“In Parent’s Hands” is a style of posing incorporating parents and newborn baby. One style of this pose, often known as the Simba Pose, has a parent seated next to the posing bag, with hands safely supporting the baby, with black fabric underneath. When lit and composed correctly, this setup gives the illusion that the baby is suspended in the air.
WHEN TO USE “IN PARENT’S HANDS” NEWBORN POSE
In Parent’s Hands is a wonderful option particularly when parents are hesitant to be featured in photos with baby. It offers an alternative style of image to represent them with their child at this very early stage of their life. It’s a lovely way to show the connection between parents and children.
Note, there are some variations you can achieve with this pose, which I demonstrate in my video tutorials, making it a fabulous option for babies who don’t like to be put down and want to be held through the shoot.
WHAT YOU’LL NEED
Posing Bag: Allows you to mould the space for the baby and helps to enhance the illusion.
Black Fabric: Use a matte, black fabric without any shine. This will help eliminate reflections and keep the blacks nice and rich.
Supports: Cloth nappies/diapers/hand towels will help support the baby and keep them positioned for your shot.
LIGHTING TIP
Have the parent facing toward the light source. Keep the light softly diffused. This will ensure the baby’s face is evenly lit and the parent is not blocking your light source.
COMFORT
Be mindful that not everyone will be able to sit comfortably for the pose, particularly if they are not overly flexible. Always be conscious of your client’s comfort. Make your client at ease and ask them to let you know if they are feeling discomfort at any stage.
Your client will likely be sitting partially cross-legged, so have something soft such as a towel for them to place between their foot/ankle and the floor.
When someone is comfortable they’re more likely to be relaxed and enjoy the experience.
COMPOSITION
To aid with the illusion of the baby behind lifted towards the sky, compose your image with the parent’s elbows close to the bottom of the frame, and leave additional blank space above the baby.
WANT TO KNOW MORE?
In my In Parent’s Hands tutorial I will teach you, step by step, how to position the baby securely & comfortably in the parents hands, to create illusions and to capture beautiful family connections. You will also learn lighting techniques and the best camera angles to capture this pose perfectly.
The are 5 videos in this series including one setup with my posing doll, 2 videos featuring newborn and parent models on the posing bag, and 2 videos featuring newborn and parent models in seated and standing variations to the traditional In Parent’s Hands shots.
Join my online community to share your progress and participate in the discussion of this pose and more newborn photography related topics.
