Capturing those luscious, pouty lips is one of the most popular choices in newborn macro photography.
It’s also one of the most challenging!
The focal depth for a macro photograph is extremely shallow – only a very small portion of your photo will be in focus, and the rest will blur in that yummy creaminess we love so much.
Whereas little fingers or toes are usually captured on the same focal plane, and are thus all in focus, with lips you are often taking the shot at an angle. This means that to get enough of the lips in focus to be impactful, you will have to close down your aperture significantly.
And with a small aperture (easily f8 or more!) and a shutter speed that needs to be fast to avoid camera shake, you may find yourself challenged to find enough light to expose correctly. It will require experimentation if you’re using studio lighting, and careful subject placement (and a raised ISO) if you’re using natural light.
Another thing to look out for is placing your lighting so baby’s lips shows the light reflection. Having that shiny spot on lips work much the same as catch lights do in eyes – it gives lips some depth and dimension.
Different angles will produce images with a different feel. Try them all and see which you (and your client!) prefer.
90 Degrees
This is the perfect angle to capture the pouty shape of newborn lips, but also the hardest to get enough of the lips in focus.
45 Degrees
This angle still gets you lots of detail, but is a lot more forgiving in terms of depth of field.
Straight on
At this angle, most of the lips should be in focus, and you will often capture a sweet little nose and eyes too as they will be on the same focal plane.
Details
A little yawn, or some spit bubbles, or milk-chapped lips are all fleeting moments of newborn life, so if you see it, be sure to capture those for parents.
Newborn macro photography requires a skill set above and beyond regular newborn photography skills, so grab your macro lens, and practice, practice, practice! You definitely need to get a feel for it first, so grab those flowers, insects, leaves, toys, etc. around your home, and see what amazing things your macro lens can do!
And for some in-depth instruction on all things newborn photography, dive into the (online) Newborn Retreat – where you will learn how to master the art of newborn & maternity photography all from the comfort of home.
