| ided to mark Davids' first birthday with a studio baby | | | | ingredient. It’s that special magic ingredient that |
| portrait session. Being the first baby, to thirty something | | | | makes a truly great baby photographer. |
| parents, first grandchild two sets of sixty something | | | | Like any really worth while piece of art, it’s only |
| grandparents there was no shortage of cute baby | | | | art if it induces a strong emotion in the viewer. Given |
| clothes to dress him in. He’d have looked like a | | | | the subject matter, you would think that this would be |
| designer baby if it wasn’t for the ever present | | | | easy and that a good photographer could evoke a |
| runny nose babies are prone to. Being permanently | | | | strong emotional response every time. We are |
| sleep deprived I’d not done any research into | | | | certainly inundated with cutesy images of babies and |
| which photographic studio to use. I simply went to a | | | | children by the media, but do these images actually |
| Hertfordshire based studio that was easy to reach. As | | | | meet the requirements of a good baby photograph. I |
| luck would have it turned out to be a really excellent | | | | would personally maintain that these images |
| baby photographers’. The young receptionist | | | | don’t. They are beautiful and certainly evoke |
| greeted us at the door which a welcoming smile, she | | | | pleasure in the viewer but so does a beautiful |
| was genuinely happy to see baby David. Babies know | | | | photograph of a sunset, or a car, depending on your |
| when they’ve made a hit, and he had, which | | | | disposition. |
| clearly pleased him. He was relaxed and enjoyed the | | | | So how does the great baby photographer manage to |
| photographic shoot. | | | | capture the personality of an individual baby? |
| As a customer and a mother I learnt a lot from this | | | | That’s the great question, and if there were an |
| photographic studio. This photographer had managed | | | | easy answer to that then the whole of baby studio |
| to put all the necessary ingredients together to | | | | photography would be cinch. It is however possible to |
| maximize the likelihood of arriving at a good baby | | | | identify what doesn’t help in this endeavor. Poor |
| photograph. The professionalism of the | | | | composition, i.e. where the baby is not the central point |
| photographers’ photos was clear just from a | | | | of interest in the photograph has to be the first |
| quick glance at the portraits adorning the walls of the | | | | element to look for. This does not mean that the baby |
| studio reception. But whether the resulting portrait is to | | | | needs to positioned slap bang in the middle of the |
| your taste and actually captures the baby as you see | | | | image and as far forward as possible. But when you |
| him is the real skill. Studio photographers fully in control | | | | look at the photograph the baby needs to be what |
| of their art can produce a staggering range of style of | | | | you’re eyes are drawn to first. This might |
| portrait irrespective of the subject. Add into the mix | | | | seem obvious, but just look at some of the plethora of |
| the baby to be photographed and the possibilities are | | | | baby images around you and you will soon be able to |
| really only limited by the photographers imagination. | | | | identify examples where other elements of the image |
| With a baby photo what I personally wanted was a | | | | compete with the actual baby. This may well be |
| photograph of baby David which could emote a | | | | intended within that particular image but is not what |
| particular feeling in the viewer. That emotion evoked in | | | | you want for a timeless baby portrait. |
| a parent when seeing the total innocence and trust in | | | | My next article will deal with the next most important |
| the eyes of their baby. I would go as far as to say | | | | element required to capture that magic, Baby |
| that a good baby portrait is only good if it combines | | | | Photographic Moment! |
| total photographic control together with this magic | | | | |