Photographing 2 and 3 month old babies is almost like photographing 2 and 3 year old children: they are unique and wonderful stages, but a huge challenge! These are generally the ages that lead more experienced photographers to face their biggest fears and insecurities. It's because?
If at 2 and 3 years old the child is in a phase where they are more autonomous, trying to assert themselves and achieve their desires, often deciding that they simply don't want to take photographs, at 2 and 3 months we have babies in a less photogenic phase where many Sometimes we don't have more than 15-30 minutes of good energy.
In fact, it's not the most interesting time to take photos, but damn, how can you resist those cheeks and curious looks?
Parents often come to us to take photos at this age because they chose not to do a newborn photo session, but still want photos of their little baby. Other times they are the first sessions of the follow-up plans.
In recent times we have been photographing many "older" babies, because due to the pandemic situation we are experiencing, parents ended up deciding to protect their newborn babies when it all started, and because we were closed due to the state of emergency.
And if for a long time I debated these sessions with myself, because deep down I thought it was an unphotogenic phase, often convincing parents to do the session a few months later, at this point I have surrendered. In fact, for some time now I have been dedicated to discovering the best techniques for photographing this phase, and I was simply captivated.
Of course, it is not a type of session that replaces the typical newborn session, as it is more limited in terms of poses, expressions and even duration, but when parents did not have the opportunity to photograph their babies who were just a few days old, this is without a doubt an excellent option.
Today I decided to share some characteristics of sessions with 2 and 3 month old babies, so that parents know what to count on when considering photographing their children at this age.
It's a short session!
Of course, this varies a lot from baby to baby, but very rarely in this age group do we find babies who spend more than 30 minutes in a good mood. This is because a photography studio has a lot of new information that they will try to assimilate, and this is an age where they absorb it all! In addition, there are changes of clothes, attracting attention to try to get some curious glances, and all of this naturally shortens the window of good mood.
But that doesn't mean we have to end the moment sleep starts to show signs. At this moment I generally like to dedicate myself to photographing details, interaction with parents, cuddling and holding.
It's a session without smiles!
The 2 and 3 month old baby easily recognizes his parents and already smiles a lot at their expressions and voices. However, with strangers it is a little more difficult to do so, because in a session in addition to the whole world of colors and textures that they love to taste, and that are there around them capturing all their attention, it can be a little scary for a baby to have a big camera in front of their face.
It's an unplanned session!
As much as we would like to be able to prepare and plan our work, the truth is that we work with children and the unexpected is always lurking. And if this is true for all age groups, at this specific age it is an assumed fact. We never know when we will have to change strategy, plans and set-up. But if there is one strategy that always works, it is feeding the baby to calm him down. This allows them to receive food, but most important of all is to receive that pampering, comfort and warmth that they so need to feel safe in a new environment.
Of course, most of the time this moment is intimate between mother and child, but other times mothers don't mind being photographed at all, and we often include this type of set in the session's workflow.
It's a session where parents are the key point!
We don't always do this, but in some types of sessions we even advise parents to sit on the couch and just watch. Not only because we prefer to have parents more relaxed so they can take advantage of that moment, but also because having parents too close can cause crying reactions.
However, they are always a key piece. And if sometimes we only need them at the end of the session, for family photographs, other times it is their interaction that allows us to keep the baby calm and comfortable. It is often in these unexpected moments that we take unique photographs of the mother kissing her foot and the father holding her hand.
Photo sessions of sleeping newborn babies are beautiful and priceless!
They are a wonderful moment full of tenderness and details so valuable that our memory doesn't even have the capacity to assimilate them.
But at 2 and 3 months we have the opportunity to capture glimpses of their personality.
The first pleats on the thighs, the true color of the eyes, the first looks of admiration. Definitely a stage that deserves to be recorded and not forgotten.
It's a session that requires a little more creativity and pocket tricks, but it's well worth it!