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Babies Posing with Older Siblings and Families

Lesson 9 from: Newborn Photography Bootcamp

Kelly Brown

Babies Posing with Older Siblings and Families

Lesson 9 from: Newborn Photography Bootcamp

Kelly Brown

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Lesson Info

9. Babies Posing with Older Siblings and Families

Posing a newborn with a toddler is different than posing a baby with an older child. From setting up the backdrop to posing the child and infant together, learn how to capture those cute moments between siblings and parents to create a family photo with the newest addition.

Lessons

Class Trailer

Day 1

1

Course Introduction

11:28
2

Flow Posing

1:21:36
3

Kelly's Home Studio

39:16

Day 2

4

How to Set Up Your Home Studio in a Week: Planning

34:23

Day 3

5

How to Set Up Your Home Studio in a Week: Foundation

18:23

Lesson Info

Babies Posing with Older Siblings and Families

so when I was talking about setting setting them up in front of a backdrop or something like that being able to position and together and show that size difference is really quite lovely I'm actually going to do it with ways yeah so yeah and then I'm gonna put one of my am brown bears on the grounds them to sit on he's just drifted off but yet and then once you've done one older sibling holding the baby if there's a younger one you can bring them in to sit beside them or if you've got two older ones like in this example bringing them in nice and close is a great way to show that relationship if I can kind of pick it so that it's down a little bit lower that's it no he's all right so I was going to give him back to his mom for a cuddle but when they settled like this in my arms I tend to keep them because that handling you know giving them back and forth to your parents and passing them over it's going to stimulate them to it to a point so I'm just watching him drift off into this deep ...

