again, then we do shots with the parents. It’s best to do this after a feed, so that baby won’t be aroused by the mother’s scent.” The session takes around three hours to complete. Meanwhile, Brittany admits to running through a list of questions in her mind to minimise errors

Pregnancy couPle

“Just a great example of understanding the dynamic between a couple: he just adores her! it highlights what they like about themselves and uses props to really make the expectant mother look gorgeous”Shot details: Canon eoS 5d Mark ii with 24-70mm lens at 58mm and f7.1, 1/125sec, iSo 125

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© Carrie Sandoval | Baby as art 2010

© Jo Frances

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She’S Peachy “this shot shows a baby girl

hanging from a peach tree branch, which has been

added later as a composite”Shot details: Nikon d3S

with 50mm lens at 50mm and f2, 1/320sec, iSo 160

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“The difference with my child portraiture is that I often show children looking vulnerable”

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and maximise the quantity of usable shots. “I ask myself: Is the baby safe? Does the baby look comfortable? Is the setup perfect? Are the blankets smooth, are fingers in place, is the lighting perfect, are the settings correct, etc? Is there anything I would change? Is this setup different enough from previous ones during the session? What do I need to do next to keep up a high level of variety within the session?”

When asked to impart their best piece of advice for our enthusiastic readers, Carrie emphasises the importance of a perfect atmosphere: “Keep the baby calm and sleepy. A warm room at about 30°C/85°F, a little white noise and a soft, gentle, but at the same time confident, touch are especially soothing to a baby, but most importantly... patience.” Brittany’s advice reflects her penchant for perfection. “The best advice I can give to others is to get it right in camera,” the pro advises. “The quality will show when you nail your technical components, such as exposure and white balance. Exposure is huge for newborns, due to their tendency to have darker and ruddier skin tones. If the image is underexposed, it will only enhance the reddish tone of the baby’s skin. Also because newborn skin tends to have colour undertones, getting your white balance correct is really essential. The actions that ‘pop’ a photograph may look cool when it comes to older babies and kids, but it’s not going to lend to the softer look that is sought after when it comes to newborn babies. For that reason, avoid the high-contrast colour actions like the plague.”

Like the pros at Baby As Art, British pro Lisa Visser has also realised the importance of creating a unique style that clients can identify as something exclusive to her and her studio alone. However, unlike the cheery, soft and cuteness-enthused pictures created by her American counterparts, Lisa’s imagery ethos is somewhat more sombre, stirring and menacingly emotive. “I would describe my style of photography as classical, thought-provoking, compelling, evocative and timeless,” the Sussex-based photographer remarks. “As such, Lisa Visser Fine Art at Hamilton Studios now has a reputation for specialising in fine-art images of children, and it is these simple black-and-white images that are proving very popular with clients. A lot of the child portraits that I do with children that are two years old and upwards can sometimes look quite haunting. I try to make every child look beautiful in a simple way.”

It hasn’t always been this way, as only four years ago Lisa used the same high-key, fun shots favoured by her contemporaries. “I just decided one day that I wanted to capture something different,” she explains. “I realised I wanted to do something that was more of a reflection of me, so now I create images that are very emotive. I think it’s very

difficult to be different, and once you’ve created a style there will be lots of photographers who will try and follow you, so you don’t stay different for very long. The difference with my child portraiture is that I often show children looking quite vulnerable, rather than showing their smiley side. I wasn’t sure to start with how parents would react to seeing their children portrayed in this way, but these images are selling really well.”

Whereas Baby As Art focuses almost exclusively on newborn photography, Lisa prefers to work with children as well, in order to attain her trademark haunting images.

“Children are so unpredictable, which can make for the best images. I feel my best images have always been of young children. They are so natural and can be a lot of fun to work with, although you do need loads of patience. I really enjoy being a children’s photographer – each child is so different and I just love capturing their innocence. It can be really difficult sometimes, but I just love it when I know I’ve captured something special.”

Working as a pro since 1988, Lisa has plenty of experience when it comes to photographing difficult subjects: “Children are all so different – some are shy and awkward, while

Sleeping beauty

“We don’t get newborns with a set of lashes like these. this baby was actually eight months old and took a snooze during her session. it’s always fun posing older babies in similar newborn-esque poses. the key to posing an older baby is to go very slowly”Shot details: Nikon d3 with 60mm lens at 60mm and f3.5, 1/320sec, iSo 1000

1 Warm the roomRemember how warm they were inside mummy and bring along plenty of props that can double to keep them warm, such as lots of blankets and a beanbag.

