# Probably my last newborn photo



## Robin Usagani (Jan 11, 2014)

I have decided I am not that great with newborn photography.  I just dont have fun with it.  I am going to refer someone else next time.  I like toddler and older better.


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## terri (Jan 11, 2014)

But newborns can't talk back!    

I'm sure you have some happy clients with this one.   Very simple, very sweet.    Nice!


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## jamesbjenkins (Jan 11, 2014)

Yeah, that's really awful. You should probably stop taking pictures entirely.


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## Robin Usagani (Jan 11, 2014)

This one is pretty good.  But I am not feeling the whole set.  Seriously... I am not that great.


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## manny212 (Jan 11, 2014)

Robin Usagani said:


> This one is pretty good.  But I am not feeling the whole set.  Seriously... I am not that great.



I hear ya , it's not your thing . Good you realized it , now go and do what you really like ....selfies !!! HAHAHA , jk . Shoot your wedding Robin , thats you . !!!


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## kathyt (Jan 11, 2014)

I think it is an adorable image, but I agree it is time consuming and hard. It wasn't for me either. I still get calls to this day after I have made it so clear I do NOT shoot newborns!


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## TheoGraphics (Jan 12, 2014)

I completely empathize with you here. It just doesn't do anything for me, so I can't get into it, which makes the photos very "meh". This one's nice though!


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## bribrius (Jan 12, 2014)

i like photo. i am wondering if leaving a baby on a hard wood floor might be considered kind of wrong, and it looks hard to lay on for its little head, but i like the photo.


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## Derrel (Jan 12, 2014)

bribrius said:


> i like photo. i am wondering if leaving a baby on a hard wood floor might be considered kind of wrong, and it looks hard to lay on for its little head, but i like the photo.



Yeah, newborn + face on hardwood floor just does not compute. Cannot blame you for wanting to get out of that segment.


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## pixmedic (Jan 12, 2014)

if this is your last infant photo, at least you went out with a bang and a great shot.


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## jesse101 (Jan 12, 2014)

Ehh..it's a great photo..but the baby looks uncomfortable, well then again, she or he is passed out lol..so no harm no foul, as I passed out in worst circumstances so no room to complain LOL


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## mmaria (Jan 13, 2014)

We all know you can do your last one better? 

We'll see....

But seriously, if it's not for you, don't bother anymore. If you're not enjoying, that will be shown in your photos.


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## Robin Usagani (Jan 13, 2014)

Here is the rest.


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## mmaria (Jan 13, 2014)

I like #2 the most. What lens did you use?

You should see #3 at my monitor. It's a crappy monitor at my work and I see your masking completely


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## Robin Usagani (Jan 13, 2014)

mmaria said:


> I like #2 the most. What lens did you use?
> 
> You should see #3 at my monitor. It's a crappy monitor at my work and I see your masking completely



Oh crap.. thanks for letting me know.


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## terri (Jan 13, 2014)

Derrel said:


> bribrius said:
> 
> 
> > i like photo. i am wondering if leaving a baby on a hard wood floor might be considered kind of wrong, and it looks hard to lay on for its little head, but i like the photo.
> ...



Oh, come on - you've never played "slide the baby"? :er: It only works on slick surfaces. geez.


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## vintagesnaps (Jan 13, 2014)

Not the worst I've seen but maybe not your forte and best left to someone else. The type work I've done (not photography related) has been working with babies with delays, preemies, etc. and I have a background in early childhood ed. Unfortunately I started looking at baby photography... I say unfortunately because I've seen some that isn't exactly using the best positioning for newborns. I'm assuming that last one was the baby on a surface and the shelf photoshopped together in a photo but - please don't use that one; a baby perched on a shelf?? I don't think so... not really the greatest pose anyway. 

While the baby on the hardwood floor doesn't look that comfortable and might have worked better with the baby on a blanket arranged so that some of the wooden floor still showed, floor time is actually used a lot working with infants and is safer that some of the contraptions people seem compelled to try to stick a baby in for a picture - just something softer underneath would have been nice. 

The gauze seems to be rather bunched looking which is some of the trouble I think, maybe it needed to be arranged differently. That patterned background ended up looking crooked although it's straight along the right side. The pictures of the baby's face are actually quite nice, the family would probably like the photos of that little face, maybe some creative editing could improve the backgrounds etc.


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## Aakajx (Jan 21, 2014)

I loved them.. The baby on the shelf made my day. And your first pic is gorgeous  .


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## paigew (Jan 21, 2014)

I don't think they are bad! I like the first, but agree about putting the baby on the hard floor. Just doesn't give the right feel kwim? I also like #2&3, I think #2 could use a little more work, maybe try to remove the crease in the blanket. You could try more of a lifestyle approach next time...not so posed shots.


