Posing an infant

[rpcrowe]

Posing an infant…

My first paid gig was as a baby photographer. We had a very simple “cookie cutter” style of posing infants that really worked…

In the following descriptions; I will give directions from the camera point of view and with the film/sensor plane being the point of reference. I will refer to this simply as the “sensor’.

My "baby" is 42 years old and I don't have grand children on this side of the continent to illustrate these directions. I hope my instructions are understandable.

No baby was ever hurt doing this. They seemed to love it.

General set-up:
A small table with the longer end of the table running parallel to the sensor
A pillow placed at the near (camera side) edge of the table with the long side of the pillow parallel to the sensor
Cover the pillow and table with a light colored blanket. Drape covering over the front (nearest the camera) of the table
Place a background to the rear of the table parallel to the sensor. I used a white projection screen which had its own stand but, a sheet taped to a wall or a white wall itself would also work

Lighting. I used a 3-light set-up:
Main light at camera right. We did not use a diffuser but a softbox or shoot thru umbrella would be good. We used cheap, manual electronic flash
Fill light at camera left at a 45 degree angle pointing towards subject. We kept the lighting ratio somewhere around 1:1 for a high key effect
Background/back light behind table pointing toward background. The reflection from this light on the infant also helped separate the baby from the background.

Baby posing. I don’t have a baby to work with so I will try to explain the method of posing. This method keeps the infant still and looking into the camera…
Place baby on its belly with upper torso on pillow facing camera
Place baby’s right arm bent so that the forearm is parallel to sensor
Place baby’s left forearm alongside right forearm closer to camera
Gently take baby’s left hand and place it over the right upper arm
Gently take baby’s right hand and place it beneath the left upper arm
You have now knotted the baby’s arms and immobilized the baby - don't worry this doesn't hurt
Place baby’s chin on its arms at the point where the right forearm is over the left forearm with baby's face towards camera

Using a rattle. Mamma’s voice calls or any other attractors get baby’s attention. Start shooting. Since the baby is pretty well immobilized, I had the camera on a tripod level with the baby's face and never looked through the viewfinder while shooting. I used a cable release and my whole attention was on the baby’s expressions.

We printed these images with a white vignette and the mother’s just loved them...

[Tronhard]

That sounds very interesting. As they say a picture is worth 1,000 words, so do you have a sample image or two please?

[rpcrowe]

No sample images... I did this type of photography about 60-years ago and my youngest kid is 42 years old. I lost all of my negatives and prints during one of my many moves in my 32 years of Naval service...

[Shadowman]

I would think you could try this with some newborn pups.

[Saorsa]

I would think you could try this with some newborn pups.

I oppose animal experimentation!

[mknittle]

I oppose animal experimentation!

That reminds me of the woman that posted on Facebook that she found some automatic assault rifle bullets in a gas station.
Turns out that what she had pictured were some rusty screwdriver bits.

[chauncey]

A never before mentioned comment...

Many millenniums ago, when one of my duties was assisting during childbirth, it occurred to me
that newborns were not the most photogenic subject...

[rpcrowe]

A never before mentioned comment...

Many millenniums ago, when one of my duties was assisting during childbirth, it occurred to me
that newborns were not the most photogenic subject...

Chauncey... I agree but, don't try telling this to any mom of a newborn.

John... This doesn't work with puppies due to physiological differences

[IzzieK]

Pigs are different. They just pop out...hahahaha...nothing yucky...

[mknittle]

Pigs are different. They just pop out...hahahaha...nothing yucky...

I know of some yucky pigs though.

[Shadowman]

Chauncey... I agree but, don't try telling this to any mom of a newborn.

John... This doesn't work with puppies due to physiological differences

This one seems doable. Place baby on its belly with upper torso on pillow facing camera

[pnodrog]

Scale it up a bit and use your 42 year old baby as a model. At 42 will at least understand instructions but of course may refuse to smile while wearing a nappy (diaper)....

Actually a real life example would be useful.

[rpcrowe]

I don't have any babies in my life now, which is really something that I do not regret!

[Acorn]

You sound just like me, Richard, not that I was into infant photography. Many moves and downsizing has meant dumping negs and practically all of my prints.