The easiest way to increase the quality and professionalism of your newborn photos is by improving your lighting. We have 4 recommended pieces of lighting accessories that will increase the quality of your photos without breaking the bank.

FOUR INEXPENSIVE LIGHTING ACCESSORIES FOR NEWBORN PHOTOGRAPHY

1. REFLECTORS

A basic 5-in-1 reflector is a must have light modifier for any and all types of photography. We are generally shooting newborn photos using primarily natural light, which means that reflectors are the primary tool for modifying that light. A basic reflector that we recommend is the Westcott Photo Basics 5-in-1 which only costs around $35.

We highly recommend picking up two of these reflectors just to make your life a little more simple. What I like to do is have one with the silver side available and one with the scrim available. So that way I always have the necessary modifier ready without having to unzip and zip them. This is especially helpful when working with newborns because sometimes an expression or pose only lasts for seconds, so I need my reflectors to be at the ready to capture those fleeting moments.

2. REFLECTOR STAND

If you’re a casual photographer taking photos of your own children this is not a necessity, because you can simply have your spouse or a friend hold the reflector for you. But, if you plan to shoot newborn photos professionally, then this is something an inexpensive accessory you should consider investing in. Since the reflector stand would hold the reflector, it frees your assistant to do other things during the shoot. For example, our assistant can focus on helping us pose or spot the baby when necessary.

The Interfit Reflector Holder is especially useful indoors when using window light, because the stand will hold the reflector steady and you’ll get a more consistent light and exposure than if it were being hand held.

3. PORTABLE BACKDROP SET

There are a lot of ways to hang a backdrop, and investing in a backdrop stand is an inexpensive and easy solution. If you’re just photographing your own newborn this isn’t a necessity, but if you plan on doing a lot of newborn shoots then there’s no reason not to invest in a backdrop stand. Because once again, it will make your life just a bit easier not having to always look for chairs and other items to hang a backdrop on.

The ePhoto Telescopic Backdrop Stand will allow you to quickly and easily set up portable backgrounds wherever you’re shooting and at around $50, it isn’t going to break the bank.

4. CLAMPS

One inexpensive and incredibly useful tool you can have on your shoots are Pony Clamps. Whether it’s fixing a misplaced cloth or keeping your backdrop stable, these pony clamps are a solution to many problems while on a shoot. We recommend having a few of these on hand because they’re inexpensive and they’re sold in sets.