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## sm4him (Jan 21, 2014)

terri said:


> But newborns can't talk back!
> 
> I'm sure you have some happy clients with this one.   Very simple, very sweet.    Nice!



Oh no, the problem is they can AND DO talk back, sometimes extremely loudly. The trouble is, we can't understand them and it just sounds like "WAH, WAH, WAH" and gets on my last nerve.  

Nice shots, Robin, but I can totally understand not wanting to do newborns. I'd like to try it sometime, but I'd probably have to cancel any shoot if the kid starts crying. I don't deal with crying babies.


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## DiskoJoe (Jan 22, 2014)

Robin Usagani said:


> This one is pretty good.  But I am not feeling the whole set.  Seriously... I am not that great.



With newborns you really only need one really good shot. Plus this way you get them on board early and can make a customer for life. This shot is good. And what is really that difficult about wrapping up a sleeping baby and taking a picture of them passed out on the floor or in a basket or something?


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## Derrel (Jan 22, 2014)

DiskoJoe said:


> Robin Usagani said:
> 
> 
> > This one is pretty good.  But I am not feeling the whole set.  Seriously... I am not that great.
> ...



I Googled, "How to pose a newborn"....look what came up!

Giggles and Cutie Pumpkins Photography: How to pose a newborn


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## paigew (Jan 22, 2014)

DiskoJoe said:


> Robin Usagani said:
> 
> 
> > This one is pretty good.  But I am not feeling the whole set.  Seriously... I am not that great.
> ...



Okay I am totally LOLing at this. Obviously you have never done, nor know what is expected out of a newborn session. Most clients expect a 20-30 image gallery. Newborn sessions can take to 3-5 hours and take tons of planning (space heaters, noise machines, beanbags, layers of blankets, pee pads, etc). Getting them to sleep, and to stay asleep while you uncurl fingers, move legs around etc is a feat. One I have not yet  mastered! And wrapping is an art in itself, a good newborn photographer can wrap different ways without even moving the baby to create different looks etc.


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## Derrel (Jan 22, 2014)

A post I did last January. All in good fun. Spare me the outrage.

*Lifestyle Shooting Session Lengths (For Competitive Bidding Scenarios)*

*                                          A post from Derrel's Photography Blog*


"Lifestyle" newborn shoot: 3 hours. MINIMUM! Simply impossible to do in less than 180 minutes. Ask any self-taught MWAC baby shooter. If time is needed for "Lifestyle" baby-is working-on-a-poop waiting time: allow an extra two to three hours, for a total time of between 5 and 6 hours.


"Lifestyle" senior portrait session: 7 hours. (Includes 2-hr zit popping session.)


"Lifestyle" wedding shoot: 11 hours, or 4,800 frames,whichever takes longer.


"Lifestyle" 25th wedding anniversary shoot: 9 hours, or 3,900 frames.


"Lifestyle" anniversary dinner shoot : 5 hours.


"Lifestyle" nightcap cocktail shoot: begins at 11:30 PM, runs until 5:45 AM.


"Lifestyle" engagement session: 4 to 8 hours, depending on ring carat size.


*Set-Up and Posing Guidelines for Lifestyle Shoots:*


"Lifestyle" fake flooring,baseboard, and wallpaper background set-up time: 36 minutes per set.


"Lifestyle" baby headband positioning: 11 minutes, avg..


"Lifestyle" diaper change: 17 minutes (includes two-minute talcum powder dry-down time.)


"Lifestyle" baby feeding: Breast: 45 minutes. Bottle: 37 minutes. Includes burping, spit-up, spit up rag replacement, and blouse change for parent.


"Lifestyle" newborn shoot, mid-session baby nap: 1 hr 45 minutes, minimum. Mid-session photographer's smart phone blogging & Instagram uploading session, 30 to 50 minutes.


"Lifestyle" baby-is working-on-a-poop waiting time: 2 to 3 hours, on average.


"Lifestyle" baby hair arranging time: 31 to 42 minutes, average. Bald babies, 11 to 15 minutes. (see "Lifestyle" baby headband positioning guidelines, above.)


"Lifestyle" Anne Geddes crib session (no not the sleeping crib kind of session--but COPYING Anne Geddes ideas from books!!), 1hr. 10 minutes per session, on avg.


"Lifestyle" doorbell ringing: 1 to 4 minutes. Includes walk from curb to front porch or stoop; apartment walk-up times may extend as long as 12-15 minutes in high-rise buildings.


"Lifestyle" waiting period for sleeping baby to strike angelic, world-famous poses: 3 to 9 minutes, per photo.


All guidelines are minimum times. No possible professional posing and session secrets or 40-year industry insider tips are allowed to be used--EVER.

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