The first weeks, the first teeth, the first time sitting up, the first birthday. Every parent wants to capture those moments, but a professional baby shoot quickly costs several hundred euros, and then there is that one moment when your little one is simply not in the mood. More and more parents therefore choose a middle ground: renting a photo studio and shooting it themselves with a smartphone. You get the calm, the soft light, the props and the clean background of a studio, but at your own pace, with no stranger in the room and for a fraction of the price. In this article you will read how to go about it, what is waiting for you in the studio and what to watch out for with a baby.
Why a studio and not just at home?
At home you shoot with changing daylight, a busy interior and a phone that decides the exposure for you. That is fine for snapshots, but for a series of photos you want to print or frame later, you want three things: a plain background, soft, constant light and a warm, quiet room. That is exactly what a studio is.
At Studio BoenkOp you choose from the white infinity wall, a black wall, a modern wooden slat wall. The temperature is controlled, the blackout curtains keep harsh daylight out and there is nobody else in the room. You book online, receive an access code and have the whole studio to yourself.
Why continuous light is ideal for a baby
Studio flashes fire a bright burst of light that can startle a newborn, and on top of that they do not work with a smartphone. Our LED video lights simply stay on, soft and flicker-free. You see immediately on your screen how the light falls, your baby gets used to it calmly, and there is no technology to pair. Place one lamp in a large softbox at an angle above the baby so the light falls from the head towards the feet (never from below upwards, which creates unnatural shadows). A white reflector on the other side gives soft, open shadows. Done.
With the bi-color lamps you choose a warm colour temperature for a cosy, skin-friendly image. For a cake smash or a colourful birthday picture later on, the RGB spots put a pastel colour on the background in seconds.
What is ready for your baby shoot
You do not need to bring a car full of stuff. Our furniture and props page shows everything, but this is what parents use most:
- Wicker baskets in two sizes, perfect as a "nest" for a newborn (always with a blanket or fur inside and a hand within reach).
- Fur rugs in white and grey and a chunky knitted throw as a soft base.
- A foldable bed and a sofa for photos with mum and dad in them.
- Children's chairs in different styles, ideal as soon as your little one can sit.
- Wooden crates and white plinths for the classic "sitting in a crate" photo and for milestone boards or numbers.
Bring yourself: a couple of hats or wraps, a favourite cuddly toy, a number or month board, and above all a second adult. Photographing and holding a baby at the same time does not work.
Safety always comes first
Professional newborn photographers work with assistants and tricks that look safe in photos but are not. Do not copy them as a parent. A few fixed rules:
- Never leave your baby alone on a raised surface, in a basket or on a plinth. There is always a hand close by, which you can crop out later in a photo editing app if needed.
- No poses in which the head is not supported. A sleeping baby on their back or side on a soft fur is at least as beautiful.
- Keep the room warm and the lamps at a distance. LED gets far less warm than old lamps, but do not place them right next to your child.
- Plan around naps and bring feeds. A content baby is the best photographer.
The exposure tip that changes everything
Your smartphone assumes every scene is on average grey. On our white wall or on a white fur it therefore makes the image too dark and dull. The fix takes five seconds:
Android: press and hold the screen for a couple of seconds until exposure and focus lock, then slide the sun icon to the right until the fur is truly white.
iPhone: tap your baby, hold until you see "AE/AF Lock", and slide the sun icon next to the frame upwards.
If you are working on the black wall, do the opposite. All the other smartphone tips (which lens, no flash, clean lens, grid on) are in our guide smartphone photography in the studio.
Milestone series: the same image every month
The best thing about a studio is repeatability. Pick one background, one fur, one lamp position and one spot for your phone, and take a photo of that setup. Bring that photo next month, put everything in the same place, and after a year you have twelve perfectly comparable images in which your little one visibly grows. A two-hour session is more than enough for that; many combine it with a few family photos on the sofa or the bed.
Ideas per stage:
- Newborn (1 to 3 weeks): asleep on the fur, in the basket, mum and dad's hands around them, close-ups of feet and fingers with the telephoto lens (2x).
- 3 to 5 months: on the tummy on the fur, head up, looking at a cuddly toy right next to the phone.
- 6 to 9 months: sitting in a children's chair or wooden crate, with a number board next to them.
- 1 year: standing at the bench, or a cake smash. For a cake smash, work on the laminate floor next to the infinity wall, with a large cloth or sheet on the ground: stains on the infinity wall or backdrop paper are charged.
What does it cost?
Two hours of studio cost 95 euro, everything included: lamps, backgrounds, baskets, furs, chairs and the bed. Compare that with a professional newborn shoot and you understand why more and more parents do it themselves, and then repeat it every month. Want to give it to new parents as a gift? There is a gift card too.
Book your slot online, pick a moment after the morning nap, and bring only your smartphone, a blanket and a helping hand. The rest is ready in Aalst.
Feel like getting to work yourself? Discover everything about renting a photo studio in Aalst — or book your slot right away.
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