She was born on a Sunday, about a month ago. And her name starts with A. We faked studio shots with a combination of a black velvet pillow and 2 black sweatshirts that served as backdrops, and used natural light from the windows. Usually babies are swaddled in pastel colors. We rarely swaddle babies in black. Ever seen a baby dressed in black?
For an immediate dramatic effect, place a nude baby on a black or dark background. Hmm. I suppose this depends on the color of the baby. Well, pick a contrasting shade, in a solid color. No distracting blanket wrinkles, or cutesy giraffe print. Just pudgy baby shape.
I'm thinking of making a black velvet(een) blanket, for the sole purpose of photographing babies. It has to be a fuzzy material because, as I discovered today, with my dark brown high-thread count sheet, that babies slide off of smooth fabrics. Fuzzy fabric also helps to absorb light (reduces glare), making for a rich contrasty black.
The number of poses for a young baby are rather limited. On her back, on her front, propped up against a pillow or parent.... and that's about it.