2 Stay safe Never do anything with a baby where you are not 100% confident about their safety. It can be wise to have help with you. They can hold blankets, pat the baby’s back and most importantly be a spotter, making sure the baby is safe at all times!

3 Practise on friendsYou will be more comfortable working with friends’ babies, and the baby will sense your feeling of ease. Practising with low pressure will pay off!

4 Think creatively Be original but always keep the focus on baby. Keep it simple.

5 Take our workshopIn the past two years, we have taught over a hundred photographers from around the world how to photograph newborns. Their work has improved immensely after attending our workshop!

eXpeRt aDViCe

Brittany Woodall and Carrie Sandoval: Baby As ArtWeb: www.babyasart.com email: workshop@babyasart.com

Although Carrie Sandoval was well-versed in the arts, she never considered photography until she had children in 2003 and purchased a DSLR. It wasn’t until the birth of her fourth child that she began specialising

in newborn babies. Unlike Carrie, Brittany Woodall, who now also resides in San Diego, has been smitten with photography since childhood. “I practised taking pictures of my little brother, our family pets and the kids I babysat. I checked out photography books at the local library and over time, I began nailing the technical aspects and exploring the more creative side of photography. To this day, I’ve never taken a photography class or course. I am completely self-taught! I also never really intended to have an actual photography business. It sort of just fell into place. The families of the kids I always watched started putting the pictures I took on their walls, and so the word began to get out that I was the neighbourhood babysitter and photographer. So, my photography business began when I was 17!” Today the pair are in such high demand that they have chosen to limit their schedule to one to two sessions per week, which helps to keep the duo’s creativity fresh, as they also teach workshops on natural light newborn photography. For more information, visit www.babyasart.com.

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a little SiSteR, a lot of loVe

“in my studio. Natural light with a real wood backdrop”Shot details: Nikon d3S with 50mm lens at 50mm and f3.2, 1/320sec, iSo 320

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others are overconfident and won’t sit still for a minute. I have learnt through trial and error what works. You need to be very perceptive to know how to get the best from a child, and most of all you need patience. You need to be unfazed by any type of behaviour and be calm. If a parent comes in with an 18-month old who starts having a tantrum, the best thing to do is distract the child from their behaviour. For each age group there are different tricks that I use, but for, say, a situation like this, I would probably start blowing bubbles and popping them on my nose and asking the child to pop them too. It usually isn’t long before the tears stop and the smiles come again. With a shy and awkward child I tend to talk to them more, usually about their favourite TV programme or the names of their friends, anything that comes to mind.”

Within Hamilton Studio’s photographic armoury we found a bounty of lenses including an 80mm and a 50mm, a Manfrotto tripod, Bowens esprit 250/500 heads, a four-foot Wafer Soft box, a 6” reflector with tight honeycomb grid, a triflector, black subtracting panel and a Bowens wind machine. When it comes to her cameras of choice, we see Lisa is a woman of expensive taste: a Hasselblad H3DII-31 and Hasselblad 503cw with Phase One P20 back. “Before I start a shoot, it is important that I have everything ready to hand. On a typical shoot, I tend to use a shutter speed of 1/125sec and an aperture of between f8 and f11,” the photographer reveals with authority. To achieve her dark yet sensitive style, Lisa uses black, dark grey or light grey paper backdrops, the corner of her studio that she painted dark brown and a studio wall that displays interesting vintage grey wallpaper. “I will always have

a clear idea of what I want to achieve,” she continues. “I never know how long I will have with each child before their attention span runs out, so I will have all the props, clothing, toys, etc all ready to one side at the beginning of the shoot. I always work in the studio, I am a studio-trained photographer and this is where I feel most comfortable and most in control of the lighting.” Lisa utilises a large softbox close to the subject and usually employs a hair light. To control the amount of light glancing on the subject, she directs a silver reflector to add light and a black panel to subtract it. “I always want the subject to be lit to draw attention to the face and eyes, because I am always drawn to capturing very close-up shots. I think that I will always be drawn to tightly cropped face studies, usually in horizontal format. In fact, I actually have to consciously make an effort to step back and include more of the subject.”