sleep you know now his mouth is open if I was to sort of hand him over he would you know he's not in that deep sleep yet so he would be aware of me moving him and picking him up putting him down so to keep him nice and settled oh there was a big breath sh might just give you that oh no no no no I want it down on the ground yeah so I can put the blanket on yeah yeah so dana's long ago that's it and we have another pig for in the middle there wait so in my studio at home when I'm working on my bag and and then I go into another area tio to work with like my backdrops and things like that I've got enough space that I don't have to sort of move things you know too much but you know I just think I was trying to back out of the way and create a new space I will get a hand actually just popping this blanket down in front of this backdrop so when it just to sit on top of that bit that's coming down and if you make it square don't get that's it thank you perfect fire don't take your shirt off it's nice and warm in here you're not going to get cold some kids won't take their shirts off but and would you be able to slip your shoes off as well hi look at that smile that was a big smile sh so he's obviously got like a little bit of wind or something that's why he's not drifting off into that deep sleep who's put him upright while we're waiting here gentle rocking cause you're beautiful yeah oh wow oh okay sure come on over come on you don't have to take it off you don't take your shoes off make it comfortable to sit on the ground you can slip them off oh bliss unless you've got stinky fate we don't want to thank you faith okay good boy so I always like to ask them how they sit comfortably and how do you normally sit when you're watching tv do you like this do you sometimes sit with your legs out to the side like this no that's all right I would probably pose a little girl like that but boys you want to try and make them look masculine you know they want to grow up to be just like their dads so I keep them you know wherever they're comfortable and trying to make them I'm sitting in a way that's uncomfortable because they're eventually going to want to move and change positions okay right here so let's spin you a little bit towards the window come over this way a bit with your bottom good boy came back around towards mejust a bit that's it can you help me straighten this out good job seven so what grade are you in that school first grade to get a day or not saturday today isn't it okay so I wrapped him for laying down with his younger sibling which is not like a big deal but I would like to have both of his hands out I really like being able to see their hands if they do so I'm just gonna unwrap him just a little bit we'll turn this way so they can see just so I can pull this hand out he's gonna want to come over in a minute as soon as he sees that his brother is doing there's that little hand so these raps and nice and stretchy I'm not pulling them so that you know the cutting off any circulation you can still move them but their firm enough to keep him in place and he is wriggling around a little bit because he's awake he's staring right at me and I want to make sure that we can't see his nappy underneath his diaper sung in a double it over there and we're tired on this side and just a loose knot michael a little bit of texture can I grab his dumbing if that's all right ssh thank you very much going back to my prep god I never tell them to bring a dumbing but I say if you have one to bring it I didn't say you must bring one because that's a personal preference and I have three kids of my own my first baby who's nearly twelve she lived you know every day with dummies and I think for the first three and a half years and getting rid of that thing is really hard on then when we had the twins they they were never interested in them so even though they tried to give them in hospital to teach them to suck swiller during the early early weeks because they were premature so you can just never tell which which child is actually going toe wantto have one or not this will guy certainly does like his okay now you strong enough to hold him while he's having a regal we'll see if we can get one while he's awake because he's looking around so that's nice and sweet we'll say he might go off to sleep in your arms oh darling did he have a little faith before he came came out and it was it a big feed or just some little faith a little one and is he slept for a little while didn't eve yeah so when I first went in to meet him he was sound asleep so he's had a little feet but not a not a four one which at the beginning of the session when my clients arrived with talk to battle of that and I would always like to start each session with a full timing but um full different here a creative life because we're a little bit of a time schedule so and sometimes they stopped feeding before they've finished having a full feed but he's really going for this dummy uh and I don't want to put him in his brother's arms in case you know he gets upset or anything like that ah from it wow strong knees no he's really looking for food so sometimes uh I will try and settle them myself but if they just adamant that they want to feed that's when I would hand them back definitely see if we can get in with eyes closed I haven't got any white noise or anything like that playing at the moment sometimes it's a little hard to hear me speaking some kind of risking risking his contentment sacrifice everyone of terrible voice my strong australian accent we'll see if we can settle in without having to hand him back just for a photo sh feelings start to relax you're being such a good brother thank you for being very patient so I'm rocking and gently from side to side but you know my movements of very kind of they're not aggressive in anyway very gentle they're very rid make it times my hand's affirm that this soft so they're almost like an extension of him it's all about making them feel secure very close um so it sounds like he's getting used to that camera he can pretty shirt back on and then we can do a nice one of them together with this shit on if he comes over so I just moved my thumb to the middle of his forehead there's a little pressure point in there I'm not pressing on it but just that firmness and that touch it just sometimes helps them close their eyes put him to sleep at home okay I'm just being careful because he's so strong with this fist you can see it's just crab daughter my thumb I didn't want him to grab hold of his cheek or his face so put his fingers in his eyes wait you our boy be careful on that box he look all shapes and iraq so having items like this in your studio when you've got little total is running around you know you know I don't recommend that damn good boy so me being obviously not his friend at the moment because I mean I'm his friend but I'm not like you know playing with him or encouraging that you still have to make sure that they're safe it's not just about the newborn it's keeping everybody safe at all times during the shoot so they like you have to have rules in your studio when you've got total is in there oh but I would never say to somebody else's child that I'm going to put them on a time out or anything but just letting them know that you