Newborn portraits and lighting questions

[e1rlindsay]

Hello all,

I have a friend with a new baby who I will be doing portraits for tomorrow; she was born August 7th, so so will be 7 days old. I've never done newborn portraits and am doing this for free, just for experience and because they really want some photos done.

I've been doing lots of research and have given them all the knowledge up front (keep the temp warm in the apartment, soft music or white noise, clean up area with best window light, etc.), however they tell me their apartment is surrounded in trees, but that they think they still have pretty good window light. If this proves not to be true, what are the risks or problems if i decided to use my bounce flash (off the white ceiling)? It's an on-camera, external flash (Yong-nuo 468ii).

Also, i don't have a reflector, but i've read that you can use white poster board or foam board as a cheap replacement? Any thoughts on this? Would it be better to use a cheap reflector like this with whatever window light I have available, rather than to try and use bounce flash?

Thanks! Any other tips and advice are welcomed! I know there are a lot of good threads already out there, and i'm trying to read them all, but the shoot is tomorrow, so i don't have a lot of time.

Emily

[toolman21]

Originally Posted by e1rlindsay

Hello all,

I have a friend with a new baby who I will be doing portraits for tomorrow; she was born August 7th, so so will be 7 days old. I've never done newborn portraits and am doing this for free, just for experience and because they really want some photos done.

I've been doing lots of research and have given them all the knowledge up front (keep the temp warm in the apartment, soft music or white noise, clean up area with best window light, etc.), however they tell me their apartment is surrounded in trees, but that they think they still have pretty good window light. If this proves not to be true, what are the risks or problems if i decided to use my bounce flash (off the white ceiling)? It's an on-camera, external flash (Yong-nuo 468ii).

Also, i don't have a reflector, but i've read that you can use white poster board or foam board as a cheap replacement? Any thoughts on this? Would it be better to use a cheap reflector like this with whatever window light I have available, rather than to try and use bounce flash?

Thanks! Any other tips and advice are welcomed! I know there are a lot of good threads already out there, and i'm trying to read them all, but the shoot is tomorrow, so i don't have a lot of time.

Emily

Sounds like you have a grasp on it pretty well already, I have personally never tried it, so take my thoughts as such. However I will rather soon because I have twins on the way. In any case from everything I have read most people tend to like natural light, the foam board works great and can even be found at a dollar tree type store for a buck, worse case 3ish at most other stores. If you have to use flash I would aim for the ceiling or upper corner off to one side (unless the walls are some strange color that will create a color cast) to try to get somewhat directional light if you want the "window" look (shadows and what not). As long as you aren't pointing the flash directly at the baby you should be fine.