I spend a good deal of time shopping for newborn props. Having just discovered Home Goods, I’ve been on a real good one lately. I’m always finding beautiful fabrics, gorgeous backgrounds, beautiful props and gorgeous baskets. In the last week I’ve spent nearly $200 in blankets and baskets.
The problem is, some babies don’t want to be budged from the warm and comfy bean bag where I have them laying. Usually, to go into a bowl or on top of a wreath of flowers is not very comfortable. I end up doing more poses on the bean bag than I do the props because many babies just don’t want to be budged.
So last night, unable to sleep, I came across a Facebook group that I hadn’t checked in a while. Somewhere deep down in a post I read that using digital back drops really allows you more beautiful looks without the hassle of having to move the baby. This really intrigued me, as I have been a newborn photographer for over 20 years and have accumulated quite a mass of newborn props which, many, I rarely use. So I scoured the Facebook group for recommendations on beautiful digital backdrops. I couldn’t believe the affordability. I had, just last night, agonized over purchasing a purple flowered wreath for $50 at Joann’s fabrics. It didn’t really even look that spectacular. I found one at Home Goods for $25 that looked even less spectacular. I put it back and told myself that why would find a way to make it more beautiful and more affordable. So the first thing I did, was look for a purple flower wreath newborn digital backdrop.
It cost me about 10 bucks from an Etsy shop called Pixie Drops.
I will have links at the bottom to all my favorite shops.
And this is the newborn photo that I digitally made using Photoshop from a previous newborn photography shoot that I had done in my studio here in Orange County.
Now, I’m not going to say that this was the simplest process. It definitely takes some pretty highly technical photo shopping and photography skills to be able to do this and make it look real and natural. It’s a bit more complicated than you would imagine. You have to initially shoot the baby in approximately the same lighting, with approximately the same sheet underneath the baby and hopefully the same texture. Then you digitally have to mask the baby off of the original image and into the new digital newborn backdrop.
That takes some pretty technical skills. Trust me.. I consider myself highly trained in Photoshop and I agonized a bit with the images I made. I spent the last day and a half playing with old newborn photo shoots I have and trying to fit them into new digital backdrops that I just purchased … I would have to say that it’s not super easy.
It does take some higher Photoshop skills. Tomorrow I’m going to be working on a YouTube tutorial on how to do this exact thing in Photoshop and I’ll put a link at the bottom of this blog post so that if you happen to be a photographer that bumps into this post, I will teach you step-by-step exactly how to use newborn digital backdrops.
Here is another sample of a really cool moon that I have been wanting to make for the last five years. I’ve gone so far as to look up all the material that I need to make it. If I wanted to purchase the moon I’ve seen prices upwards of $200 to $300.
But..look!! Here it is!
And here it what I did with it!
This digital backdrop also cost me around 10 bucks. That’s an amazing deal to be able to offer my clients affordable newborn photography with flexibility in regards to backgrounds and props and more. The super high-end studios are going to charge you between $1000 and $3000 for newborn photography with these types of products. But now I can offer the same look at my reasonably attainable price.
Here are more samples from the work I’ve been doing the last couple of days on newborn digital backdrops.
I love this darling in this pink flowered nest
OOOH and this baby in this hangin flowered wreath.. this is one of my favorites!
Of course the high key (mostly white) photo of this darling in a wood bowl.. so super cute!
Plus this last one.. with this flowered wood stump or is it a trunk.. I don’t know it’s freakin adorable!
And I’m going to start introducing some digital newborn backdrops into my normal newborn photography work. There is already quite some interest in the look as it is very different and very beautiful. At this point the pricing won’t change for newborn photography. Although this type of digital work is very labor-intensive, I’m assuming that when I’m shooting just for the digital background it will become easier and less labor-intensive. Let me know if you like it by commenting below. I think that I’m sold on this process. I really like the flexibility of having nicer higher end props and flowers without having to extend more expensive pricing to you guys in the long run. It’s a win win!
Here are some of my favorite shops digital backdrop shops!
Sweet Lazy Hippo https://www.etsy.com/shop/SweetLazyHippo?ref=l2-shopheader-name
Luisa Dunn Digital Backdrops http://luisadunnphotography.com.au/digital-backgrounds/
Pixie Drop Backdrops https://www.etsy.com/shop/PixiedropsBackdrops?ref=l2-shopheader-name
Little Pose Overlays https://www.etsy.com/shop/LittlePoseOverlays?ref=l2-shopheader-name
Sasha Digital Drops https://www.etsy.com/shop/Sashasdigitaldrops?ref=l2-shopheader-name
Tiny Poser Designs https://www.etsy.com/shop/TinyPoserDesigns?ref=l2-shopheader-name
Renata Freire Digitals https://www.etsy.com/shop/RenataFreireDigitals?ref=l2-shopheader-name
Newborn Studio Shop https://www.etsy.com/shop/NewbornStudioShop?ref=l2-shopheader-name
Sara Wilkes Newborn Goodness https://www.etsy.com/shop/NewbornGoodness?ref=l2-shopheader-name
Enjoy! Have fun.. if you have any technical questions.. let me know below and I will try my best to help!
Update 3/7/18 OK So here it is as promised… a video to show you step by step how I put a newborn baby into a digital newborn backdrop or background. Check it out and please comment on Youtube or here what you thought!
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