As with any style of portraiture, Lisa suggests that it is advisable to get to know a bit about the model before the camera is raised. “I always try to access the child’s personality before I start and work through the type of shots that I think will be achievable with this particular child,” she comments. “I will always have a rough idea of what I want to achieve, but it will all depend on the child’s capabilities and what I feel I can get from them. I try and start the shoot very simply, doing head-and-shoulder shots at different angles. Although I love serious shots, I will always take a few smiley shots as well. Once I know I have these shots I will then go on to try other ideas, again all

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Polly “polly was just 20 months old in this photo but very grown up, and insisted on holding her handbag!”Shot details: hasselblad 503cw with phase one p20 back and 80mm lens at 80mm, f8, 1/125sec, iSo 100

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To dAncE “this girl is five. at this age, i

was able to direct the child to stand in a symmetrical pose. a compelling image that’s reinforced by the strong eye contact”Shot details: hasselblad 503cw with phase one p20 back and 80mm lens at 80mm, f8, 1/125sec, iSo 100

conFUSIon “While i was explaining what

i wanted this four-year-old boy to do, he gave this wonderful expression that i just had to capture”Shot details: hasselblad 503cw with phase one p20 back and 80mm lens at 80mm, f8, 1/125sec, iSo 100

BABy “this baby is ten months old.

i use hats on children of all ages, as they help to bring a texture around the face. this is a classic tight head shot that i try to get in each baby session that i do”Shot details: hasselblad 503cw with phase one p20 back and 80mm lens at 80mm, f8, 1/125sec, iSo 100

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dependent on the child’s age and whether I think it is realistic with this particular child. I’m constantly watching and assessing how the child is doing and responding to me. I like to get a really beautiful emotive headshot of the child straight on, looking right into the camera, and also a three-quarter profile shot – both types of images always sell really well. You have to learn to adapt to the child you are working with and always be watching, not be so set in your ideas that you miss a great shot. Many times I can go into the studio with all these ideas and they just don’t happen, but then you see something, a certain look, expression or maybe something they do with their hands that is so special, you just have to be ready to capture it when the moment happens.”

Although Lisa’s shooting style, equipment, focus and creative thinking all play a part in creating these uniquely iconic captures, arguably the secrets to the most diverse aspect of their DNA lies within the digital darkroom. “I photograph everything in RAW, so once the shoot is complete – depending on which camera I have used – I import the images into either Capture One Pro or Phocus. I’ll colour balance the images and set them off to process, and then I adjust the density and convert to black and white in Photoshop. I’m a bit of a perfectionist, and although it takes longer I don’t batch convert the images to black and white. I prefer to treat each file individually and do various effects depending on the image, and personally prefer to desaturate and then adjust the image in Levels and Curves. This gives me a really nice punchy black and white. I will also add a warming filter to the image to give it a nice tone, and sometimes a textured layer to the background. Each image then has a basic clean up, getting rid of large blemishes or teething rashes and dark shadows under the eyes. I do this using the Healing brush and the Brush tool, which also gives a slight softening to the skin.” To save time in the editing suite, Lisa leaves us with one last practical pearl of wisdom: “Always make sure the child’s face is clean,

“I always try to access the child’s personality and work through the shots that I think will be achievable”

Lisa Visser: Lisa Visser Fine Art at Hamilton StudiosWeb: www.lisavisserfineart.co.uk

Email: lisavisser@mac.com

Nurturing a love for photography since school, Lisa Visser, owner of Lisa Visser Fine Art at Hamilton Studios, has been shooting professionally

since 1988. “I was desperate to go on to study Photography at university, but for financial reasons I needed to go out and get a job. A position became available for a trainee portrait photographer at a well-known in-store portrait chain, so I decided that this would be a great opportunity for me. I quickly found that doing high-volume, low-cost portraiture to a company formula wasn’t the most creative of jobs, however it gave me good solid grounding in studio portraiture and taught me to get great expressions that would sell and also how to work quickly with young babies and children.”

Lisa left the position after six years to have her own children, but eventually returned to work as a children’s photographer for Hamilton Studios, based in east Grinstead, Sussex. “It was here that both my passion and career in photography really took off,” she explains. “I was finally able to take portraits the way I wanted and experiment with different styles.” Later in her career, Lisa and her husband, a fellow photographer at the firm, took over the business and today are one of the most prolific studios working in this area within the UK.

1 Eye contactGaining eye contact is key to creating a beautiful image.

2 KISS Keep it simple! Use simple, soft lighting to flatter the subject.

3 Patience is a virtueHave patience, patience and more patience.

4 Think of the subject Make sure you use a camera level that is flattering to the subject.

5 ExpressionExpression is everything – be prepared to go out of your way to achieve this.

EXPERT ADVICE

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© lisa Visser

© lisa Visser

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particularly their noses, and keep an eye out for dribble on babies! This will save you hours in front of the computer.”