know that's dangerous hop down in a sort of an assertive voice and letting them know that it is yours because sometimes they just don't know their boundaries in this age is always trying to push brown truth and I had two of them at that age okay so let's let's see what he does in your arms because he's very content here at the moment and what I'm gonna do is turn the apple box over onto its side so that if he does want to climb on it it's a little bit more stable okay so regal back that way didn't push that further back forming that's a boy okay have a seat I'll fix it up in a minute you did a good job ok now come forward for me just a little bit keep coming that's it so I'm not going to put his head on this side I'm going to put his head on this side and that way he's going to be facing the light if we were facing him the other way we'd have tohave you know either some fill light or a reflector or something like that but we want to make sure that with were lighting both of them beautifully okay so what I want you to do I'm gonna put his bottom down here is that okay and then this hand here I'm going to put his head over here and this hand is going to come around here okay so just bring your arms out towards your knees giving them a cz much direction as possible and telling them where you want them to put everything to keep your hands there for a second and then I'll show you where to put them keeping their head supported at all times and he slightly on his side okay now I've got his little head if you bring your arm down that's here and now his head can come and rest on this part of his arm beautiful well done you've done this before haven't you okay so it's a little bit of fabric care and we can it's not that long but it's long enough okay and I'm gonna spin you because the floors lost those slippery that's a boy I just want to get that join at the back there saved me some photo shop work so you're not going to jump up and run away on may I you where you're holding that baby you're gonna sit nice and still good job make sure both of these old hands visible he's got the hiccups okay so when your hands to be nice and soft in here and holding on down like that and then this hand over that hand we can seize all toes peeking out there which is so cute okay can you look down at your brother perfect is the funeral wrinkles there they can be fixed in photo shop I always try to fix most of them but we'd have to get him to stand up to really fix the ones at the back there but I had a little bit of time to play and move around there so you can just keep looking at your brother so I'm just moving my focus point at the moment when either appearance or anybody that's holding their baby when they're looking at their baby I was focused on the baby when they're looking at the camera I focus on them and that that's when you get that beautiful connection I'm still going to shoot this at about three point five and can you sit up a little bit high from that it's beautiful stay there for me okay that's that's a pretty good exposure I'm just being careful he's got some white on his ship and the rap is a lot of color than in the background and everything else like that so I don't wanna overexpose any of those details it does look a little brighter here on my screen but the back here is I'm looking at my history graham I'm not actually looking at the image or the one on the screen and make sure I've got all those details I'm reading my history mme to make sure I don't overexpose any my highlights sit up a little bit straighter again for me that's it and looking down one more time with a little tiny smile that's beautiful and bring your hands together again for me that's it nice and soft and just dropped the just take the febrile year that's it good boy looking down that's it well done and now one looking up at me one looking up at me at the camera and where's your beautiful smile is that the best you got come on give me a good smile like a really smile that is the good smile we don't want to do these ones wearing a really won and you got beautiful teeth where's the real one come on good boy rodeo can you stay there for two seconds while we see if your brother will come and sit with you come on come and sit over here yeah so I wouldn't have him come and sit here because then he would be looking at the top of his head but if we sit him over here and he's looking in he can play with his toes he can look straight at his little face and you start to get that connection you wanna come and have a photo come on you're gonna come you tell him to come over gone don't come out here ask him to come here let me pull this guy's gonna pull your pants down here so we'll try we'll keep trying to get him over here because if a parent is absolutely adamant that they want to get there through all of their children in a photo then I will do whatever it takes to try and get them here but you know sometimes parents are like oh no don't worry about it you know it's okay but you still want to try and get that that beautiful image he's gonna go straight there get hey hey look yeah antonia's wayne come over here look do you want to sit on the crate come and sit over here come on don't fall good boy look no he doesn't want to do it that's all right careful you're doing a great job no he's not interested but you did a really great job really okay for me to take him to the heavy yeah you slide this hand here so when we were telling him what to do to set him up for that shot you've also got to tell them what to do I'll be doing coming over here and sit in the box let's see if we'll get him on the box over here we'll try one last time passed me around again hang on hang on that's a boy actually if we could bring it in riding behind here that's it come in in nice and close and he might be able to sit up here so we can't really see too much of the box but I could see a little bit but that's okay color still work he doesn't like taking pictures not many people do but it's actually easy isn't it it's fun to have your photo taken look mommy's gonna sit in here tio good job I mean look at your toes yeah where's your billy stay there with ties okay bring you shit damn for me don't but on your ship that's not good in front of what's wrong with these toes where his toes okay just come back uh oh uh with the toes to's ok looking up at me and tenure okay good boy and one of your big beautiful smiles oh yeah look atyou thisyou baby could you do me a big favor he's better perfect well done you want another one okay good job showing kids the back of your camera oh they love seeing the pictures of themselves daisy hey god oh good that I can listen I just want one more photo like one more photo are you ready are you ready freddy I don't know but it good boy sedan is made in the box good job sit down no no no no no you are so fast can you wait can you sing him a song okay he's all right if he doesn't want no no no no no no heating must know here okay now what I want todo down good boy no he doesn't want to be a part of it it's okay we might stop there with him I don't want to push him any further because he's really starting to get like by doing that to his mom you can see that he's getting frustrated he doesn't want to do it it doesn't want to be made to sit in a specific place he's