Pose: Side Lying
This pose was always one of the more challenging poses for me to learn and master. To the general public it looks like a pretty easy pose to do, but there is a lot more that goes into it than one may realize! From the little fingers, to body angle, all the way down to the toes, there is a method I follow and details that I try to perfect each time.
For obvious reasons the face should always be the focal point and to do this the face must be the closest thing to your camera. The body is then angled backwards with knees and feet stacked. I like to flatten the fingers under the little jawline/cheek area. Not all babies let me perfect the fingers and not all babies will keep there feet stacked... but that is the goal! All of these positions are held in place by posing tools that are used underneath the fabric. They are placed strategically to keep everything where I want them!
I either do this pose in a little outfit or I drape a coordinating swaddle over the diaper! Sometimes I will add a little bonnet, hat, or headband, and I may even slide a little stuffed animal in there if babe is pretty sleepy!
Lighting this pose is the other piece of the puzzle. If babies head is not positioned to favor the light properly you will get unwanted highlights or shadows. Getting the lighting correct in camera is way easier than trying to fix everything in Photoshop later. It is always what gives newborn photos that beautiful creamy look! Remember, you will never be able to fix poor lighting with a preset. For presets to look the way they are intended you must get the basics correct first!