Whereas Lisa Visser’s style reflects a colder, more removed energy, New Zealand-based child and newborn photographer Jo Frances has carved a specialised niche of imagery that reveals a warmer and more intimate nature. “I like taking images that show people connecting, and I’m known for making people touch! To do this I create triangles in my group photos, and I often ask people to stick their ears together to get a close-knit feel. I don’t take disconnected shots where people are standing apart – unless it’s for a specific purpose.”

The antipodean, who has a professional history that spans the best part of a decade, is also renowned for her heart-warming images of young and new families. “To care for a child is such an intimate act that it feels a real privilege to capture that for someone. I want to photograph families because I feel a lot of connection and compassion for people in this phase of their life. Parenting is hard so it’s important to remind yourself daily of the good bits, and great photos can do that.” Lasting around three hours, a typical shoot for the pro will start with an informal chat to relax the parents, and determine what they want from the shoot. “I’ll begin with the family shots in two to three different setups, likely having to stop at some point to feed or clean up the baby. Then I’ll capture individual shots of each parent with the child and then the baby/child on their own, usually both simple ones and more complicated prop shots.”

Another resonating attribute of Jo’s work is her inclination to use ornate props and materials to create a story around

the characters. “At the moment I am going through a girly vintage stage and am buying big frilly skirts and making little necklaces for the little girl shoots,” she remarks. “I love to buy and make props – they inspire me and my staff and keep our work fresh. I also have a lot of clients who have come back several times, so I really like to make sure that I give them something different. I go back through the work I’ve done for them and then come up with some new ideas that suit them and their homes.”

Unlike the other pros interviewed in this feature, Jo confesses to not being the most technically-minded photographer. Instead, her attributes lie within her caring personality and fast-thinking creative streak. “I’m not that interested in gear beyond it doing what I need it to do and I am not much of a planner – beyond thinking ‘ooh, I want to try out that prop today’! But I’m good at making people feel relaxed and safe. I find that if you set up a comfortable environment and really concentrate on connecting with your client, the work comes naturally. With young families it’s important to create a ‘home-like’ environment that doesn’t feel formal. Mums with small babies are very vulnerable and need to be looked after. Simple things, like asking how they are and checking that they don’t have any pain before you ask them to get in any awkward shapes, go a long way.”

Like many of her peers Jo shoots in RAW, and favours a Canon EOS 5D Mark II with a 24-70mm 2.8 lens for shooting her heart-felt and intimate captures. “I also use a 50mm 1.4 Sigma lens for my babies,” she explains. “We shoot with a Bowens kit, a large softbox and a shoot-through white

Jo Frances: Jo Frances PhotographyWeb: www.jofrancesphotography.com

Email: jo@ jofrancesphotography.com

Originally Jo Frances planned to be a hobbyist photographer and have a career as a psychologist, but found the lure of photography to be too strong. “I am a much better photographer then I ever would have been a psychologist!” laughed the self-taught pro based in Wellington, New Zealand. The photographer, who also has a studio in Auckland, has been shooting professionally for nearly a decade.

“When I started my business I was lucky enough to have a husband who was willing to support me financially. He told me to quit my job in community development and just go for it. I made a loss in the first year, paid my two-day-a-week nanny more than myself in the second year, but it all took off in the third year. I worked very hard in those first years to build my client base and make my clients feel valued. It was definitely a bonus to be a new mum myself, as I could ‘talk baby’. At first I got pushed around quite a bit by my clients – especially the older guys. They would ask for discounts and freebies, and I would just give in to them. I gradually began to believe in my own abilities and to be more assertive, and their respect for me grew with it. Today most of our clients are lovely and our reputation precedes us.”

EXPERT ADVICE

“To care for a child is such an intimate act, it’s a privilege to capture that for someone”

My FREnCh LoVE

“this is my daughter, tess, at two and a half years old. i bought this coat for my niece ten years ago while i was travelling with my boyfriend. the coat has been handed down through the girls in the family until it was given to tess, who it suited so well. this reminds me of falling in love with my hubby, how much i love the impishness of tess and the importance of family” Shot details: Canon eoS 5d Mark ii with 24-70mm lens at 43mm and f5.6, 1/125sec, iSo 125

AngEL BABIES

“this was a practise shoot for us, and we had three hours to play with. i rocked each of these twins to sleep and then carefully placed them in position. the original image was shot against chiffon, and we put the sheepskin in months later for a different look. the mum described the girl twin on the right as a

‘mother hen’ to the smaller, second-born boy twin, so we positioned them to reflect this”Shot details: Canon eoS 5d Mark ii with 24-70mm lens at 45mm and f7.1, 1/125sec, iSo 125

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umbrella. We have a large gold refl ector that we use a lot and a strip light set up as a hair light. It’s important when you shoot kids not to have gear get in the way; your focus needs to be on the kids themselves. We tend to only make minor tweaks to the lighting and I never make people wait while I am changing them around. The pacing is important with little ones: you need to get in, get on with the job and fi nish up as soon as you know you’ve got it. Sometimes a baby is only happy for 20 minutes, but if I’ve timed it right I can get everything I need in that time. I also use a ‘tickle stick’, which is basically a feather duster, to make kids laugh and will get them to say things like ‘farts’ to break the ice. After the shoot Jo ventures into the post-production stage of her operation, which she claims usually involves black and white conversion, cropping, exposure tweaking, colour correction and vignetting.

