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You are watching a free tutorial from Newborn Photography Workshop.
To view the entire course, upgrade to Premium or purchase it in the SLR Lounge Store.
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.
- 1.1 Newborn Photography Workshop Trailer 4M 36S
- 1.2 Introduction 2M 9S
- 1.3 Get Great Results With Any Gear
- 1.4 What Lenses Do I Need?
- 1.5 Recommended Lighting Accessories 2M 44S
- 1.6 6 Must-Have Accessories
- 1.7 5 Important Posing Tools and Props
- 1.8 Where to Buy Props and Accessories 2M 14S
- 1.9 Quiz on Chapter 1: Gear & Accessories
- 2.1 14 Days for Ease, 5 Days of Magic 2M 59S
- 2.2 Create a Moodboard for Every Shoot
- 2.3 Exercise: Create a Moodboard
- 2.4 Safety First and Composite Images
- 2.5 5 Pre-Shoot Quick Tips 2M 57S
- 2.6 Plan Enough Time 1M 34S
- 2.7 Quiz on Chapter 2: Planning & Safety
- 3.1 Work with Mom and Listen to the Baby
- 3.2 Tips on Shooting Angles
- 3.3 2 Lighting Tips for Perfect Skin
- 3.4 5 Tips on Comforting the Newborn 2M 41S
- 3.5 How to Swaddle
- 3.6 Exercise: Swaddling Your Newborn
- 3.7 Quiz on Chapter 3: Shooting Tips
- 4.1 Lighting for Newborn Photography
- 4.2 Setting Up the Scene
- 4.3 Lighting and Camera Settings
- 4.4 Placing and Preparing Our Newborn
- 4.5 Back Pose Close Up Shot 3M 16S
- 4.6 Assignment | Back Pose
- 4.7 Nude Back Pose and Details
- 4.8 Assignment | Back Pose Details
- 4.9 Basic Back Pose Candids
- 4.10 Impromptu Candids with Props
- 4.11 Assignment | Back Pose Candids
- 4.12 Full-Length Nude Back Pose
- 4.13 Assignment | Full-Length Nude Back Pose
- 4.14 Simple Side Lying Pose
- 4.15 Chapter 4 Assignment 3: Starting with the Basics
- 4.16 Top-Down Tummy Pose
- 4.17 Assignment | Top-Down Tummy Pose
- 4.18 Front Side Portrait Tummy Pose
- 4.19 Assignment | Front Side Portrait in Tummy Pose
- 4.20 Basic Pose Conclusion
- 4.21 Quiz on Chapter 4: Starting with the Basics
- 5.1 Setting Up the Wicker Basket Scene
- 5.2 Lighting and Camera Settings
- 5.3 Placing and Preparing Our Newborn
- 5.4 Stretch-Knit Wrap Shot
- 5.5 Top Down Variations
- 5.6 Assignment | Using Baskets
- 5.7 Scene Change and Color Scheme
- 5.8 Assignment | Color Schemes with Newborns
- 5.9 Quiz on Chapter 5: Wicker Basket Scene Quiz
- 6.1 Setting Up The Wrap and Bowl Scene
- 6.2 Placing and Wrapping Newborns
- 6.3 Shooting the Wrap Scene
- 6.4 Shooting the Bowl Scene
- 6.5 Assignment | Wrapped Newborn Portrait
- 6.6 Quiz on Chapter 6: Wrap and Bowl Scene
- 7.1 Setting Up the Parisian Scene
- 7.2 Posing for the Parisian Scene
- 7.3 Shooting the Parisian Scene
- 7.4 Assignment | Using Personalized Props
- 7.5 Quiz on Chapter 7: Parisian Scene Quiz
- 8.1 Fuzzy Cloth Background Setup
- 8.2 Side Lying Sleeping Pose Setup
- 8.3 Shooting the Side-Lying Pose
- 8.4 Quiz on Chapter 8: Fuzzy Cloth Scene
- 9.1 Setting Up the Citrus Gnome Scene
- 9.2 Placing and Posing for the Scene
- 9.3 Shooting the Citrus Gnome Scene
- 9.4 Assignment | Complex Newborn Photo
- 9.5 Quiz on Chapter 9: Citrus Gnome Scene
- 9.6 Conclusion
- 10.1 Welcome
- 10.2 Installing the Presets and Actions
- 10.3 Creating the Catalog and Importing
- 10.4 How the Presets Work
- 10.5 3 Best Ways to Sync Develop Settings
- 10.6 Create Snapshots and Virtual Copies
- 11.1 Introduction
- 11.2 Basic Panel and Histogram
- 11.3 Tone Curve Panel
- 11.4 HSL Panel
- 11.5 Detail Panel
- 11.6 Lens Corrections Panel
- 11.7 Split Toning
- 11.8 Effects Panel
- 11.9 Camera Calibration
- 11.10 Local Adjustment Tools Overview
- 12.1 Introduction
- 12.2 Standard Import Color
- 12.3 Standard Import BW
- 12.4 Customizing the Standard Import Preset
- 12.5 Bright Fade Color
- 12.6 Bright Fade BW
- 12.7 Neutral Fade Color
- 12.8 Neutral Fade BW
- 12.9 Vintage Punch Color
- 12.10 Vintage Punch BW
- 12.11 Dark Fade Color
- 12.12 Dark Fade BW
Total Course Run Time 8H 20M 37S
Course Progression
Tutorials Completed 0 / 95
Quizzes Completed 0 / 9
Assignment Completed 13 / 14
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