not quite sure why he's got a lot going on around him and yeah and if that happened in a normal session brother okay now I could have taken bringing some out I've got and you can bring in the handout away that's it you can leave on him and you can go on feeding if you like I think that's what he wants just happy doesn't spit that out and drop way thank you you're a cheeky monkey you tired I love it when kids just you're already with thee the next family always know excellent stuff right well thank you very much you were a great big brother excellent job okay so next family that's coming in what have we got kelly I just wantto reiterate what amazing patients you have does that come to you naturally yeah patience is probably something I had to learn along the way but I mean I think I'm I'm generally a fairly compass in any way that kids were just kids like they're going to be kids and I think that um you've just gotta learn to work with them and watch them the more you try and force them into a situation like we were really trying to get that photo because like the wonderful thing about having all these incredible models that come along is you know like everybody that's learning has expectations to learn but I always emphasize that any of my classes or my mentoring sessions or even coming here to create a five that you know these wonderful people that are coming in with the one we called two week old babies they you know I'm giving them some beautiful memories and I want to be able to get those photos for them so we did try we pushed but he was not going to have a bar that being in that photo but at least we got some really lovely ones of of antonio a swell say yeah mom was really really patient as wass yeah which was incredible she was extremely patient she did very very well we've got we've got a beautiful little girl here is a little bit older how old is she she's six is she okay this is molly she's going to come on over come and you can all come over and have a seat hi did you have fun out there yeah and he is looking for food they're so is he ready for leader is just he just ate it should be he should be ready it's just the way important you may think yeah no no no problem at all so molly being six like she's at that age where we can really communicate obviously the same as an attorney are being seven we can tell them how to sit what to do all of those sort of things and and you know be sure that they're actually going to be competent and holding holding their little siblings look at him just sitting there looking around so we've got some hot pink shoes and hot pink top if clients turned up to my session like this and it's not a big deal so hurry if we're gonna work with it then then I would probably talk to them about like some more color selections and using some fabrics and things like that she's just divine I love her little genes and she's got the cuticle haircut I'm going to move this out and I'm just gonna photograph here on the white but I am going to use some fabric I'm gonna see if we can she got anything on underneath the top I'm going to use some fabric to create like a little top for her and and which is a really great option but molly would you be able to take your shoes off for me if that's okay I can't help you I'll help you and you can do the rest of it go so we can leave this over here if you like yes please we've got a brick wall which is great it's got some texture on it I'm not going to sit her up against that brick called photograph her I wanted to be beautiful and soft I am going to shoot wide open so I get that beautiful fall off in the background so I'm probably gonna have her sit around here which is great for a live and then I'm going to move back a little bit to photograph and then that way that backgrounds just gonna become beautiful and soft what's your favorite color pain we did have another pink one up there somewhere but I'm going to go with this one is this one okay because that one that we used before it's it's a dark atone and we're using a white background with a white floor so I want to make it really pretty and soft now because molly is seven I mean six and I know what it's like to be a little girl they like to be modest come on over here okay so we're gonna put this around you would you like that we'll take your shirt off but let's face this way away from the cameras let's look around mount can slip this on that as well four arms you do we're on l okay now listen there we go let's leave it there just for a minute so you can you can use these in so many different ways you know we could come around the neck and cross it over like that and put it over which would be really cute but I I I love the skin and when she said they're holding her her little brother for here is going to come down to her shoulders so I don't think we need to cover his shoulders but we just want to make it really pretty radio spin around for me all these awake babies they don't want to miss out yeah you want to give him a nice nice type cuddle pull him in really close and we get him off to sleep there so tell me molly how many brothers and sisters have you got she has two more brothers two older brothers and a new baby brother so that's five turn around let me see so you in grade one at school no I'm thinking farther in kindergarten let's pull this down a little bit show me head up perfect I like your jeans welcome is going off are you I am going to take him andi we'll see what he does because I have nothing that he needs nothing that iran and if he's here and he continually wants to take us he's just had a feed he might think that that's what's gonna be happening hi little guy and what I might do is grab another rap to pop around him hey oh god I've gotten him he was sound asleep when I saw you before they just came up tio I am but I'm going to use what because it's going to go without white background and then that way it'll create a little bit of a contrast between the two of them you can always change it should be soft she's okay you can sit next to mommy for a second if you like while I wrap your brother or you can stay out here with me can I sit there thes stools of the best they save your knees and they save you back so this is just another long bit of fabric it's some it's a bit more of a nit so it's got a bit of stretch in it which is really good teo to wrap them up and it's nothing soft pressurize can I just find out because I can't see from here without my glasses on what is the temperature in the room it isn't a t because I can feel a bit of a cool breeze yeah I don't want him getting cold closer to you as well or yeah it's kind of blowing behind me that's where I'm going to wrap him up he's gonna be nice and warm bless you bless here three big sneezes I need need a lot gino is four times four times that's a lot so I'm gonna go over once across the top of the hips and I'm just gonna hold that under my bottom is staring right at you he was listening to you for no he really is he's trying to eat his hand did you like this back oh taken okay and this one I'm just gonna come underneath his bottom here I've left a nappy on full of thes and whenever I am photographing siblings at home I always leave the nappies on because I don't want thumb tio you know have any accidents on their siblings because