mandydraper

I can't give you much info on printing the announcements, but I can give a few pointers on photographing newborns. I always photograph babies nude because then you can see how tiny they really are. It's nice if the parent can have the baby in some kind of soft diaper before you arrive so there aren't many diaper lines in the skin. I drape the mother in a black fabric and have her hold the baby. This helps with a calmer, happier newborn. I like to have a few shots with the mom's hands involved to show the scale of how tiny the baby really is. Newborns don't have the softest facial expressions, so I take some of the face, some of the whole body, and lots of body parts. It's nice to take some shots of them while asleep as well. Many times, babies will need a break and mom nursing the baby is usually helpful to calm and sooth the baby. I try to keep the photos as "G" rated as possible knowing that one day this baby will be dating and mom will show his/her baby photos around. I love using natural light or bounced flash to keep it as soft as possible. I've started using lighter backgrounds, but black is so easy and convenient - that's why it's predominant on my website. I like to look at other's work to get inspired. Check out my site www.mandydraper.com. Good luck tomorrow. Oh, almost forgot - when babies are naked, they still pee. Just be prepared ;) Mandy