Five Tips for Shooting Your Own Pictures in the Hospital

Five Tips for Shooting Your Own Pictures in the Hospital

It’s no secret that this is one of the worst times to be having a baby. There’s so many restrictions being put in place preventing birthing couples to have the support system they had always envisioned. I wanted to create a happy post, one that guides you in terms of shooting your own pictures in the hospital. This works so great using your phones portrait mode!

Outfits

Don’t over complicate this. Pick one or two simple outfits for this. Make sure they’re not too distracting, or too big. A great option is a knotted gown; they’re simple, classic, and so so cute! Another great option I love is the little shirts provided by the hospital, they’re already provided free of charge so you don’t have to shop for them! Lastly, a swaddle. Whether you have your own, or use the one provided by the hospital, they’re both easy and classic – helpful hint, ask the nurses to help swaddle baby, they’re pros at it!

Lighting

Don’t use the hospital lighting, let me repeat that again, don’t use it! Turn off all the lights in your room, and open the window shades as much as possible. I tend to do my fresh 48 sessions in the morning/early afternoon for the best lighting. However, if the sun is directly shining in your room, wait until it completely passes, you don’t want that harsh direct lighting. Place the bassinet parallel with the window, and shoot away, just make sure you aren’t blocking the light!

Angles

You’ll want to get the bassinet as close to the window as possible. I usually move any couches or furniture out of the way if I can. Angle the bassinet parallel to the window, start with the shots there, and then adjust it to a 45-90 degree angle and take some more shots. Try to capture all the shots from multiple angles to get a good variety.

Shot List

  1. Baby in bassinet (full body, close up, side profile close up + full body)
  2. Details (fingers, toes, hospital bands, letter boards, etc.)
  3. Parents hands around baby, holding their hands or toes.
  4. Each parent holding baby (near the window works best, on the bed is good too)
  5. Family shot (self timer, or ask the nurse to come in and snap a few pictures for you – look at each other, look at baby, and look at the camera; get nice and close, the closer you are the more emotional the shots look)

Editing

Lightroom mobile, it’s an app for your phone that will allow you to do basic adjustments (exposure, color balance, etc.) you can also buy presets online, Etsy is a great option to browse depending on what style you’re looking for. For all of my hospital birth + fresh 48 clients, while we’ re in the midst of this pandemic, please don’t hesitate to send me your pictures and I’ll happily edit them for free.

If you’re ready to set up your future birth or newborn session with us, or have any questions on how to prepare for a birth session (with me, of course) – feel free to take a look at our package list and contact us!

If you’re searching for an Arizona Birth Photographer, please contact me to schedule your session today; I only accept a limited amount of births per month to ensure adequate time around each due date.