Moody Newborn Photography | Boston Infant Photographer
Am I a moody photographer or a light and airy photographer?
This is a common question that photographers ask themselves. As artists, we are often pressured to hone in on one style or another when the answer is not always black and white. The other day I posted on instagram about the topic of editing style. Do I create moody newborn photography or light and airy? The answer, I concluded, was neither and both. As it turns out, a lot of photographers felt similarly.
You see, my goal as your newborn or family photographer is to reflect YOUR story. Sometimes I walk into a family’s home and they have a very light and airy style. Their walls are white or cream. The nursery is full of bright/light neutral colors. Window light is reflected and multiplied when it hits other white/light surfaces creating an abundance of “clean” light. As a result, their photographs will be light and airy.
What Environment Makes for “Moody” Newborn Photography?
If a family has a dark wall color, darker colored sheets or couches or rich/deep colored floors, the result will be a “moodier” look. For non-photographers, this just means that the overall image will look a little darker to your eye. The subjects in both light rooms and moody rooms will be the same brightness, exposed properly according to skin tone.
As I mentioned above, in a light room, the light bounces and reflects off all surfaces, filling the space. In a room with dark walls, the light is absorbed so things behind your lit subjects will fall into shadows. While the overall look and feel is darker, the nice thing about this moody look is that it really highlights your subject!
A darker room for me means less light overall to work with. It can make a session more challenging and limit the available locations to photograph a family in. However, one of the benefits to more moody newborn photography is its ability to make a photograph *feel* cozy.
In-Home Newborn Photography Is Personal
One of the best things about being a lifestyle newborn photographer (in-home) is that your home is your backdrop. The images we create together will never not be “your style”. If you are a light, bright, modern person, chances are that the decor choices you make inside your home reflect that. Maybe you’re a little more funky and like a punch of color….well, your house likely reflects that too!
If you are neither a light and airy or a moody newborn photographer, how do you define your style?
For me, editing style and shooting style are vastly different things. While I like a certain amount of contrast and to use light a certain way, I am an editing chameleon based on the backdrop and situation. My shooting style I would describe as laid-back, emotive, and authentic. For newborn sessions especially, I want you to feel comfortable. Your in-home newborn session should feel like one of those lazy Sundays where you snuggle in bed and hang out with your family. My goal is to create imagery that brings back those feelings of when your child was new. I am inspired by the environment I am shooting in and want your photographs to feel like you!
Are you having a baby in 2020? Let’s chat about getting your family’s unique story told!
