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What you need to know about newborn photography
Newborn photography is popular at present, but some parents may question the safeness of the trend.
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A newborn baby poses for the camera. (Amore Baby Portraits/Shinka Moeharjo)
E
xpectant parents may have heard about newborn photography. Some hospitals have partnered with photography studios to offer the service, like Siloam Kebon Jeruk in West Jakarta and RSIA Grand Family in North Jakarta, which collaborate with Jakarta-based Baby Axioo Photography.
While it is indeed heartwarming to see pictures of babies sleeping soundly, some parents may have doubts about safety. Below are the things you need to know before booking a newborn photography session.
Baby’s age
Newborn photography is for babies aged one to 14 days. “At this stage, the baby is easier to pose,” said Baby Axioo Photography sales and marketing representative, Clara Retha Laimanto.
However, Amore Baby Portraits founder Shinka Moeharjo, who started doing newborn photography in 2010, stated that he only took bookings after a baby was born. “As a parent I know the first few days are tough, therefore we decided to do shoots for babies aged five to 14 days [only],” he said.
For babies aged 21 days and above, some poses may not be possible.
(Read also: High cost of second child discourages many)
Do your research
Award-winning newborn photographer and founder of Smallbites by Rittar, Rittar Rajagukguk, suggested parents conduct their own research before making an appointment as every photographer has their own signature style. “After doing research, you can later choose the photographer [that suits your preferences] and [feel safer] knowing that it will done by professionals,” reasoned Rittar.
Clean, warm room
Sessions can be done either at home or in a studio. However, it is best to ensure that the room is cleaned before the photo shoot.
The temperature of the room is also important. “It is a well-known fact that the temperature in the womb is around 36 Celsius degrees. In the first few days, a baby isn’t used to cold environments. It’s best to keep the room temperature at 30 Celsius degrees and above,” said Shinka.
Warm knitwear is a common prop during newborn photo shoots. "We want the baby to feel warm throughout the session and it looks good on camera," Rittar added.
(Read also: Cholesterol test for 1-year-olds? Study says it could help)
Feed baby before shoot
For a smooth session, Clara said it was important to feed babies before a shoot as it would make them calmer.
However, Shinka said that could pose a challenge with some first-born children. “For new mothers, sometimes they face problems while breast-feeding, which causes a lack of milk supply. We warn them at the beginning that the baby can get fussy. Usually the baby will get cranky and want to be fed within an hour,” he said.
Poses are safe
Shinka, who was trained by US-based newborn photographers Kelley Reyden and Tracy Raver, said each baby was different as their bodies varied. For certain poses, such as sitting, a photographer needs to find a balance that allows the baby to sit without support. When asked about safety, Shinka replied: “If the baby feels uncomfortable, they will cry.” (kes)
