Photographer Olympics

Someone on a photography forum that Danna and I visit coined this phrase, and it was one of those “it’s funny ’cause it’s true” moments. With the 2010 Winter Olympics happening right now in Vancouver, I thought this post would be timely.

I think wedding photographers have been participating in the Photographer Olympics for some time now. If you walk through the print competition at WPPI, you see that wedding photography has become such an artform, such an amazing skill – that it almost feels like a photo of a smiling bride and groom just doesn’t cut it anymore. The brides are cooler, the dresses are trashier, the locations more and more gritty and intense. They are incredible images, and truly inspiring to see. However, these brides and grooms (or models) are adults , and can speak freely with their photographers about what they like, dislike, want to do, have objections to.

The newest event – Newborns in Odd Places – is something else entirely though. We’ve been seeing countless babies being put in VERY unsafe situations and frankly, it’s scaring the hell out of us. There seems so be a bit of a one-upmanship going on in baby photography these days, where it’s all about who can get the coolest shot. There are a lot of fantastic newborn photographers working right now, and I admire their passion to be innovative, and their talent with babies. I also realize that above all, these are businesses – and must run profitably, and put the studio and the photographer in the best light. So it may not behoove them to fully explain how each shot is done – especially if they are teaching workshops where they spill their secrets. However, I think it is amazing of them when they explain when a newborn shot is a composite (two photos brought together to make one image) so that there are not countless other newborn photographers putting babies at harms way in order to duplicate a fantastic shot they see on Flickr.

For example, there is a pose that is popular right now where the baby looks like a sack of potatoes. The originators of this shot do it as a composite. They DO NOT have a baby wrapped tightly in a blanket and then sitting up on a wooden floor unassisted. They hold the baby from one side, snap the photo. Hold the baby from the other side, snap the photo. Blend the two in Photoshop and erase out any hands. Voila. I have however, seen other photographers try this and it was obvious that the image was no composite. Now to be fair – I had no idea that it was a composite at first. In fact, my eyes have been opened now to find that a lot of amazing newborn images that I have long admired are also in fact composites.

Now is it the responsibility of the originating photographer to tell everyone it is a composite? Of course not. They created art – and there was a reason why those hands were edited out in the first place. But it IS the responsibility of the dozens of photographers trying to duplicate the shot to step back and think about what they are doing. Is it safe? Is there even the slightest chance this baby will be harmed? These babies are often less than 2 weeks old, with undeveloped neck muscles and giant soft spots on their heads. Is there anyone on earth that wants to put that baby in a situation where it might come crashing into the floor?

Hanging babies, placing babies on precarious ledges (my image of my daughter Charlotte on a bookcase is a popular one with clients) are all opportunities for an amazing photograph yes, but also an opportunity for a baby to be seriously injured. Personally, I don’t do any hanging newborn shots and whenever I place a baby on a shelf that baby needs to be swaddled tightly so that it doesn’t move a muscle and I keep a parent right there to spot. I don’t do a ton of crazy things with babies because I find those images usually don’t sell – my clients just want simple images of their new baby.

But before I get too preachy, I will admit that earlier in my career I took some shots of babies that the parents wanted, but made me feel very uncomfortable doing. (Yes, I had a baby in a tree. YIKES!) Now that I am more experienced, I have no problems telling parents when I feel the shot is unsafe. If as a photographer you are doing a newborn shot where there is a chance for the baby to be injured, think about doing a composite and erasing the supporting hands out in Photoshop. If this is more than your PS skills allow for, then perhaps the shot is not the wisest one to create. Fantastic photography is all about taking personal risks, challenging yourself to be better. Taking risks with a baby’s safety is just not worth any fantastic image you could possibly get. Sometimes the safest place for a baby to be (the parents’ arms) is the most beautiful image you could create.

I think the most important thing to realize as a newborn photographer is that you are hired to create images of a beloved baby, images that are sweet and give the parents a record of its newness and pure innocence. If you are a new photographer, start your career by taking simple shots of these little babies. Newborn photography can actually be very difficult and takes time, patience and experience to get the posing down correctly. Walk before you run, spend hours training for your event and get the newborn basics down before attempting any shot seen during the Photographer Olympics.