Newborn Photography is all the rage right now! Workshops are everywhere! Someone new is selling props every day! Photographers are trying to do something new and different. Every day you see online blogs about newborn safety, how to pose, how to swaddle, how to hang, etc! Somehow in all this newborn hype I feel very strongly that someone is getting ignored...and sadly..it's the newborn!
When did we get so wrapped up in trying to out-do the other photographers that we forgot about those tiny, innocent, beautiful little blessings from God? In our quest to be "noticed", "blogged", "pinned", "shared", "master the pose", we have neglected the most important little person in that mom and dad's world...that sweet little bundle of joy! I must admit that I've been caught up in too, and I really am sorry for that! There is such a pressure in the "newborn photography world" to keep up with the Jones' that I got wrapped up the hype and felt I must conform in order to be accepted as a "newborn" photographer. Well, not anymore!
I have decided not conform. I have decided to shoot the newborns in the same style that I do my other shoots...capturing the beauty of the subject...even it's not perfectly "posed". Now, I love props and I will still use them (in fact, I prefer the baby in baskets, crates, etc over the blanket poses) and I will also still do sweet newborn poses that show off their sweet tiny bodies, but I will not put stress on myself to be perfect and to pose the babies a certain way. The baby is already perfect, it's just my job to capture that moment for mom and dad, not to present a perfectly posed newborn shoot to the photography community.
Photography is all about the moment...it's capturing that time that we can never go back and redo. Facebook and the web have been amazing, but at the same time it puts such pressure on photographers (especially newbie photographers) that they must take pictures JUST LIKE SO & SO to be accepted. Other photographers DO NOT pay your bills...your clients do! Stop worrying about others, and just concentrate on making your business what it needs to be! I just can't stress that enough! I also want to stress that newborn photography and posing takes practice! I'm all about teaching new photogs, but please don't attempt these poses and call yourself a "newborn photographer" without practice. Everyone starts somewhere, so offer discounted portfolio building prices and practice. Find a mentor, attend workshops, make sure you do this the right way, those precious babies and their safety should never be put in jeopardy.
Remember, you don't have to fit a mold. If your newborn photography style is showing the love between mom and dad with no posing, embrace it and know that it's ok! Don't feel like you have to do all the poses to be accepted. I hope I have not offended anyone...if you have followed me you know that I am all about teaching new photographers. But, there are steps you need to take in your journey. Don't try to be someone else...find your style, love it and shoot it. Be yourself, everyone else is taken!
xoxo,
Julie
One of your workshop attendees, Christina Block, took Cooper's new born pictures. She tried her best to pose him but my little man just would not cooperate! They were breathtaking anyways. I loved them all and I have several of them framed on my walls. Parents do want adorable pictures of their babies, but I think after they see that first sweet photo of that face they would die for they forget about what they might have wanted. They forget about the "perfect" shot they just had to have. Capturing a baby's beauty is what's priceless, not the competition!
ReplyDeletethank you very much for posting this. it is so important to just be yourself and do the right thing, not the thing everyone else is doing.
ReplyDeleteJulie, I totally agree! I don't always do things perfectly or the way I would have preferred, but at the end of the day when I see that precious little face or mom sees a shot that brings tears to her eyes, that is what makes a photographer a REAL photographer. We all don't do things the same way, nor are all people just alike. Think what a boring world this would be if we were. I love your style but girl, I also love mine and so many others! I challenge everyone to embrace who you are and remember why you do what you do. For the love of photography and for me... the love of people. Thanks for this, Julie! Excellent topic!
ReplyDeleteThis exact reason is why I prefer to shoot my newborns with a lifestyle approach - interactions with mom and dad etc. Its def more my style and when I become a mother I hope to get portraits like that with my beautiful baby... sure the poses are cute... but they are everywhere... sure all the props are cute but everyone has that same little hat or that same headband... and personally I just love that bare little baby and its bald head or messy hair! Like you saod- it is PERFECT!!! -jennifer norton
ReplyDeleteWell said!
ReplyDeletemy thoughts exactly!
ReplyDeleteThanks for taking a stand! Personally some of those poses scare me! Happy New Year!
ReplyDeleteLove this! People need to know it's OKAY to be different. Everyone has their own style. Photography is art! Even artists who have the same style paintings still aren't identical.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with you! I've been following you on Facebook for a while now and I absolutely love your energy. Your images are so inspiring! It can be tough when the BEST of the best are on the web all the time and you see their images and this little desire to compete comes up... but being artists with originality is truly the key. :) thanks for the encouraging post!
ReplyDelete"The baby is already perfect, it's just my job to capture that moment for mom and dad, not to present a perfectly posed newborn shoot to the photography community." -- Couldn't have said it better myself!
ReplyDeleteI so agree with this! I have felt that pressure too but nudie baby pictures are just not my thing. And I've finally accepted that! It's very freeing to let go of the pressure and just do what makes us happy. :)
ReplyDeletethe more I read of your blogs, the more I love you.
ReplyDeleteYou are so HONEST.
You make me feel OK as a not-quite-newbie-not-quite-pro photographer in a world where facebook and blogs cause me to compare myself with everyone around me..... but to remind me that I have to just be ME.
No wonder you started project nice!
Excellent. I totally agree with you. As a "newbie" myself sometimes it's easy to forget that we are here to please the parents, couple, family...that's our customers...and instead we worry sometimes about being accepted in the photographers' world.It's very nice to get acceptance and compliments from other photographers, but at the end of the day customers are the ones that have to be happy about our work, as well as ourselves. Thanks for this :)
ReplyDeleteJulie!
ReplyDeleteI know this is an older post, but I so needed it now! I was stressing over some newborn photos I have this week because I do not feel comfortable with all the posing of the baby. I like the natural things! Thank you!