I mean could you mentioned that little one that was just in here like if if had something happened to him that would probably end well so I've come under the back again down here and what I'm doing is I'll just turn slightly vacancy said both thais have gone under the bottom and then I'm just going to pull the wrap up slightly to cover the nappy pull this bottom line up a bit more and then by pulling it underneath the bottom he come and stand over here that's what you consider my beanbag if you like it's nice and soft and then the other one up a cz well by playing it half of it so half stays under their back and half comes up around the bottom by doing that then by using my body to come forward I can pull the wrap up and tired up here so keeps those legs nice and nice and up high nice and apart that doesn't really make sense keeps them up and secure in the little feet then cover the nappy so what I'm gonna do is just lift his head here and bring the longest side underneath around the back of the shoulders you are strong watch there we go now I can hear the air con working I've just tied that fairly loosely now because we're still going to position him so his faces towards the line this side of his body is actually going to be up against molly so you won't see that but the other side that's going to be exposed we'll see that's that's going to be nice and clean it so it could be monsieur and tidy he's just drifting off to sleep there and the reason that when I originally wrapped across the top of the hips there was so that he's hips are free I'm not keeping them you know pinned in tow a particular position we can then been knees up sh we can bend the knees up and cross the feet like that and then therefore they they cover that nappy okay I think he's nearly asleep you're being very patient wait oh did you hear that that is like the curious thing ever I love you mom she said and then straight back to being a six year old that was very grown up of you to say that okay molly I think we might get you to come and sit down you see how he's put his whole hidden hand down there and grab hold of his leg okay I think just over here where I'm pointing would you be able to sit down there and face this war good job okay now can you see how I'm sitting can you do that with your legs out this way either perfect and you comfortable like that you know not really what would you like to sit comfortably can you show me how you like to sit you like to sit that way ok that's fine sh I'm not very comfortable like that either a company like this okay we dis training for him to go off to sleep can you do it can you sh that's okay suspending bottom around this for a little bit towards me that's it so I'm moving here on an angle towards the the window and then what I'm gonna get you to do is bring your feet at this cross them a bit more is that ok like that because I'm gonna put your brother's bottom dan in hand and this little arm here is going to support him very similar to what we did before if she had been more comfortable in with her legs off to the side um I would have to sit like that but I'm not going to make her if it's not comfortable you have beautiful eyelashes to get all that hair out of your face so we can see your pretty eyes she well asking here okay oh that is perfect let's see what he does let's see what he does when I put him down your lap he might go to sleep good morning yeah do you hold him a lot of harm yeah yeah okay you can bring this leg around just a bit more that's now that he's in her arms we can play some rap a little bit better movies bottom dan in there you tell me if you get uncomfortable okay okay keep your hair out of his face we don't want that to tickle him to keep your arm there that's it can sit nice and still for me I'm just dropping that little bit of fabric there and I've got is a little foot up nice and high okay so what I'm gonna get you to do with this arm he's acting he's back okay hit up for me spread her hit up uh because when you put your head down I can't see good okay put your head up for me please thank you so constantly telling them what to do and where to be they have to listen to you it doesn't matter what age they are you have to be in control of the situation because the safety of the baby is always gonna be paramount like because they like to say they know they're brother and sister more than they then we do so and they know that they're not silly I've got him I've got him I've been told before but don't touch him had kids say to me on dh but making them know that you are in control ofthe holding the baby they have to listen to you and with a little one this age and don't touch his face he's just going off to sleep there casey's eyes closing okay this bitter here here he's tickling him we don't have a tickle in doing okay can you see that casey's eyes closing can now you know what happens now in the eyes of closing this's been we have to be really calm and really quiet and we just have to wait for them to start snoring not they don't know but we have to wait for them to take deeper breaths and that means that they're drifting off into a big sleep okay go so I've got your hand here I'm gonna pull your little arm around with this hand I got his head can you feel my hand my hand there we go no you sit really still again get all these boys today that hungry come down michael isn't it a beautiful name that's not a name that's he is often today okay is coming down good job he's arching his back which means he's trying he's either wanting to stay he's uncomfortable which to me means he's going crazy and his dummy he's a lot does he oh your giggle good e t make me laugh you're being very patient thank you okay wait so I am rubbing the top of his head but you you can see the little soft spot on top there but it's so gentle it's like the gentlest touch you never pushed down in that area of the top of the head okay american we might be almost ready here thank a sit down where you're comfortable I think he's gonna have the same color hair is you what do you reckon teo okay so I'm not wanting to put him down just yet because he's still kind of turning his head on that dummy going back to what we were talking about before about a preparation god and me saying how I'm not qualified to tell parents what to do and things like that the reason one another reason that I don't tell parents to do certain things like keep their babies away and don't eat certain foods for so many days prior to the session and they're going to do this they've got to do that if I have a very sleep deprived hormonal mother that has done everything on that checklist everything and she's exhausted and she's stressed out and if she's got other kids she's even more exhausted if she's done everything on that checklist and she turns up to the shoot and that baby is still fussing or still awake still unsettled just going to feel like she's failed gonna feel like she didn't do it right and I never want to make my parents feel like that I want them tio just do what they doing and you know they get so much advice the minute their babies are born and through the pregnancy by all the different midwives that they come into contact with the hospital they're getting advice from all of the relatives and you and I even have to walk down the