Baby Amy's Newborn Smiles
This wonderful welcome for little baby Amy was full of little newborn smiles. These are some of my favorite moments to capture, and I have yet to find a parent who can resist an image of their baby smiling (read below to find some tips for capturing these moments).
For little Amy we did a mix of creams and whites, purples (big sister insisted), and finished off the session with some greens and neutrals to give everything a nice botanical feel, without going overboard in the floral department. She was such a sound sleeper too, but a bit of a squirmer. Most babies love being swaddled, but little Amy was having none of it. She wanted her arms up above her head, and was quite insistent. That's ok, it made for some gorgeous unposed images, and we got to see her personality shine through.
Capturing Newborn Smiles
Capturing a newborn smile can be a bit tricky, and a lot of the time just requires being quick enough for the camera! But there are a few things you can do to help your chances.
1). Be Ready!
Have your camera focused, and ready to go at the very beginning. Putting baby down, and then fiddling with your camera means lost moments.
2). Learn back button focus.
Most cameras are set up initially to have your shutter button also used as your focus button. Press half way down to focus, and then all the way down to release the shutter. This means that you can accidentally mess up your focus when you are pushing the shutter button. The good news is that most cameras have a setting that allows you to set one of your buttons (located on the back) to the task of focusing your camera. This makes it quicker and easier to get your focus correct, and lessens the likelihood of messing it up when you are trying to take a picture quickly. A blurry picture of a baby smiling isn't particularly noteworthy.
3). Getting a newborn to smile!
For maximum newborn smiles try stroking the side of their cheek, chin, hairline, ears, or side of their neck to elicit a quick smile. Sometimes a little tickle goes a long way.
Jessica Ryles Photography specializes in newborn photography, serving Centreville, Fairfax, Gainesville, Reston, Sterling, and Tyson’s Corner, as well as other areas of Northern Virginia. For more information on booking a portrait session of your own, please head over to the contact page, and send me a quick email.
