Our First Baby Photoshoot
Date #745 — Sunday, November 29th, 2015
A: As a gift to B’s sister and her partner and our nibling (sibling’s child), B and I had a newborn baby photoshoot! We set it up all nicely in his parent’s living room and planned outfits and positions. We watched tutorials on positioning, lighting, keeping the baby warm, where to put the camera, how to position the head, and more. It was a lot of fun, and we were really, hyper focused. The baby was so cooperative, too. I would love to plaster our blog with photos of the little gem but we’ll do that to our apartment instead. Putting photos of someone else’s child all over social media is not cool. I don’t even think I’d put photos of my own potential offspring on the internet, until they were old enough to consent and approve. I love those parenting blogs that have photos of children without showing their faces. The photo above is a bad example of that because we didn’t take the photos with this intention, but there are so many ways to share you life with a child in an ultra creative way without disrespecting their autonomy and future ability to consent. It excites me, the challenge. I’m getting off track, here, a little, but I think the explanation or acknowledgement of this, at least, is important.
B: This was a really interesting day. A and I were asked to take photos of our Nibling as a gift to the new parents. We’d never done this but felt up to the challenge.
A had been preparing for months and seemed to be taking it quite seriously. It was clear she was taking the lead, so I focused on how I could support her.
We both really wanted to do the shoot in a studio, but travelling with the baby seemed to difficult so we opted for my parents’ living room. While ultimately everything turned out, there were a few obstacles. We got started late and the lighting was already bad. People also wanted to watch and so there were a lot of distractions. I tried politely to clear the room a few times so A could focus, but that didn’t work out.
Despite this, A and I overcame our frustrations and focused on the task, working together to help keep the baby calm and get the photos. Our Nibling was actually really peaceful and quiet once we brought in a space heater. The parents were also incredible at staying calm and letting us be creative. Their presence is so calming and I find that really incredible.
Later A and I discussed what went well and what didn’t. I was really impressed that we were able to focus so much and communicate so easily. Sometimes A can just give me a look and I know what she needs. I really like that we are able to work as a team like this.
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