street and you get stopped and you given advice I don't know what it's like here that I was ever stopped because we had twins in a prayer and people trying to to tell me what to do all the time so it's not my job to give parents advice ever even when I can see that I could I don't because it's not my place can you push that box over there for me wei don't need it in the photo oh so we get him off to sleep and then he just wakes up again looking for more you have to give me oh right never gonna stop e think molly I think it's a boy thing I think I'm hungry my boys will give you take your other blanket there we go be comfortable there should we do some questions well while she's giving him a quick fake sometimes it might just be a quick top up because if they're finding it hard to just drift off it might only be a quick five minute feed and they fall asleep anyway the breast so yeah mike with questions on the meantime I've got one for you you talk to kelly about about not telling the parents what to do or giving them advice which I think is really insightful do you talk to the parents about when they have the older siblings about not trying to say discipline them or trying to be make them be good during the session but again just to let them be as they are or do you tell them that in advance or do you just wait to see if it happens I don't know I don't really touch I suppose on the discipline side of things but I suppose I think might just be my personality that I can I can be more of an authority type voice but at the same time still relate to them and have a conversation with him like you know I was telling her to keep her head up and I told him why I was telling you to do this telling you to sit still and then explaining things so I think you know like not too saying oh don't do that don't do that like that can come across as really abrupt you are going to scare a child not gonna want to want to come anywhere near you so being open but also being firm in what you want them to do but no I do tell them to obviously like brings um bring some things and all of that and make it welcoming some people feel like they can't bring their older siblings to a session and you know my studio set up in a way that it's an open environment I want everybody to have an incredible experience and enjoy it so yeah being able t relate to kids and chat to them and duel of that but you know I don't tell them to be teo discipline them in any way but it's funny because like the beginning of all my sessions you know that I have have the clients come in they sit down in the lounge I leave them bay for five minutes so that they can sit comfortably and feed their child if they've got a sibling I usually find or sometimes I can hear through the walls because they given that space to themselves I usually hear the parents say don't touch that like while you're in here you've got to listen so I'm actually giving them an area alone to discipline her child and it works really well because yeah parents don't want to discipline their children in front of other other people some people do but some a lot of people don't and so giving them the space to sit down relax take in the environment that's when the parents I find tend to usually lay those ground rules about what they can and can't do but gosh here like kids are going to be kids and even when you've got parents disciplining them I found in my studio I've still had a kid trying to climb the lounge and stand on top of it in the parent you know grassing on them to a degree but yeah it is I think every situation is different question in the studio yes when you're deciding for the children's ages like what what is appropriate um age to put them like on the beanbag versus lay them on something on the floor or have them sitting is that something that you discussed with the parents beforehand about how much they're interacting with the baby or do you decide once they get here yep so they usually tell me in an email how old the children are and or or if they don't then you know just in a simple email back yet know how old your children you know I love photographing siblings with their babies and with a new baby brother or sister all of that so kind of asking questions that they can then give you a cz much information is possible but usually at the beginning of the session if it's a child that sort of three and a half for I could probably have sit on the floor and hold a baby confidently and then they can really understand the instructions but under four I would definitely have them on my bean bag only because you know having them in that flat state with the baby he means that their arm can just come out and they control the way and get up in the baby's secure like when they're on the lab if they try to get up the baby's is going to go straight down to the floor so um a lot of it is he gone I knew it sounded slate but yet three three and a half probably always on my beanbag unless of course they have no no desire to low down and then I'll introduce a proper do compass it image on dh then older differently sitting but yet it always depends too because you can't have a four year old that when you meet them for the first time I can clearly gauge that they're probably not competent in holding that child say you're reading them and asking them you know if you had many cuddles and things like that but what even with the younger ones on the beanbag I will definitely asked the parents when they come in you know from that age to teo two three and a half for you know that real common age I am all awesome you know have they had many cuddles at home and you know have they had a chance to sort of sit with him and things like that and some people like no they've never held them and then other parents like are yeah they always wanting to cuddle the baby so it's asking lots of questions and getting as much information as possible but while he's asleep let's grab this photo and then we'll grab and we'll do some more questions how you ready back over here ready good job pull your top up now before picking mom on what I'm gonna do is just bring his legs up and I'm most looking to make sure that my hands and I said warm he just needed a cuddle from his mommy so I'm gonna grab him from dan here first just slide my hand under his legs and then that way then nice and secure and supported hee hee hee hee hee oh so that was very unpredictable let me take him she said I'm uncomfortable my legs so I could bring them out so she straightened them all right let's get him back to sleep here so you sit with your legs crossed and you show me where it's nice and comfortable we have to cross their legs though so the reason I don't photograph children with their legs straight out in front is if they were straight out in front to other towards me um it's going to be very large in my camera and it's going to be towards my camera and they will end up being blurry uh huh oh ah ah ah ah ah try wrapping him slightly different because these arms and legs are free and if we wrap him a little bit more securely I think it's gonna find I think we're going to find that he's um can I go off to sleep and he's gonna be nice and snug your regular I want him to stay asleep when we put him down so I'm gonna leave that bottom but um money and not just unwrapped it