Get the gear you need for starting a newborn photography business or capturing your own children’s special first moments.
By Danielle Lawler
January 30, 2015
Newborn photography can be a tricky task; those little babies often only offer you a split second to capture the perfect image. The right gear can really make a difference when trying to capture those early moments.
That is why we sat down with Newborn and Family photographer Carlos Cunha from Carl Puentes Photography’s – Famille Fine Art Boutique to get his insight and opinions on the perfect gear for both professionals and parents to get the best possible images of the new bundle of joy.
Carlos, which camera are you using now in your shoots?
I am a big fan of the Canon 1DX. Love the sturdiness of the body and all of its features, extra joystick in the back to ensure you can access all the functions even when shooting in vertical mode. Also, it gives me a firmer grip when moving quickly to catch that little second of smile. You won’t miss that little second of smile with the super-fast autofocus on the Canon 1DX. Newborns smile while dreaming; usually the smile lasts only a few seconds, if you don’t focus fast enough you will miss the images that sells the most.
The higher ISO with low noise is perfect when shooting on location – parents always exaggerate on how much natural light is available at their location, and with this camera I feel comfortable using higher ISO without the fear of producing an image with distracting noise.
When shooting toddlers or family shoots in the park you won’t miss a thing because of the 12 FPS. The 1DX is also the camera sports photographers use the most due to its speed, believe it or not toddlers sometimes are harder to catch than football players!
2 CF card slots to ensure your card is immediately backed up, accidents happen and memory cards go bad, you don’t want to find out it’s corrupted without having a backup. Nothing is worse than having to tell a family you lost all the images of these once-in-a-lifetime moments.
I also really love the Canon 5D Mark III. One of my favorite things about this camera is the SILENT SHUTTER, sometimes you will need the silence when photographing babies that are not too sleepy. It makes the job that much easier when the baby isn’t afraid of the camera. The larger 3.2’’ sensor will help you make sure those detail shots (eyelashes, hands, feet, lips) are sharp enough without having a huge disappointment when enlarging on the computer later.
To make sure you catch the image the way you want, the 5D Mark III has borrowed from it’s big brother (the Canon 1DX) the 61 points on its AF system and the firmware with a much more customizable AF configuration.
Which lenses are you using?
I love the image quality of prime lenses. My preferred lens for newborns is the Canon 50mm 1.2 for full frame cameras like 1DX and Mark III. The lens has amazing low light capability, arguably the sharpest lens at that, very pleasing bokeh to soften those wrinkles on your background blanket and it delivers amazing color and contrast to your image. Saves tons of time in Photoshop and that is always a plus. Very smooth and accurate focus and it’s relatively light for its size which helps a lot when carrying your equipment around. The lens has a very strong build to survive the drops that will most likely happen sooner or later.
I also like the Canon 35mm 1.4 (for cropped sensor cameras like Canon 7D MarkII) – it is sharp, smooth and gives you plenty of space to shoot when the best natural light location at the client’s home is that tight room in the back of the house with south facing windows.
How do you handle lighting?
As a Natural Light newborn photographer, my lighting is always assisted by amazing reflectors to make sure I don’t get harsh shadows on the side of the newborn’s face and body where the falloff starts. My favorite when shooting at my studio is – 42×72 scrim jim. This reflector system can stand on its on and will mimic a “second natural light source” to fill up those unnecessary shadows. My favorite when shooting on location is a Westcott 40″ round reflector with a portable reflector bracket. They are easy to fold, carry and won’t add much to the load of equipment you will be carrying to your client’s home.
What other gear to you bring with you?
Bean bags are perfect for posing, so those are key.
I use Adorama’s Easy Access Belt mounted holder because most of the time you have to drop your camera during a newborn session to adjust poses or lighting. Depending on your shooting location you will be sitting your camera on the floor or table but with the belt holder you can easily lock your camera in your belt and keep your eyes on the newborn 100% of the time for safety.
The Flashpoint Background Support System is easy to fold and carry. I like to stretch the blankets on the bean bag and a Flashpoint Weight Sandbag ensures sturdiness on your background and prevents accidents.
Baby’s safety should be your #1 priority, so I carry at least eight adjustable clamps to stretch the beanbag blanket and clamp it on the background system.
A close-up filter set – amazing to create those close up images of baby’s little toes without having to carry a big and pricey 100mm macro lens.
You yourself have a young child at home, what gear would you recommend for parents who want to capture their own child’s first years?
The Canon 70D is a great camera. It produces amazing quality image that fosters your creativity without breaking the bank. This camera has a weather sealed body so after taking breathtaking photos of your newborn indoors, it also allows you to continue to shoot outdoors even after it started to drizzle. There is no need to run back indoors. But, it is not waterproof so don’t let the kids take it in the pool.
The WiFi system allows you to set the camera on a tripod next to your newborn and use your iPad or smartphone to trigger the shutter and focus without touching the camera. It is great around the holidays or parties so YOU can get in the photos as well. The sensor captures rich details and texture to highlight those beautiful eyelashes on a newborn.
The Canon T5i is very affordable and still delivers very impressive image quality and a not too shabby 5 FPS to help you capture everything from newborn smiles to your toddler’s first dance moves. It is easy to carry, light and easy to learn the menus. This camera is a must have for every 1st time parent.
The best entry level DSLR in my opinion!
As for lenses I like the Canon 50mm 1.8 or 50mm 1.4.
The Canon 50mm 1.8 is the best cost-benefit lens for the photo enthusiast parent, delivering a very artsy image with beautiful soft bokeh. It also allows you to use to shoot in low light conditions with great speed, perfect to photograph your newborn in the nursery without having to blast those horrible light bulbs that produces weird color temperature images (adjustable at white balance). You will not believe you paid $100 for this professional lens.
Canon 50mm 1.4 delivers better colors and contrast than its little brother (the 1.8). It’s faster and even more sensitive to light, this lens will help you create very artistic images of your newborn for your family to cherish.
What lighting and background tips do you have for parents?
Use really simple lighting. The Flashpoint Reflector is great for minimizing dark shadows when photographing your baby in natural light. This is an affordable lighting solution that every photography enthusiast must own.
When there is not enough light, we have to rely on flash. The built-in flash on the top of the camera delivers very directional light. The Bowers SFD35C helps you minimize the harsh light of built-in flashes with a very decent output, 270 degree rotation and the capability of adding extra ETTL flashes for synchronized shooting.
A few things you probably have at home that will help you create beautiful newborn photographs:
You need a soft and firm surface to lay your baby on, a traditional beanbag will allow you to move your baby comfortably when creating some beautiful poses. Make sure your beanbag is almost full; you can also use clamps to tighten the extra fabric of the beanbag on the bottom to mimic a full beanbag.
Most professional newborn photographers use couch throws as a beanbag background, you can use any regular size blanket and stretch it on or behind the beanbag or prop. Use clamps and chairs to stretch the fabric, it’s best to have it as wrinkle free as possible to avoid distraction from your baby. If you are a handyman or have a handy husband, you can construct a background stand with PVC pipes found at your local home improvement store, or get a flashpoint background system that will need no work, affordable and folds for easy storage.
Props – Anything can create a history. Your baby’s first teddy bear, first shoes, books, glasses, baskets and decoration that are hanging around your place, just remember to fill or cover the prop with towels or blankets to avoid your baby’s skin touching the rough surfaces of props.
Most important thing to do is to just have fun with your kids and not worry too much about the technical side.
To learn more about Carlos and his work visit the sites below:
www.carlpuentes.com
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