Pueblo Newborn Photographer | The Most Important Thing
Hey guys! I'd like to talk a little bit about something that's really important to me- your baby, and the trust you put in me when you choose me to take their first photos. I started K.D. Elise Photography this spring, so my little photography business is really quite young. However; I've been studying photography, learning and evolving in the art for almost ten years. Over the past ten years I've had the privilege of photographing quite a few newborns and I've found that it's an area that I really enjoy and want to specialize in. The first baby I photographed as a tiny little newborn is turning nine this month, and the second is turning eight!
Looking back, those first newborn sessions weren't anything to brag about. Some of the photos are actually cringe worthy! I had no idea what I was doing. I wasn't in business, in fact the sessions were done for friends and family because I happened to have a "nice" camera. I was getting familiar with my camera and figured I could get some decent photos. After all, how hard could it really be to photograph a newborn? Couldn't I just wrap the baby in a blanket and plop him or her in a basket? Babies are cute, this should be easy! I quickly learned that newborn photography is a whole different animal! Awkward posing, yellow skin and splotchy babies abound in those early photos. Like every photographer I've got a folder of "what was I thinking" photos that rarely see the light of day. Early failures do a lot to motivate a person though!
In the years since that first newborn session I've dedicated a lot of time and effort to learning as much as possible about newborn photography. I've photographed quite a few babies and I've loved every one of them. It's become very clear to me that newborn photography requires a totally different skill set than other types of photography. The technical basics of lighting and camera knowledge are certainly similar, but newborn sessions just aren't the same as other sessions.
Here's the thing- newborns are little people. They have their own needs and desires and their own feelings about things. They know when something feels good and when it doesn't but they can't tell us. Posing a newborn isn't the same as posing an adult, a child or even a three month old. These are tiny, fragile little beings who can be easily overwhelmed because the entire world and all of it's sensations are new to them. They have to be respected as such.
Your baby is the single most important thing in a photo session. Their comfort, happiness and safety have to come before everything else! A newborn session can last two or even three times as long as a regular session because we want to make sure your baby has time to settle, eat if needed and take breaks when necessary. Just getting a sleepy baby properly posed can take 20 minutes or more and that's perfectly okay!
It's super important to me to make sure that your baby is safe, comfortable and happy during their session. Since I've decided that newborn photography is an area that I really want to specialize in and focus on (don't worry, I still do other types of sessions!), I've devoted more time and resources to educating myself further on the nuances of newborn photography. I want to continue learning and growing because you and your newborn deserve the best experience and photos possible!
That's why a couple of weeks ago I traveled to Denver to attend a workshop with Michelle from Meshelle Photography in Spokane, Washington. Michelle focuses entirely on photographing newborns and teaching other photographers around the country how to safely and creatively do the same. She's one of the very best newborn photographers in the business! Check out the photos below, Michelle posed these sweet babies as she taught us and I photographed and edited each image.
I learned a lot from Michelle on how to prepare you as a parent for a session, how to pose and settle your baby and how to make our time together go as smoothly and seamlessly as possible. I'm excited to put these new skills to use! If you're looking for a Pueblo newborn photographer, I'd love to chat with you, call me to today or use the contact button to send me an e-mail. I also serve the Canon City, Florence, Walsenburg and Penrose areas.