Fresh 48 Photography - Dealing with Dark & Small Hospitals | Balboa Naval Hospital

Sep 11

Written By Morning Owl Fine Art Photography San Diego CA

Fresh 48 Newborn Boy Session | Balboa Naval Hospital | San Diego, CA

Lets talk about the 4 most important things to remember when going into a dark and small hospital room for Fresh-48 Newborn photo session.

Make the Most of the Natural Light…

First. I stay far away from flash when working with newborns in a lifestyle fresh 48 type of session. Not that there is anything horrible about it, I just don’t prefer it's disruption. Additionally, artificial, overhead lighting flatters no one. While it might seem tempting to turn on the hospital room lighting on a dark day, DON’T DO IT. When you go home and attempt to edit in a mixed lighting situation, you will have so many regrets.

What you want to do instead is make that window your best friend even if it's small. Most furniture in the room is on wheels; the crib, the reclining chair, the bed…it’s all moveable. If you’re photographing a Fresh 48 on a particularly dreary light day or in a small dark hospital room (like in Navy Medical San Diego), move everything away from the window and get close with the bassinet - add in parents hands, etc.

Can you tell which of these were taken near the window versus using the overhead light?

2. Focus on Details & Emotions Versus Perfection.

We’re not here to worry about perfection. Fresh 48 or birth space sessions tend to trend towards the documentary photography end of the spectrum. This means that they are more true-to-life, less styled, and more “real”.

Striving for perfection can make a newly post-partum mom stressed or self-conscious during a time that she should be focused on bonding with her new baby - and nothing else -.

Some key things to not shy away from photographing: Any swaddling attempts, “ugly” newborn hospital clothes or pacifier, umbilical cord stump, wrinkled/red/purple feet, those initial feeds (if comfortable), burping, yawning, crying, wimpering, diaper changing. It’s all cute when you’re only 48 hours old!

3. Black & Whites Can Improve the Emotional Value of an Image.

Sometimes you can just embrace the grain or go with black and white. Honestly, black and white images are really iconic! One of my most favorite photos of my daughter (ever) is a black and white profile image of my daughter with rim lighting from the window (like the one below). Sometimes it just improves the photo all together!

Check out the series of photos below and decide which look best in Black and white or in Color then let me know in the comments.

4. Utilize High Key Lighting & Silhouettes.

In addition to black and white imagery, shooting towards the window allows for highlighting of details like peach fuzzy baby faces, connection of parents hands, and are less distracting photos (most of the time). It’s important to always keep baby’s face parallel to the light or down the forehead when trying to capture these types of images.

Here are some examples and some of my favorites not already shared. Keep in mind this gallery was chosen by family -more images were captured during this mini session-

How to do this in San Diego CA.

Just Let me know if you want your kiddo captured and I can get you on the books in Southern California!

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Lets talk about the 4 most important things to remember when going into a dark and small hospital room for Fresh-48 Newborn photo session.

1. Make the Most of the Natural Light…First. I stay far away from flash when working with newborns in a lifestyle fresh 48 type of session. Not that there is anything horrible about it, I just don’t prefer it's disruption.

2. Focus on Details & Emotions Versus Perfection. We’re not here to worry about perfection. Fresh 48 or birth space sessions tend to trend towards the documentary photography end of the spectrum. This means that they are more true-to-life, less styled, and more “real”.

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