Have you ever wondered how we get photos of babies sleeping in a swing hanging from a branch? Or most importantly, how the baby can be safe so high above the ground?
With the magic of newborn composites!
And plenty of experience and education on newborn safety, of course!
WHAT IS A NEWBORN COMPOSITE?
A composite is an image that has been skilfully assembled from two or more images. This special editing technique is used to create dreamy scenes and adorable poses that wouldn’t be possible (or safe) otherwise.
Hands and arms of spotters or assistants supporting the baby in place during a photoshoot session are removed in post-processing and sometimes, a digital background is added to make it even more magical.
The photo of the newborn on the floral swing (on top) is composited by blending multiple images, such as, of the baby posed on a bean bag or a bed setting, the tree branch, the swing and a textured backdrop. All these are added in post-production.
The end result is a gorgeous portrait of a newborn in a peaceful floral scene.
Similarly, the nest image is composited by blending images of the baby in a bowl shot during the session, eggs and twigs in bowl shot without the baby in it as they are sharp and not safe with newborns and finally a textured backdrop.
WHY DO WE USE COMPOSITES WITH NEWBORNS?
Safety is first priority! You would be surprised to know that these newborns are not actually in those adorable poses by themselves all the time. It’s not safe to pose them with their head propped up without support or it’s definitely not safe to put them in a basket hanging from above!
That’s why it is so important to work with a newborn photographer who knows what they’re doing and how to handle such poses.
Composites give us free rein when it comes to creatively posing delicate newborns, but the most important reason for including composites in our process is the safety of each and every baby who comes to the studio.
CREATIVE COMPOSITES OFFERED AT THE STUDIO
Before each session, parents get to choose their favourite images from my portfolio and I design the session with various set ups and stylish props keeping their colour and style preferences in mind.
For composites, after the session, I carefully merge the image from the studio session with the digital backdrop or edit out the unnecessary items from the frame.
Mastering the art of editing is very important to get the lighting, shadows and textures seamlessly blended into the composite. A lot of time and effort goes into every image and parents put their trust in the photographer when they bring their baby to the studio.
So it becomes the responsibility of the photographer to deliver the best, once-in-a-lifetime photos of their newborn during such a brief and amazing stage in their life. This is why newborn portraits take a lot of time to be edited and delivered.
SAFETY IS PRIORITY FOR ANY NEWBORN SHOOT
Photographing newborn babies require a completely different set of skills when compared to any other genre. Newborns are delicate and unpredictable. It might seem easy to pose them once they fall asleep, but there are only so many ways to pose them that allow them to stay comfortable and look adorable!
Professional editing is key for a photo like this, because it opens a whole world of opportunities to be creative. If someone attempted this photo without planning for a final composite image, it wouldn’t look good and more importantly not be safe for the baby as well.
Newborn sessions are always planned with safety as the top and main priority!
Pretty Pictures Photography is certified in newborn photography and newborn safety by the Accredited Professional Newborn Photographers International.
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