around the bottom of these legs something just gonna bring it across him keep his arms nice and secure okay you ready I think michael's ready michael and molly oh so I'm not bringing the wrap up to close to his face because when we lay him down don't covering his face at all it's going yeah so keep it nice and soft oh you say it like that that would be beautiful okay just recalled back over this way a little bit more for me that's a girl and can I just bring your james down here he's going to a separate your legs just a little bit because I want to put his bottom in here all right being very good okay so I'm just bringing the rap to the backside there okay just bring your head up for me again because we don't you're here to tickle his face don't do that just for a second okay bring you sober down until that I'm on to you like that girl he kicked me on tickling you am I sorry I didn't mean to keep your hair it up we're just gonna bring full hands out so they can see them uh I'm gonna do it you can keep your hand back there ok you sure you're comfortable yeah you're not gonna get uncomfortable do I speak funny good it's hard you know sure have they understand what you're saying I photographed a beautiful family in spain and the children didn't speak english so it was really hard to talk to them okay now I might have would you be able to come and sit over here in spot for may because I'm she's wriggling just a little bit so if you just sit over here and this is where I would have a parent come and sit I do now I've got your hand remember what I did last time so I'm gonna hold his head I'm just gonna put your arms through a little bit more okay and I'm moving very slowly because he's still re going a bit all right keep still for me there and don't move this arm right minute you're right ok good to sit really still I'm so I'm bringing your arm and I need you to keep it where I put it so his old cheek is a bit squished in there so what I'm gonna do is just turn his head a little bit more and squish his cheek there we go can I get you to bring one hand in here and just hold on the back of the elbow just while I'm fixing up the feet here you need to keep it really really still like a statue there for a moment okay we're about ready to take a photo just make sure we're all good everything in the right place came when I want you to do is this arm is ok down here because we've got to support harm over here okay you want me here I do face he's strong keeping still really still like a statue so I'm bringing his head up into this part okay can't move honey all right keep your hand here that's it you know I'm gonna take my photo bring them back here they're weaker so details for me so important like every shot you need to keep that hand right where it is good job every day yeah we wanna see his face wait go so I'm about ready to take a photo and when I go back to take the photo can you stay really still like a statue and keep this hand right there okay because you look beautiful and michael looks beautiful blink you can blink your eyes and get really really dr he didn't blink rick a lot like you I know I just don't want him to wriggle okay okay stay really still you're right there for a minute okay I'm gonna get one of you looking at the camera miss molly can you look up that may please give me a little smile so I'm focusing on molly's ii I'm gonna get one shot with the support hand there okay and then one looking at me good girl and a little smile teacher hit display for me that you could stay really st count maybe remember it's hard work being a big sister holding your brother when he's big have means that having stated that gives I'm hurting where is it hurting we have standing there are you okay well let's move your little legs I think that's going to be best hang on two seconds statue you okay we'll sit still just for a minute while I picked him out and then you cross your legs the way I'm crossing my legs okay ready one two three he crossed your legs like me and we'll get this photo and then you can go and have a rest mcdonald's wow okay sit still there and sit up nice and straight so if this continued to happen I would lay molly down just for the sake of getting a photo and we spent all this time setting it up I'm gonna get a quick shot hand your arm's gonna come behind his head that's it negative sit still honey okay let me get one photo of you smiling could you go to sit really really still because every time you regal guess what happens when you re go guess what happens michael moves okay we don't have to move well if you say it if you stay still he'll stay still don't break their yeah try not to move your arm okay just sit normal that's it just it just like that that's perfect I'm gonna take a photo like that I'm just gonna spin you slightly pan here so that was just a little tiny spin to bring some more light on to michael's face I am keep still so I'm not going to come town too low because then I would be getting a photo off her legs okay just look down at marco for me but please will face okay can I describe someone to jump up and switch that light on and the reason I'm doing that is because when molly brings her head down her hair blocks her face all the light from her face uh okay let his head risk down there in your arm like that put your hand over this hand for me I got a great job okay now looking down at marco again for me that's it stay right there okay now do you feel that you can bring your hand away for a split second in a second you got to keep your arm though where it is e okay hand down sweetheart that's a girl okay so the rap is covering his face keep your hands still you know you concentrate you look at me sh that lean backwards way don't wanna get a picture of him crying any space would be rid don't lean back that's it and looking up at me and a little smile and just looking down again and a little tiny smile hit up just a little bit sweet home hit up again a little bit more that's it and look down well done look cheer watch this hang on one more with a smile coming there's a little smile and my more hey a little smile I think so it's bringing up a roar and a j peg file that's why you can see the difference in those images well done we finally got the photo that was a long time to wait wait look at this baby yeah grab you shared off my crib you shit I just wanna keep photographing him he looks beautiful on wine okay I said that is pretty much how I would I would sort of go through posing like all the siblings and then before we did the youngest siblings you sound just like now thank you miss molly welcome so keeping into safe and simple as possible wasn't trying to do too much because she was really struggling to keep her little feet still and her hands and it was a long time for her sit there but if you've got a little a little a little girl and that comes into the studio and you know you can use beautiful fabrics to sort of drape off to the side and things like that you know I'm not really sort of going over the styling of things too much here we talked about not using too many bright colors on patents before and the reason I you know shy away from those types of colors and patterns is because they can be distracting in the image and I wanted to be all about the baby's face and things like that

