Elsie. A toothless wonder! All 14 pounds of gurgling,drooling, babbling little real life baby doll was going to have her first baby shoot and her parents Liz and Clem had invited us over to capture the big event! We were unsure if we could pull of this one off especially since she was NOT a new born who would sleep throughout the shoot and whose tender limbs we could manipulate into yogic poses if we wanted to but Elsie was an active, fussy 4 month old whose mom had just gone back to work and she was mad as a hatter missing mom!
Babies are fascinating little people and perhaps one of the most difficult subjects to photograph. They burp, they drool, they look everywhere except where you want them to and just when you have managed to get the correct mood going, they decide to make a face that could only mean that they are about to poop! LOL!
We had arranged a time with the parents when the baby would be active . It is important to check with the parents on the time when the baby is most likely to be up. When outdoor shooting is planned, daylight is an important factor and this also has to be figured in with the baby’s schedule. Sometimes, you just have to stand around while the baby is being fed and changed or even taking a short nap. This would be a good time to set your equipment up for the next shot.
If the baby gets cranky, ask the mother what could possibly be a reason. Is it a wet diaper, is she cold, is it time for her feed or sleep. If the mother says that its usually the time she takes a cat nap then let the baby follow her schedule. A fussy baby who has sleep on her mind is not about to do your bidding. Use the opportunity to get shots of the baby’s feet or hands. Babies tend to jerkily move their limbs a lot and when they are about to doze off their limbs become still enough to capture some spectacular stills like the one below. We placed the parents wedding rings on the baby’s toes when we caught the baby napping in between shoots.
ts always a good idea to discuss with the mom on the clothes that the baby would be wearing and have her send you pictures of the same. It will enable you to plan your shots in advance and prepare your props and themes. I loved the black spotted dress that Elsie was planning to wear and had a whole theme centered around the spotted dress. One of my favorite shots is Elsie wearing the spotted dress and her parents each in a white and black outfit. Her dress had elements of both black and white – signifying the beautiful product that the two created together.
