Lessons

Lesson Info

Shoot: Parents with Four-Week Old

This is azra and I've seen lacey pray go like barely what you were when I first came in february were barely pregnant four months and then she was halfway there and now it's like so exciting you get attached ugo tina looking you cute boy. Okay, so he's awake he's four weeks old. This is an older baby so their eyes are starting to focus. I'm going to do something that kind of fun with him. Okay, so let's come on over here, sweetie. And I want you to actually sit facing that way, okay? And I want you to go ahead and put him over your left shoulder like you're burping in right children left shoulder left right to the end of the day. Good job. Okay, no hamburger I got I gotta gauge him a little bit and see what he's doing. Okay, make your sweater. In fact let's, go ahead and take your sweater off. Yeah, let's do that and all parents think that four weeks is young. They think that maybe you still newport. No it's, not quite a newborn at that point, but that's okay, I'll let you think that a...

nd lacey knows better, but she is my gosh, is he cute or what little peanut okay, so this is a really simple pose, okay, it's about baby he is look at him he's really trying hard to lift his head this is when a baby is a week you're going to be shooting more it's just too given it's going to take more to get the shot and it's a little of all stroke of luck okay, so I'm gonna go ahead and move to my eighty five millimeter lens real quick I shot with a fifty because I have two standing over a family I can't get that far away within eighty five and same thing with toddlers I tend to shoot toddlers uh with a fifty just so I can be close to them closer okay, so actually haven't done this pose in awhile, ok? Let's go and get the blanket off him that he really wants to look around and these when they get to this age this light is very like they're drawn to it so sometimes they will how you doing? Sometimes they will look up at it. Okay, you little bit he's talking everything yeah that's okay, let's help you out. You're gonna have to learn tummy time sooner or later but yeah, I know you're not gonna like it but you're gonna have to do that okay, can you go and just hold his fingers he's gonna want to pop up? I don't mind this is adorable I love him popping up like that I'm just gonna let him touch his arm in there like that go ahead let go this's why they you're going to be shooting a lot ok so let's go ahead and touch his arm to help himself and they don't really focus on you they can't okay their vision is not strong enough yet got him lift his head up just took that arm down perfect and a lot of this is a lot of guys a lot of this is is you know this perfect he looks like a quivering lips oh my god. Mmm mmm mmm and lacey's doing awesome yeah just help him out a little bit he's such a sweet little baby okay and let him go he'll pop up like I want to see the world delia okay sometimes it's us it's like you gotta wait for it but this is a really great post to do with it for we called parents are gonna love this look at that for pete's sake they're going to go bananas over this but you're going to shoot a lot to get one or two okay, so keep in mind when a baby is awake like this that's what you're going to end up doing but it's the stage they are able to kind of start doing this little bit reason their head but if you're going to get him asleep in the sleepy shot it's gonna take a while and it's going to be short lived and you're not able to do much so expect a baby at this age to be all about um I just love that to be all about staying awake and of course the biggest thing with this poses you want to get the light in the eyes so it's going to take some patients it's going to take some waiting and mama is simply a prop shit you're doing great lacey doing awesome he's okay and they get tired a lot and I have to rest working hard braking hard okay okay I'll say it now can you go and pop his arm and see if we can get him to do one more here I know it's hard work, huh? It's hard work old did you just smile at me my money you like I'm tired I can't do this anymore okay? Because that's just not the cues thing I pluck ok just like I mean hello parents are gonna freak over that he just smiled at us see he's so cute okay, so let's go and let her stand up and take a break and we're gonna wrap him and do some more family stuff with max and I mean okay the fists air balled up who cares? Yeah seriously anything like that okay it's chance I mean that's total start a lock right there with super cute lacey you have to see this oh my little man so it's my way so a total chance it really wasn't a smile I just happened to get it but anyway okay, so let's go ahead and move into a different pose we're gonna go ahead and wrap her up and I wanted tio burt burt position with him so I don't actually have you sit down here and we're gonna bring in max with all of you it is max I'm saying that correct right okay, I'm gonna have you actually face this direction perfect. Okay it's so fun to work with people you know? You know, because you're already connected to them and you know, what's really need so a little easier to connect. Okay? Let's go ahead and we've got gray and I think we're going to go ahead and I didn't go in but your sweater on so this is going to be a very modest kind of image some parents do like teo do newborns with um not a lot of skin showing especially if they want something for the birth announcement. Scientology oh, sorry. Beautiful. Okay, do it a lot of great today. I love it pretty. Okay um so I'm gonna go ahead and position him first with her and then we'll bring in you hi peanut here, some way we can turn the lights back on if someone wants to watch this I was tempted to not bring this because it's so bulky I drove up here from bend but then I realized I rap on this thing all the time and you want to do what's comfortable to you on a consistent basis okay so