D90 - best lens for baby photo's!

[lyndalg]

Hi there,
I have about 3 months to "practice" to ensure that when my sister has her baby - I'll be up to scratch to take some beautiful photo's!

I have a 18mm - 105mm VR lens, and would add another lens if you think that it would take better photo's. Would anyone suggest a great lens for candid baby shots (i.e. hospital & when they get home).

Your advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

[whitey]

I reckon that lens will be fine. I would be more inclined to think about lighting, maybe a shoot through umbrella, Light stand and flash bracket with a SB600. Whats your budget?

That would you some nice soft light. Have a look here for some ideas on shots. http://www.flickr.com/search/groups/?q= ... N00&m=pool

Then again I dont really know much, I am the epitomy of the enthusiast with too much gear No doubt you will get some better ideas from some of the other forum members.

Good luck.

Edit: Oh yeah, not sure if the hospital will want the lighting setup in the hospital. (and in my experience the little ones dont look really great in the first few days after the birth. Wait until the head unsquashes and they pink up a bit atfer the get home for the best portraits.. imo)

Edit2: Just read again and you are taking candids, my ideas are probably superfluous.

[dawesy]

Light is a good idea, but probably for later on. In the hospital I'd suspect flash would be frowned upon and probably not be your new baby's favourite experience.

If it was me, I'd take my 50mm. I have the 1.4, but the 1.8 is a cheaper and also very good option depending on your budget. While the lens you have will no doubt work fine, I think the ability to open up in dark rooms will be invaluable, as will the sharpness of these lenses. A 50 is a great thing to have in general as well, so I'd suggest it is worth the investment if you can make it.

Aside from that, I'd just practice with taking peoples photos inside, but just take head shots. About the same size as a newborn, inside so similar light. Best experience you can get and then if you have issues, come back and ask about the specifics, you'll get all the answers here!

Cheers.

[Aussie Dave]

I think the lens you have should do a fine job (as long as it's used within it's limitations).
If you have a SB600 (or similar), and you're sister is lucky enough to be in a private room, you should be able to bounce the flash off the roof or wall (not directly at baby), to soften any shadows.
Also taking a mixture of flash AND natural light photos is nice - you just may need to rely a bit on both your VR and ISO settings, depending on the light in the room.

If you were to look at another lens (which I don't think you need but this could be a nice excuse to splurge) is a Nikon 50mm 1.8.
Really sharp lens, great low-light ability and very reasonably priced....and 50mm should be a decent focal length to play with.

To get an idea, set your 18-105 on 50mm and have a play and pretend it's a prime (to see if you think you might like a "fixed focal length" lens.

Also, whilst the newborn may not look like an "Anne Gedes" model in the first few days, rest assured that your sister will cherish great photos of bubbs from those first few days - as it may be a bit of a blur and is nice to look back on!!!

Most importantly, have fun, relax and take HEAPS of photos. Some of the best one's will come when you least expect it.
I used to work on a "keeper rate" of about 1 in every 15 (that being one photo I was quite happy with out of every 15 taken)....hence my suggestion to take as many photos as you can Rand as varied as you can)
Eg. Try different apertures, shutter speeds, angles, lighting, flash settings, times of day, sleeping, just woken up, tired, feeding (if permitted), etc...

Hope this has given you food for thought....

Dave

[big pix]

....... electronic flash can do damage to the eyes of new born.....

50 mm 1.8 or 1.4 would be your best lens or 85mm 1.4 or 1.8 will also do a good job..... just remember turn off the flash

[surenj]

In the hospital I'd suspect flash would be frowned upon and probably not be your new baby's favourite experience.

I have seen that this is not the case on both counts. When they are this little, they can't see most things, including whether you use flash. Most of the time they will be sleeping anyway.

....... electronic flash can do damage to the eyes of new born.....

I have asked a few opthalmologists and they have all unanimously said "NO" to this question. One of them is a member here! They informed me that when they examine babies they use a much more powerful continuous light that shines into the retina for much longer. Typical flash durations are 1/800th and above and apparently most of the light doesn't even hit the retina as the iris reacts to constrict.

I personally know one baby who should be completely blind if this premise was true. Also when they do phototherapy for jaundice of the newborn, this would damage their eyes as well?

Thoughts?

[gstark]

I would think that, for any sort of kids' photos, something opaque would be best.

Seriously, while the lens that you have provides some flexibility in terms of the focal lengths offered, it's not a fast lens, and if you run into a situation with challenging light levels, you're SOL.