In terms of a money-making agenda, Jo sells both framed and unframed works as well as canvases and albums, but admits that she’s not a pushy saleswoman. “We do a very soft sell, often leaving the room for ten minutes or so to let the clients talk it through and make their own decisions. It’s very important to us that our clients come back and refer their friends, and we defi nitely prioritise great friendly service over getting the last dollar out of them. I have four staff members

and a big part of their training has been in making customers feel comfortable with the whole process. I fi nd that when people feel that it is their own choice and they are not being manipulated, they will happily spend good amounts of money on great photos of their loved ones. In terms of making a profi t it’s important to incentivise people to spend more – give them extras to get them over your price point barriers. Another big part of our success is being upfront about our pricing in the fi rst place – we have a ridiculously low no-buy rate of only 1-2%. A lot of family photographers seem to trick people into coming in and then hope the work sells itself, and I’ve heard of people having a 50% no-buy rate. I guess from a business model that might work if you are shooting large volumes of people each week and you are not paying your staff that well, but I would personally fi nd that devastating. I’ve also found it a better strategy to work on becoming very good at something – in our case young families – rather than trying to do a bit of everything. Our clients like to feel like they are getting the best, rather than just the guy down the road who will shoot anything.”

Capturing the beauty and individualism of children is a skill that clearly has to be honed. By hearing how some of the pros do it, hopefully you’ll now be inspired to create some memorable shots that will be treasured forever.

BIGFEATURE4 Newborn and child photography

Gear guideCANON EF 100MM F2.8L MACRO IS USMPrice: £1,000

Web: www.canon.co.uk

A stable, high-performance lens such as this is perfect for capturing the small things such as babies’ hands, feet, eyes, nose, lips, ears, etc, as the lens gives users the ability to capture stunning close-ups without the need for a tripod.

Kit to maximise the potential of your child photography

ADOBE PHOTOSHOP CS5Price: £644

Web: www.adobe.com

An elite software suite, perfect for serious newborn photographers to sharpen, tweak, dodge and burn, crop, correct colour their captures plus much more.

MAC PRO AND CINEMA DISPLAYPrice: From £1,999

Web: www.apple.com/macpro

For those serious on entering the world of newborn photography as a career, a state-of-the-art computer and monitor such as these will go a long way to cater to your technological needs.

NIKKOR 35MM F1.4G LENSPrice: £367

Web: www.nikon.co.uk

A fi xed and fast lens such as this one is ideal for beautiful portraits. The wide apertures lend themselves to create soft and creamy depth of fi eld, which is spot on for shooting newborns.

JOHN LEWIS TRINIDAD BEANBAG, LAGOONPrice: £60

Web: www.johnlewis.com

Using a bountiful supply of props in a variety of colours and textures will dramatically enhance the interest of your composition. Beanbags are ideal as they are attractive, yet comfortable enough for a sleeping baby.

ability to capture stunning close-ups without the need for a tripod.

technological needs. shooting newborns.

dramatically enhance the interest of your composition.

comfortable enough for a sleeping baby.

1 ComfortDo they look comfortable?

2 ConnectionDo they look connected to each other – does anyone look left out?

3 All areasWhat’s happening with shoulders, hands and chins?

4 LightingIs the lighting flattering? Is anyone or any part in shadow?

4 ExpressionInject some life by making them laugh and smile – have a toy to hand, or try to communicate on their level.

TIPS:

LOST“This girl is eight years old. A scarf is used to frame her face and is then tightly cropped to draw the viewer into the face and eyes”Shot details: Hasselblad H3DII-31 with 80mm lens at 80mm and f8, 1/125sec, ISO 100© Lisa Visser

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MOTHER, DAUGHTER

“This image depicts a beautiful new mother with her gorgeous baby girl. I love the skin-on-skin element – it’s like peaches and cream!”Shot details: Nikon D3S with 50mm lens at 50mm and f2.8, 1/320sec, ISO 800© Carrie Sandoval, Baby as Art 2010

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