what we're going to do is the potato sack crap okay so pop his head up here for me and we need to take that diaper off so we could do that down there hi mr answer huh he's just hard work being a baby home you know it's a big job somebody's gotta do it somebody's gotta do it so the potato sack rap and this can be done by itself without help okay go ahead and hold this hurts in there and you want to wrap tighter than you think you need to okay so that tux in there this bottom part the stretchy part kind of supports him down here tuck that under you should not have worn this poncho today like getting in the way of everything then this other part wraps around this way oh good good toots he's partying like crazy you have the gas bubbles it's talking for talking call talking fool okay okay so a couple things you can do to make it decorative okay you can tie a knot right here looks way more complicated than it really is I'm not going to do this because he's gonna be flat against her chest but I can tylenol not and then just wrapped the fabric like that under him and it looks like I did this all fancy cute rap oh magic also thank you boy oh hey love being wrapped okay the other way to do it for something fun is to do it's called a cross oh spit up can you get me a top just just spit up a little bit he's ok yeah we'll get milk inside just doesn't fit so you can cross down the shoulder has been in you it just doesn't fit in that little tummy of yours it's only inside the woman came from the wrong direction so turn around go from below so you cross this direction first he's a little big so my rap isn't quite big enough for him so you go up to the shoulder okay then gently around the back of the neck and then cross down for that look okay it's just how you do the end it also helps keep them in that little bald up position which is so cute okay, so I think we're gonna go ahead and try this one you can also if you're really strategic about it is you can get the little feet to poke out stuff like that but I strongly encourage you to practice this kind of wrap first and then teo things that are a little bit more okay you ready to be in your mama's arms you're just all snug as a bug in a rug home wide awake. Okay, I'm gonna let you stay with him here for a second, okay? This's? Why haven't assistant I can walk away and not be concerned. Oh, you're so cute. Okay, mrs lacey, how are you, my dear he's? So cute. Okay, so this is bert post. Okay? It's literally like the baby's burping. So it's super easy for mama. We're gonna put this hand like this and then this hand's going to go over the top and I'm gonna position his little head here and you're gonna be able to snuggle into him and turn etcetera, etcetera. Okay, this is more about baby. That is about mom. Okay? And then we're gonna bring in. Isn't he just accusing number? Do you have the hiccups again? Yeah, my little boy gum all the time too. Oh, queenie sorry I talking baby, talk to them. No, I don't need to but I can't help but yes hi. You just want to see what's going on in the world, don't you? Why is wai wait, wait, wait he's like I thought he was gonna pass out. Okay, miss mama oh, my shawl is on the way and then this hand goes down below sorry opposite hand there you go sweetheart this grand goes all the way down below like that perfect tuck this in so it's nice and tight so we can put this hand over the top of it perfect like that ok, now the reason I'm um this is not going to be my ideal burke post but I want to show you the post okay? Normally I would have a hand out so that I can prop the face this way to see him saying eso him on her shoulder is not my most ideal position oh, I know you can go ahead and put it back um but because he's wide awake and we have to wrap him to keep there was from flinging everywhere that's what I'm going to dio thie other thing to do is to do embrace pose wrapped like this which I think is what we're going to switch to because he obviously doesn't like being in opposition but burt post is just that so at least you guys got to see what it looks like but it's great when baby's asleep because you literally put them in taco pose on mama's chest so the feeder sticking up by their feet in urchin their their faith and their hands are like under them like this it's just the cues thing on llamas my mama's shoulder like she's barking burping in but the key is to make sure those legs arms are tucked in and pretty and cute the details okay, so we're going to switch positions lacey just so that because he seems a lot happier on his back so I'm gonna let you take lauren let you take him while I help her out here max I'm gonna have you come over here like engage the stool to make sure you're tall enough so go ahead and turn this direction you got spit up all over, you know? Sorry there. Okay, so don't win this answers your question so come on this side I want you to go and straddle the stool right there, okay? It's a little toss a little shorts let's go ahead and raise her up a little bit if it'll go here the way that better oh, yeah see how that just fixed everything so probably a raising lowering stool is going to help you a lot so she could have baby and he can kind of connect and rap with her and put his head next to her and we can create some really pretty families one of which is exactly what we're going to dio okay, my dear. So like I said, this embrace poses when I go to all the time because it's easy you can wrap a baby and you can keep him awake doesn't matter asleep okay right sermon here this one goes here like that and he's just going to sit all cute and tucked in like that okay and he's all wrapped so it's going to really easy for youto hold him there okay and with older babies like this to treat it like a newborn session this is what you have to do okay otherwise I tell people to await until four five months to photograph high, huh? Yeah grand credit crunch we'll fit ok this hand a lot higher if you can really