Class Materials

bonus material with purchase

Home Studio Checklist
What To Expect At Home
What To Expect In Studio
Preshoot Prep for Mothers
Marketing Plan
Pricing Guide
Posing Guide
Prop Guide
Resource Guide
Adorama Gear Guide
Syllabus

Ratings and Reviews

user-b7116e
 

What an awesome class! I actually started watching this, not because I was interested in newborn photography, but because I thought I could pick up some good ideas for photography in general. Kelly is such an inspiring person and so professional and such a good communicator that she has a lot to offer any photographer. I actually have been inspired to try newborn photography and can't wait to implement the multiple ideas Kelly has so generously given. I think it is wonderful for the profession of photography that she has the spirit to freely share what she knows to help those who are seeking advice and knowledge. Thank you!

Jennifer Traylor
 

I cannot say enough to relay the feeling of gratitude and appreciation for this class. I was very fortunate to be chosen as a studio audience member for this course and what I have taken away from this class will never be forgotten. Kelly pours herself into this class both on the head knowledge of photography and the heart knowledge of building a business and making it work in your life. She is such an amazing soul and I will treasure this experience always. This class is so thorough and works amazingly both all on its own or as a supplement to her other classes. You will not be disappointed. Her knowledge, her demeanor, her care, is brilliant. She pulls you right in, and even as an online viewer/purchaser for the previous two classes, I was able to feel her connection with the audience. She is an amazing teacher!!!! Kelly rocks, Kelly amazes, Kelly loves! Buy it today!!!! You will not regret it!!!!!! And don't forget, purchases get TONS of amazing bonus materials including extra videos and PDF's and manuals. This class is a bargain!!!!!

user-a1ed27
 

I really have been so happy & blessed Kelly to learn from you! You are gentle and I love your spirit in which you share your "Art". I am a Nurse and worked Hospice for many years. Many of my co-workers and I recently lost our nursing positions due to department integration and have decided that my passion and love for taking photos of children and babies is something I would like to pursue. I am learning so much Kelly from the way you take the time to gently get the baby in position, follow the baby's lead and enjoy the parents and each moment of the creative process. I am not at all a professional and am just really learning, but am enjoying practicing on my friends children and babies and of course my 4 month and 4 year old grandchildren. Thank you for providing free classes as I would not be able to afford any classes at this time in my life. You have a beautiful gift. Thank you for sharing so eloquently! You have made a difference in my life. Patty from AZ

Student Work

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