Tiny toes and tiny fingers....they instantly make my heart melt!! There is just something about being in the presence of a brand new baby that has just entered this world! Not only do I have the opportunity to hold a fresh little peanut this weekend, I get the honor of doing her first photo shoot!! The thought of molding and creating art with a teeny tiny 10 day old baby just makes my heart skip a beat!! It's not only her first photo shoot, it is my first infant shoot as well! And that goes without saying I'm sooo excited yet overwhelmed at the same time!!
The number one piece of advice I have gotten from everyone is to "be prepared!" Newborns will run the show, and you need patience, patience, patience to survive! I've been doing a lot of research on how to SAFELY handle a newborn, how to wrap and pose them, how to position them for the best light, and also how to create a "newborn set."
The main component of a newborn set is the baby beanbag! That's easy.....just run to Walmart and grab a cheap one!! Or so I thought! The majority of "newborn tip" blog posts that I've read all say, that yes, the cheap beanbags will get the job done, but you have to work really hard to get the look you want. Because there is not much stuffing in a regular beanbag, the baby will sink down the middle, and if you try to over stuff it it turns into a big giant ball. The ideal beanbag for newborn photography looks more like an ottoman! It is flat on the top and bottom.....it looks something like this.....
This particular beanbag is from Shootbaby.com and is priced at $95! That does not include the stuffing inside! After taking one look at this, and seeing the price, I decided to put my sewing skills to the test. I found a great tutorial HERE!
And here is my final result.....
Not too shabby! Thank you to my sweet mom for helping me construct this monster of an ottoman! It is 42" in diameter and 14" high! It also took a LOT of stuffing!! When I say a lot I am talking 2 comforters, 2 boxes of peanuts, 2 pillows and a sleeping bag!!! NO KIDDING!!!
I got the vinyl (4 yards) at Hobby Lobby at 40% off for $23, and the needle/thread for around $4. Other than that, I had all other supplies (including the stuffing)! So for $27 dollars and a LOT of help from my mom, I now have my very own Newborn Photography Beanbag!!
Wish me luck this weekend!! I am open to any tips you may have!!!
Very Very cool!!!!! I might have to tackle that myself one day if I am every given the opportunity to do a newborn session.
ReplyDeletegreat job, I am a newborn photographer let me know if you and your mom would be willing to make me one. Obviously I would pay!
ReplyDeleteDid you make inner bags? Just wondering how you are going to move this around for onsite photography. I love this idea though
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