As a professional newborn photographer, it's unacceptable that I haven't written a blog post about newborns yet.
Coincidentally, these past few days I photographed a special little one. What makes them special is that their dad is the 2022 Boston Ironman Triathlon champion.
As a Chinese person, winning against a group of Americans in a physical competition like that is truly admirable.
This medal not only breaks stereotypes foreigners might have about Chinese people but also affirms and praises the spirit of challenging oneself, surpassing limits, perseverance, and never giving up.
As for me, someone who gets out of breath after running just one kilometer, almost collapses after swimming 100 meters, and can only handle biking up to 5 kilometers at most, being able to photograph the champion of the Boston Ironman Triathlon is like meeting an idol!
In newborn photography, the most important thing isn't just knowing how to use a camera, but also being able to soothe the baby, having your own aesthetic sense, and knowing how to pose them. I was very lucky that during this three-hour shoot, we managed to capture over 70 different setups, including fully wrapped, partially wrapped, and naked close-ups, which can be considered breaking my own record in newborn photography.
How about we skip the talking and dive straight into the visuals to experience the charm of the full session together? Let's appreciate these newborn artworks that resemble pieces of art.
1,Fully wrapped setup
2,Half wrapped setup
3，Naked setup
Is there a standard for posing newborns in newborn photography? There isn't a strict standard for aesthetics, as individual differences exist. However, there is a quantifiable scale for main body aesthetics.
Artistic creation involves following rules, breaking them, and finally producing good works.
Picasso's early paintings were conventional, like photographs with a 1:1 ratio. Only after he broke this rule did he develop his own style, transforming from a painter into an artist.
Similar to martial arts masters who can defeat their opponents without moves, you must first learn the basics, master what your teachers teach you, and then add your own creativity to become a grandmaster.
Applying this to newborn photography, are there ISO international standards for the industry?
Yes! Image one of the fruit photography is one of the industry's posing standards:
Large head, small body. Head closer, body farther.
Clear head, blurred body, emphasizing the focus on the face.
Image five of the fruit photography is another industry standard:
Both ends curled, folds on the back.
The face should not be buried in the blanket and deformed by squeezing.
With these four standards in mind, when you look at the works of top photographers, both domestic and international, you'll see they all adhere to these standards.
Beauty is universal!
4，Newborn Creative Photography
Because it's winter and nearing Christmas 🎄, I specifically incorporated some Christmas-themed creative ideas. If it were a shoot during other seasons, I would tailor the creativity according to the seasonal themes to document the baby's birth.
5， Family time!
When parents come to me for newborn photography sessions, they are usually in the midst of the postpartum period. Moms are often exhausted and busy with breastfeeding, while dads are also tired from waking up at night to change diapers and care for the baby. So, many of them say, "Can you just focus on the baby and not on me? I look terrible right now. I'll wait until I lose 20 pounds to take photos!"
At times like these, I always advise them, "Photos are not just for posting on social media; they are also a record of your current state and, more importantly, memories for your baby in the future. They will know how much they were loved by their parents when they were born and what their parents looked like at that time. Ten years from now, you won't worry about how you looked, but you'll be grateful to have captured that moment. A moment captured is eternal!"
When I photograph newborns and witness the intimate interactions between parents and their child, I feel a sense of happiness overflowing.
Children grow up in the blink of an eye, and now that I think of capturing postpartum moments, I realize there may not be another chance.
So, cherish each moment captured!
6,Artistic Portrait
Behind the Scenes: In the seven years I've been photographing newborns, it was the first time a dad mentioned needing to exercise in the morning before coming.
Typically, new parents, especially those without external help, stay up all night taking care of their newborns and drift into my studio when they arrive.
This was the first dad who managed to take care of the newborn all night and still had time to exercise in the morning.
Later during the shoot, I found out that he was the Ironman Triathlon champion of the year and also a fitness coach who helps others with rehabilitation. Seeing his muscular arms, I instantly had the idea of capturing a set of pure artistic portraits.
Thus, the above artistic portraits were born. The mom also had her share of portraits, but I won't share them all here.
A strong man with a tender heart, filled with love, truly struck a chord with me.