Baby is Boss

BABY IS BOSS

Now that is a term you are gonna hear from me when you come into my photography studio, from the consultation to the actual newborn session, but what does it really mean? It sounds sorta silly to hear it but let me take a moment to explain how very important it is for me to say that I am a baby-led photographer (and why EVERY newborn photographer should be saying it, though most don’t even know what it means…scary).

SIMPLE TRUTH

Let’s get started with the basics. Your baby, your most precious little newborn, is a fragile little being. He or she can’t really speak and though there is a rudimentary communication. I mean, there is crying and a few grunts and strange noises, but you’re just getting to know each other and probably can’t quite decipher all of them yet. Your little one can’t directly come out and say “Hey bud, I’m not liking that so much, knock it off”. That’s where experience and training come in and it’s so, so, sooooo, very important to work with a photographer who has both of those! I seriously can’t stress that enough because babies can be hurt (and they have been). No one wants that!

SUBTLE CLUES

There are subtle clues that experience will tell a person who knows what to look for. A little bit of tension, a change in breathing pattern, a change in the color of fingers, toes, a hand or foot, a change in the sound of breathing. All of these things are very important cues that a trained newborn photographer knows to look for (and better yet, knows what poses to avoid that cause the discomfort to begin with). A professionally trained newborn photographer also knows where pressure points and arteries are so we avoid those areas when placing in props. When placing hands and arms near jaws we know where to place on the jaw, neck and face to avoid compromising the airway and blood flow to all fingers and points in the hand and arm. These things are very important, as you can imagine, and not something that just everyone knows or even thinks about. That’s why it’s super important to ask questions about newborn safety training when looking for your newborn photographer (and it’s ok to ask…they should not be offended and they should NEVER say it’s not important).

PROPS

Props are a part of this scenario. Not every prop is suitable for newborn photography and not every prop is suitable for every baby. Just because an item looks cute, doesn’t mean it will work for newborn photos or for YOUR newborn photos. There are certain “rules of thumb” for buying newborn photo props and, yes, as silly as it sounds, there’s also training for that. An item that is too big or too small can actually be very dangerous for your little baby. You want something that is appropriately sized for your new bundle of joy. That’s one of the reasons it’s important to have a consultation, even if it’s by email, phone, or zoom instead of in person, so your photographer should find out about your baby. I know you are probably feeling overwhelmed. You either just gave birth or are about to and are a little busy and preoccupied and don’t want to be bothered with consultations but you do want to make sure the person who is about to be handling the most precious and helpless person in your life knows everything they need to know to keep your baby safe, right? Your photographer should be asking questions about due date, birth weight and current weight, complications, current health concerns and more. This will help guide us in knowing of concerns, if any, for using props or not (and we certainly don’t have to use any, to make adorable photos of your baby).

NOW, THE MEAT & POTATOES

Ok, so lets’s actually get to what I meant by “baby is boss”. I know that you are super stoked to have these baby photos. I promise, so is your photographer, We love doing them! You have probably poured over Pinterest and scoured the internet and found 3,000 photo ideas that you want for your little one. You’ve shown your photographer everything and she is armed with all the info she needs to make it happen…and believe me, she wants to. She wants nothing more than to give you the world on a platter and have you think she hung the moon. BUT…sometimes baby has other plans. You may adore that froggy pose with the baby bend down over the legs, chin on hands, little toes peeking out the sides but your baby may just say “No stinkin’ way, man”! I, myself, have a “3 times and you’re out” rule. I will try a pose 3 times but if your kiddo just isn’t having it, they get to be the boss of their own body. I figure I wouldn’t like it if someone tried to force me to do something I don’t like. I bet that you wouldn’t either, ‘mI right? So, I don’t make babies do things they don’t like, either. They do tell me what they don’t like, in their own way, and I feel it’s my job to listen to them, #1, and get the photo you want #2. I can still get great, cute, adorable photos that you’ll love, don’t you worry, but I won’t make a baby miserable or risk hurting one to do it. Nope, not in my studio. In my studio, baby is boss!