Pet Photography or Newborn Photography?

Welcome to Corgie Photography!  Today we had a special addition to the newborn session… a corgie who will serve as an older sibling to this beautiful little newborn.  I normally don’t have pets in the photos with the babies but we made an exception since this was a friend of the family.  Pet photography is notoriously difficult because of the unpredictable nature of animals, but in this case it worked out perfect!

In fact, newborn photography and pet photography actually have quite a few things in common including the preference of natural light over studio light.  Almost all pet photo sessions are done outdoors or close to a window.  With newborn photography there are fans on both sides.  There are those who like to see a more ethereal, natural light washing over the baby, or those who relish a more traditional look mindful of a studio setting.  I try to incorporate both aspects in my photography with a dash of natural light mixed in with my studio lights.

Ultimately though, the most important feature they have in common is the photographer’s need for PATIENCE.  Although infants sleep quite a bit they have their bouts of crying that can bring any photo shoot to a halt in a hurry.  At least with dogs you can offer up a reward in the form of a treat to try and calm things down.  In a newborn shoot the mother’s milk is about the only ‘treat’ available but that unfortunately has its limits.  For a cranky baby there are sometimes no solutions except silence and time.

The good news is most newborn don’t bite, so in the end the life of a newborn photographer is probably a little safer than a pet photographer so I think I’ll stay right where I am for now!