reaching around up the tough one ok girl talking all these parts and pieces and hey oh yeah okay it's nice and go ahead and just kind of fall asleep on me perfect. So cute beautiful okay. And daddy what you falsify mama china feels weird looks great nose towards me and connection both of you I just want you know just close your eyes and listen to me oh, a human past yeah it's awesome. Thank you, my dear wait on something that's good stuff. Yeah, perfect pass if I was your best friend with a mama let you you guys laughing at me talking I totally making a dea way to be vulnerable, right? You know, when you love something you're so fashion about you really don't care if people thank you yeah, okay make it happen okay, okay, I'm gonna go ahead and get you guys in position and then we're going to pop this pacifier perfect so dad just like that now max I'm gonna have you turn your nose towards me is going to feel really awkward but it's going to look beautiful now miss lacey knows towards me good girl close your eyes perfect bring that finger back just to touch go ahead and keep that pacifier in there for him for her hold it well I took everything and make it look good awesome sauce you guys are doing great just think about how sweet he is and how much your life is gonna be so okay awesome okay so all you have to do is listen to my voice okay and just when I ask you to make small movements I wanna ask you make movements they're small okay max I'm gonna take your right hand and wrap it more around her arms so just put it deeper into her arms socket perfect more more more more and I want you to come take a step with your right foot towards your wife beautiful gorgeous ok you go ahead and do a test shot here lauren's gonna be in it see if I like that okay miss um let's see I think that's pretty stinking cute now lacey can you pop his head towards you just a little bit more cute okay let's go ahead and do it papa now and just stay there you guys you're doing great and kind of three eyes on me one, two three beautiful was he planned? It was a mistake, not a mistake. An accident. He was planned awesome sauce playing man it's kind of a nice moment home. That little planning? Uh huh. Yeah, let's just think about that for a minute. That was fun. They're really like asking them to be funny and laugh and they're totally embarrassed. So it works in the privacy of your studio, but in a public place like that going oh, my gosh, you're asking about that. But anyway, you guys are awesome. Good job. And lacey knows towards me just a touch oh, so pretty lazy and both of you closer breathing deep. Mama, I want you to just turn your nose towards little ezra and touch your lips wherever they land. Dad the same to mom. Go ahead and kiss, mama. Perfect. Awesome. Who? That hero the way and go ahead. Just touch your lips to the one you love right there. Beautiful. Awesome. Her perfect on big smiles right there. Just closer. I want you to close your eyes or wherever you are gorgeous. Think about how amazing ezra is and the fun you're gonna have with him is lazy there you go, girl awesome, okay, very pretty connection, babies wide awake you could do this within awake baby it's not a problem okay okay so that's classic embrace pose with mama and daddy totally dressed and ready to fly here okay yeah sometimes it's fun when they're awake I mean you have a whole heck of a lot of fun doing stuff when when they're awake okay have you hop up sweetie okay and let's go ahead and have yeah go ahead have a seat there are a limited number of poses you could do with a baby okay I can't move to platter I can't move to prayer I can't move to things for that baby needs to be asleep it's just not gonna happen so I'm gonna have to keep him in something that keeps him wrapped okay so this is a client of mine so stinking cute I mean sometimes just natural dad holding baby is quite sweet I mean the light is going up the baby's nose which bothers me a little bit so we'll probably have dad too is switch him over to the other arm okay perfect that's okay we can always take it all back in perfect oh that's okay don't you worry about that dad's worried about a skin and I'm saying that's not something we need to worry about because um that can all be fixed okay let's go ahead and turn his body a little bit the spice so I can see his face a little bit more perfect. Beautiful he's just not awake looking at us, okay? Let's turn it just even a little bit more so we're gonna roll him this way so that he's kind on his side if there we go I'm gonna go ahead and tuck him in the crook of your arm there hi, grant grant grant okay, we're gonna go ahead and take this hand and kind of put it under like that perfect tucking that foot you're doing great, dad. Okay, so now I like the way baby is death's hand? I'm seeing it a little I mean it's okay for I mean, I feel better about seeing the back of a man's hand than a woman but I can easily just kind of have him rotate his hand like that and then we can pop it under like that and that improves the look of the post just that tiny touch of a hand. Okay, so this is I mean it's just simple. I mean, honestly, I wave this it's just the babe dad holding baby it's not anything hard to do what makes it look good is baby is wrapped up real tight? We've taken care to make sure dad's hands are in the correct position can you kind of a ghost and put this hand somewhat under that one like that? Perfect not just improved the hands even more okay, so the light is not right on ezra can you see how there's a lot of shatter going on so I'm gonna go ahead and adjust might lighting a little bit to bring the light on him he's so happy right there he's just like I conduce and down I'm gonna go and have you stand up if that's all right, why did I have him do that? Because I want this long line okay, I want the the length of the line to be to give me balance in the composition if that makes sense oh you're so happy and daddy's arms yeah awesome