Fine A P Capturing The Innocence Of Newborn Lifethemcw.com/pdf/Jan2011/36-MCW 1-2011.pdf · her...
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A s the Northeast thaws out from a long snowy winter, we are surrounded by signs of newborn life - buds on the trees, nests full of baby birds, and daffodils poking their heads through the softening ground. If you have a new addition to your own family this spring, it’s a great time to visit Annette Jenkins Photography, which specializes in capturing in portraits those first amazing days of your infant’s life. Annette does many of these portraits in black and white, creating beautiful works of art that will document cherished family memories. There are different phases dur- ing a child’s first year that you might want to capture in photographs, says Annette. The first portraits of newborns should ideally be taken within ten days of their birth. This session could take up to an hour and a half, and many new parents recruit a grandparent or other fam- ily members to lend a hand. The infants are generally photographed in the nude and preferably asleep, which allows Annette to move them into position. (Also, when infants are sleeping, they are not hungry or crying.) She focuses on capturing the baby’s tiny features, like the nose, fingers and toes, often set against props like piles of towels tied up in ribbons. Her work has been com- pared to the work of Anne Geddes, a famed photographer known for her stylized depictions of babies and motherhood. The second set of portraits is gen- erally taken when the child is about three months old. That’s when the baby’s personality begins to emerge, which is what this photography ses- sion focuses on. The third session is usually scheduled at six or seven months, when the baby can sit up, and the fourth is done when the baby turns one year old. Each of these ses- sions coincides with a turning point in the baby’s development that opens up a whole new set of photographic possibilities. The Key to Successful Portraits Each time you schedule a portrait session, you need to take into account the best time of day for your baby. Again, newborns should be photo- graphed during naptime, while older babies should be brought in during their most lively time of day. So if the photographer only has a 2pm session available, and that happens to be when your baby gets tired or hungry, wait for another time slot. This, says Annette, is the number one key to successful baby portraits. However, no matter how care- fully you plan the time and day of a photograph session, sometimes your baby just won’t be in a cooperative mood. As an experience professional, Annette will take as much time as is needed to get just the right picture. She understands that with young children, things rarely go exactly according to schedule. The child might wind up need- ing a few moments to cry or eat or simply regroup - the process cannot be forced. In fact, Annette will often spend about ten minutes just playing and talking with the children, waiting for them to get comfortable before she snaps the first picture. Most of these portraits are done in the studio as opposed to on-location. When someone asks to take their seven-month-old’s picture on the beach, she strongly advises against it because she knows she won’t be able to get the child’s attention. It’s a little easier at a park where she can get them to focus on a flower or other object, but at the beach, babies will generally stare down at the sand (when they’re not actually trying to eat or wear it). In fact, she would not recommend a beach photo session until a child reaches at least the age of two. Although Annette’s clients include many proud new parents, her subjects are not limited to children – they include family members of all ages, marking all types of family events and milestones. But with each photo, her goal is the same: to create a portrait that evokes memories and touches the heart. The County Woman Magazine www.TheCountyWoman.com January/February 2011 Capturing The Innocence Of Newborn Life Annette Jenkins Photography serves Monmouth and Ocean Counties. Annette is a member of the Professional Photographers of America, Professional Photographers Association of NJ and Wedding and Portrait Photographers International. Annette can be reached at 732-936-1416 or by email at [email protected]. Visit her website at www.AnnetteJenkins.com Fine Art Photography Annette Jenkins Photographer ‘‘ ‘‘ A new baby is like the beginning of all things, hope, a dream of possibilities. 36
Transcript of Fine A P Capturing The Innocence Of Newborn Lifethemcw.com/pdf/Jan2011/36-MCW 1-2011.pdf · her...
A s the Northeast thaws out from a long snowy winter, we are surrounded by
signs of newborn life - buds on the trees, nests full of baby birds, and daffodils poking their heads through the softening ground. If you have a new addition to your own family this spring, it’s a great time to visit Annette Jenkins Photography, which specializes in capturing in portraits those first amazing days of your infant’s life. Annette does many of these portraits in black and white, creating beautiful works of art that will document cherished family memories.
There are different phases dur-ing a child’s first year that you might want to capture in photographs, says Annette. The first portraits of newborns should ideally be taken within ten days of their birth. This session could take up to an hour and a half, and many new parents recruit a grandparent or other fam-ily members to lend a hand. The infants are generally photographed in the nude and preferably asleep, which allows Annette to move them into position. (Also, when infants are sleeping, they are not hungry or crying.) She focuses on capturing the baby’s tiny features, like the nose, fingers and toes, often set against
props like piles of towels tied up in ribbons. Her work has been com-pared to the work of Anne Geddes, a famed photographer known for her stylized depictions of babies and motherhood.
The second set of portraits is gen-erally taken when the child is about three months old. That’s when the baby’s personality begins to emerge, which is what this photography ses-sion focuses on. The third session is usually scheduled at six or seven months, when the baby can sit up, and the fourth is done when the baby turns one year old. Each of these ses-sions coincides with a turning point in the baby’s development that opens up a whole new set of photographic possibilities.
The Key to Successful Portraits
Each time you schedule a portrait session, you need to take into account the best time of day for your baby. Again, newborns should be photo-graphed during naptime, while older babies should be brought in during their most lively time of day. So if the photographer only has a 2pm session available, and that happens to be when your baby gets tired or hungry, wait for another time slot. This, says Annette, is the number one key to successful baby portraits.
However, no matter how care-fully you plan the time and day of a photograph session, sometimes your baby just won’t be in a cooperative mood. As an experience professional, Annette will take as much time as is needed to get just the right picture. She understands that with young children, things rarely go
exactly according to schedule. The child might wind up need-ing a few moments to cry or eat or simply regroup - the process cannot be forced. In fact, Annette will often spend about ten minutes just playing and talking with the children, waiting for them to get comfortable before she snaps the first picture.
Most of these portraits are done in the studio as opposed to on-location. When someone asks to take their seven-month-old’s picture on the beach, she strongly advises against it because she knows she won’t be able to get the child’s attention. It’s a little easier at a park where she can get them to focus on a flower or other object, but at the beach, babies will generally stare down at the sand (when they’re not actually trying to eat or wear it). In fact, she would not recommend a beach photo session until a child reaches at least the age of two.
Although Annette’s clients include many proud new parents, her subjects are not limited to children – they include family members of all ages, marking all types of family events and milestones. But with each photo, her goal is the same: to create a portrait that evokes memories and touches the heart.
The County Woman Magazine www.TheCountyWoman.com January/February 2011
Capturing The Innocence Of Newborn Life
Annette Jenkins Photography serves Monmouth and Ocean Counties. Annette is a member of the Professional Photographers of America, Professional Photographers Association of NJ and Wedding and Portrait Photographers International.
Annette can be reached at 732-936-1416 or by email at [email protected]. Visit her website at www.AnnetteJenkins.com
Fine Art Photography
Annette JenkinsPhotographer
‘‘ ‘‘A new baby is like the beginning of all things, hope, a dream of possibilities.
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