Tackling the Yellow Side of Newborn Photography

So here is yet another pre-Covid baby I’m finally getting around to posting.  This wonderful little newborn’s name is Cameron and he actually had a scary start to life as he had to spend a couple days in the NICU.  That’s Neo-natal Intensive Care Unit.  In fact, this was the second baby in the span of a few weeks that had to spend time in this unit.  It’s really no big deal and quite common… the main reason newborns have to visit the NICU is for jaundice or if they’re born early.  In Cameron’s case it was so he could be put on an antibiotic regimen.

Alternatively, when babies have jaundice they can spend up to a week in their little incubator receiving phototherapy.  They lie on a light therapy blanket and have special lights shining down on them that help eradicate the yellow.  Luckily, this wasn’t a jaundice case because often when the babies have received the phototherapy and are released there is still a significant amount of yellow left and that can be a pain for any newborn photographer.  No so much the actual photography, but in photoshop afterwards.  At this point in my career I could teach a masterclass in removing jaundice from a baby’s skin in photoshop,

Trust me, it’s no easy feat.  Removing the yellow color results in more red left in the baby’s skin.  So then you have to remove that extra ‘red’, which then brings you back to more yellow, and back and forth you go until finally – there’s nothing left to work with!  A muddy grey color that no one would like is staring you in the face.  The trick is to bring another component into the mix – light.  But that’s as far as I’ll go, you’ll have to take my masterclass to learn all my secrets!

Cameron’s photo shoot went off without a hitch and we were able to get some wonderful pictures.  Lucky for him his visit to the NICU happened prior to Covid because I’m sure that would have added yet another layer of stress for Mom and Dad.  It’s already difficult enough having to view and enjoy your baby through the plastic shield of an incubator, but current distancing guidelines in most hospitals would make it almost untenable.

So good luck to Cameron and all the brand new babies being born during this crazy time!