Given how inexpensive a 50mm f/1.8 is, I would echo the other suggestions to add one to your kit.

While you will probably be able to use an on camera flash, remember that unmodified flash can be very harsh light with very harsh shadows. If you have something better than an SB600 and the walls are neutral in colour, you can bounce the flash off the ceiling or walls to soften the light. Otherwise, perhaps throw an accessory softbox onto the light.

Aim for some soft light - natural is best - but you will have to learn to work with the confines of what you have, and what's available. The 50 will give you many more options.

[Geoff M]

Agree the 50mm f1.8 is bang for buck or even the newer 35 f1.8 DX. I don't have either , but use the 60mm f2.8 micro instead for this type of shoot

[aim54x]

Agree the 50mm f1.8 is bang for buck or even the newer 35 f1.8 DX. I don't have either , but use the 60mm f2.8 micro instead for this type of shoot

Three fine lenses there Geoff, each would be totally suited for this usage, as are the other suggestions of the 85mm. So dependent on your budget (sorted by focal length)...

Nikkor 105mm f/2.8 VR Micro (protrait + longer stand off distance + Macro....double duty)
Tamron 90mm f/2.8 Macro (protrait + longer stand off distance + Macro....double duty)
Nikkor 85mm f/1.8 or f/1.4 (great portrait lenses + longer standoff distance)
Nikkor 60mm f/2.8 Micro (protrait + Macro....double duty)
Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 or f/1.8 (portrait lens + lowlight....f/1.8 is the cheapest lens here)
Nikkor 34mm f/1.8 DX (great lowlight lens...and cheap although getting on being short for portraiture)

[wendellt]

for the quality of bokeh and shallow focus the nikkor 85mm f1.4 is best
but you can also get away with a 50mm f1.4 which is cheaper

[DebT]

Hi, my new Grandchild arrived Jan 2 so know what your in for
Hospital -
- I found that soft light through the hospital net curtains was very flattering (even the crinkly wrinkly pink day1) - I used combination of the 50 1.8 and 100m macro (when I wanted to get close) - no flash needed.
Remember to get the one-of shots - the unbilical cord, the tiny hands and feet, the milia (small white dots),the fuzzy new born skin as it can had a fine down like cover before the first bath, the wrist or ankle bracellets, the fine hair, the tiny ears (sometimes a little curled for the first day), the hand drip, the first bath, the name tag on the capsual, any gifts, flowers, nurse? midwife? doctor?
Also good to get something in the shot for size comparison - I am using a small family heritage rattle and intend taking a photo same day each month with it to show growth.
Recommend you look on a photography studio few web sites to get ideas of positions etc - the classic in Mum Dad's hand in hand, foot in hand.
No matter how bad Mum & Dad may look they will still cherish the first hug photos - as will any visitors/grandparents

I think the main thing is to capture the moment without being an imposing presence.

Once home and mum & bubs have a routine it will be easier to be there at the right time - I do our photos with baby on a soft rug (nice background) with a slight incline (pillow) and in the soft light form a nearby window - I have used a reflector to negate shadows on occassion and happy. Flash just too harsh if lovely natural light available - just be prepared to sit quietly and wait until the right moment - also turn off any camera sounds. PS Dont foget the pregnancy photos (posted some of mine as 'bun in the oven'
Enjoy - if you must practice try a fresh peach
DebT

[broadbean]

I used the 35mm f/1.8 DX with my D40x. Sometimes you just want to be taking shots of baby when they're asleep, so a flash is not desirable. My pics looked a little yellow however, and I haven't looked into it, figuring I could fix it on the computer.

[aim54x]

My pics looked a little yellow however, and I haven't looked into it, figuring I could fix it on the computer.

It is likely to be your white balance, try shooting in RAW so you can adjust it easily in post process. You can also try to shoot a custom pre-set.

[azdiscovery]

I used the 35mm f/1.8 DX with my D40x. Sometimes you just want to be taking shots of baby when they're asleep, so a flash is not desirable. My pics looked a little yellow however, and I haven't looked into it, figuring I could fix it on the computer.

It is your white balance. You can change it in the menu in the D40X. Adjust it to the light - sunny, shadow, fluorescent, incadecent, flash. The best is to learn to set the preset from a white or gray card - that will lock in the best color. Essentially - you need to tell your camera what white or neutral gray is so that it can adjust all the colors accordingly. Once you get the white balance locked in - you will see the colors pop.