Tips For Photographing A Hospital Newborn Session

the arrival of a baby is one of the most memorable events in one’s life.  and because it is so special, many new parents hire a photographer to join them in the hospital following the birth of their child.  since babies rarely arrive on their due date and everything about a newborn is so brand new and unpredictable, your planning and organization as a photographer is more important than ever.  as you prepare for your the arrival of your next tiny client, keep the following tips for photographing a hospital newborn session in mind.

for even more tips on how to photograph newborns after they arrive at home, be sure to read my 10 tips for photographing a lifestyle newborn session to help you prepare for your session.

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Tips for Photographing A Hospital Newborn Session

Be Prepared To Be On Call…Just Like The Doctor.

because newborns are on their own schedule, planning the exact date for your in hospital newborn session will be a little tricky.  make sure you communicate, communicate, communicate with your clients at all times.  to be safe, be sure to be careful when scheduling other clients during the two weeks before and two weeks following the newborn’s due date so that you are prepared to head to the hospital when you get the call.

Know How Soon You Should Arrive.

again, communication is key as you prepare for your hospital newborn session.  be sure to talk with the parents about how soon they would like you to arrive at the hospital.  would they like you to arrive immediately following the birth to capture the first few hours, or would they like you to arrive the following day so they can get a little sleep?  be sure you know what they expect of you so that you arrive at a time that is comfortable for them.

as you are talking about an arrival time, be sure to talk about lighting.  would your clients be okay with artificial hospital lighting only if their newborn arrives in the middle of the night, or would they rather wait until the next morning to take advantage of the natural light?

Be Patient and Schedule Enough Time.

new parents are going to be happily overwhelmed with their tiny little one, so make sure you set aside enough time at the hospital so that you don’t rush them through their photography session.  keep in mind that there will be other people interrupting your session while you are there, such as the nurses, doctor, and lactation consultant.  while the parents will most likely restrict personal visitors during this time, hospital staff will definitely be coming into the room from time to time to take care of them.  be sure you plan accordingly, as it is important for the parents and baby to still be cared for throughout the session.

i typically allow for approximately 3 hours to photograph an in hospital newborn session, allowing time for feedings, changings, little breaks for mom and dad, and visits from the hospital staff to occur throughout.  your number one job as their photographer is to keep the environment relaxed and reduce any stress that may arise.

Don’t Forget the Family Portrait.

while the star of the session will definitely be their tiny newborn, be sure to remember to capture a portrait of the new parents with their baby.  this will be their very first family portrait so it is very important that you remember to take it.  here is a little checklist of photographs you will want to take:

• individuals of newborn
• details of newborn (toes, hands, face, feet, etc)
• mommy and baby
• daddy and baby
• skin to skin
• family portrait
• baby in hospital bassinet
• pullbacks of the hospital room

Bring the Right Lenses.

having the right lenses in your camera bag will help to ensure that you are prepared to get the photographs you plan to achieve.  for in hospital newborn sessions, i bring two lenses with me: a zoom lens and a 50mm lens.  i recommend bringing the following photography gear with you to the hospital:

• a 50mm lens : this is a great lens to help capture portraits and little details of the newborns, like their toes, face, hands, and feet.  i love to shoot with my sigma 50mm f/1.4 lens because it is also really good in low light situations, which is great for hospital photography when light may be an issue.
• a zoom lens : i love to bring my nikon 24-85 f/3.5-4.5 lens because it allow me to get a wider angle shot.  i love to incorporate the hospital room in it’s entirely into some of the images because that room is a very memorable place to the new parents.  it is the room where they spent their first hours as a family of three.  and because hospital rooms have limited space, this lens also allows you to still get great photographs, even if you are in a tight space.
• a tripod.  tripods are a great tool to use to steady your shot when you are in a low lighting situation. just in case the hospital room is a little darker than you thought, having a tripod comes in handy.

Keep Birth Announcements In Mind.

your clients are going to be really excited to see their photographs, especially because they will be some of the very first photographs of their little one.  most parents will also be planning on creating and sending out birth announcements following the birth.  be sure you plan accordingly to ensure that you get a baby portrait for their birth announcement.  if the baby is calm when i arrive, i photograph their individual portraits first so i know they are completed and out of the way.  for the babies who are fussy when i arrive, i photograph the portraits of baby with parents first to not only capture those lifestyle moments, but to give the baby time to be cuddled and calmed.

keeping birth announcements in mind also means being sure that you edit in a timely manner.  i generally edit and deliver my client images within 2-3 days of their session.  i edit quickly because i know my clients are anxious to see their first family portraits and will be eager to send out birth announcements.

photographing a brand new family in the hospital is so special and you should be honored that your clients chose you to be apart of their first moments.  by keeping these tips for photographing a hospital newborn session in mind, you will help prepare yourself for a successful session and ensure that your clients are prepared as well.

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