sauce okay, now go ahead and just turn slightly towards lauren just that's enough right there. Bring your left foot forward perfect oh, you just gonna smile any little stinker and I missed it. Oh, ok. He started fall asleep. They get so happy when they're in someone's arms like that not dad showed up just a touch you keep looking at him just bring your chin up. It feels weird like it's not natural but it looks beautiful little bit more gorgeous too much justice touchdown beautiful hazy over little man. So are you in tow cars or construction and our mechanics is going to do any of that stuff with you? No, what do you do next? You're what snowboarding little snowboard and off himself okay, so max I'm gonna have your your right hand I want you to tuck it under baby even maur if you can't lauren can you help lift babies but so he can do that there we go. Do you see what that that right hand is bothering me now take your left hand and just bring it out a little further perfect they asked thank you, my dear awesome and now dad what a good man you are and big smiles down that cute boy relax that forehead for me you're doing awesome sauce perfect mama lacey, where are you right here. Come here, sweet girl okay, you're going to get in right here your vote get the love of this little peanut. Hey, so you my dear I just want you to kind of this arm goes around his waist so I can't see it okay kind of stand half behind him bring this foot forward for me but so she could get behind you perfect on the nice and tucked say I'm staggering them to make the connection richer okay, I'm gonna go ahead and pop that over lacey to flatter her a little bit more okay? And when I want you both to do is just like that uh perfect lisa I'm gonna go and just tuck your hair behind your ear beings like toe getting away from us married five years, five years just about your age beautiful I love the way she placed her hand on him okay for just now they see bring your right foot forward forward more right touching there we go I wanted to touch your head now put all your weight on your left foot on pop your hips towards the backdrop perfect good girl hossam beautiful chin up just a touch for me, sweetheart you're doing great beautiful you see, the difference sent me just her little chin up a little bit more sweetie and I'm shooting with the baby on the left side of the frame I know that one of the reasons is because mina lighting is so close here I could shoot it like this on the right side of the frame and fix it later I'll just show you that shot which is more I would want them on the right side of the frame my lights are a little low and power so I'm tryingto make up for that so we'll go ahead and make sure make it correct here okay max bring your top of your head towards me so you're kind of leading back to your wife yeah, you need to come forward lacey with your head perfect good girl now okay let's fix dad first and then mom don't max you don't do any work she's got to do the work to come to you so I want you to just nisus right like you were when you were alone ok look down that baby as he's so happy right now perfect now lacey you get to lean into it perfect now you can lean on her max perfect do you see how he was doing this we just got rid of that and I'll show you the difference lacey right shoulder down perfect like collapses like so asleep now it's okay awesome beautiful now I'm kind of liking it on the left here see composition rules are made to be broken chin up sweet car lacey and max eyes at me nose towards me lacey up here awesome beautiful gorgeous stunning okay we could see you got to get the shot with the parents looking at you okay you have to do it um he's totally it's like no one like I'm so happy but this is another just simple great post to do with awake baby nice and wrapped ok and even you could get mom to kind of hold this cradle his head like that and that way there's all this connection going on okay so any other questions you not heated awesome you guys beautiful baby boy what a sweetheart okay do you have any more questions how we doing? We are doing fabulous. Okay, that was a perfect ending. Perfect timing thank you so much. Lacey and max and beautiful answer thank you so much again yeah hey did awesome to have you yeah, so now over with baby and how much andrea we're doing. Okay, yeah, we just have a few more minutes, a few more minutes and I was going to say if I had had a lot more time, what I would have done since he had fallen asleep is I would have attempted to transition to unwrap him and do some neikie stuff when I'm asleep. So that's it a great way to get into the session is to wrap in older baby like that get him all comfy and cozy and warm and happy in the position that they love, shoot it, and then move on to more poses that they need to be a sleeping well, fantastic. I think it's time we way have questions coming in, but there are a lot of things that we covered already today or that we're going to be covering in the next couple days when you come over here. So we're not lining every one line about a light let's talk about what we did today. Let's, start let's, bring everybody back for those people who weren't here with us this morning. Well, in the beginning we talked a lot about, you know, the psychology of being a parent and where, where we where we ourselves. Really discovered our definition of love, familial love. You know, blood relatives are parents loved us in certain ways. Good, bad, or ugly and that's. How we learned what love is, and that influences our art. We also talked about vulnerability, a lot and connection, and how, if you embrace vulnerability, that's, when you are truly connected, because you are your authentic self. We talked a lot about posing rules and check the technicalities of posing as well. A symbolism and storytelling. We spoke to what makes a great story and your images and what symbols you can use and how color and composition affect all of that.