Before You Even Think of Hanging That Newborn in a Net, Read This


This woman is most certainly a photographer, but we’re linking to her guest post as a PSA to all fauxtogs. I cringe thinking one day a fauxtographer is seriously going to hurt a baby.

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26 Comments

  1. I can’t get that site to open.

    • neither can i

      • Please reload this pic!! I’ve heard about this several times, BUT NEVER GET TO SEE THE PIC!!! Please, Y.A.N.A.P.com give us a look-see! ‘;)

  2. I can’t get it to open but I hear you – without a doubt safety is first – i usually have a parent’s arm supporting the bottom of the net/sling the baby is in that I edit out – or its literally 2 inches from a huge padded bag and I edit it out of the photo. NEVER NEVER should you actually HANG a baby where if something happens the baby will get hurt. I don’t think many photogs realize that – They should take a look at some of Keri Meyers behind the scenes to see how Pro’s do it….such as

    http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10150360109558579&set=a.10150112178778579.283193.31548108578&type=3&theater

    or

    http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10150373539923579&set=a.10150112178778579.283193.31548108578&type=3&theater

  3. macywood

    so intrigued!

    but i cant see anything!

  4. It worked for me! http://www.babyrabies.com/2012/02/dont-be-hanging-babies-from-trees-a-newborn-photography-safety-lesson-from-jennifer-dell/

    Seriously.. people are sticking babies in scary places to get images like this! It never dawned on them there was some editing involved. Naked babies laying down on splintered crates found in an alley is never a good thing!

  5. All I could think was “duh.” How does that NOT sound dangerous?

  6. Christie Mathis

    Awesome read. there’s a lot about newborn photography I have never tried to delve into.

  7. great article! all aspiring kiddie photographers should read. The issue with FAUXtogs is that they wouldn’t know how to create a composite.. so considering the childs saftey isn’t practical for them. – the frustrating part of it.

  8. I never shoot babies that aren’t at least 18 years old.

  9. Excellent and well thought-out article. Having done infant photography in someone else’s studion without the benefit of being able to do composites, I was always amazed at some of the things PARENTS request, and I had to think “Don’t you care about your child’s safety at all? Or are you more concerned with having ‘the pose other parents don’t have’?”

  10. Wsroadrunner

    I am so glad that someone finally said it… there have been acidents where fauxtographers have injured children by doing this trendy photography incorrectly… it’s only a matter of time before someone ends up killing a child through ignorance.

    BTW, how many people have seen that email titled “why dogs bite their owners” with allt he dumb costumes on the dogs? I’m expecting to see an email “Why children grow up to kill thier parents” with this type of pictures in it.

  11. Composite? Is that a feature on Picnik?

    In all seriousness, though, these fauxtogs are a menace. I guarantee a baby has been hurt by one of them already.

  12. It’s not about “one of these days, a photographer is going to hurt a baby”. Photographers have already hurt babies. I know personally of three lawsuits from babies being injured. One of my clients came to me because her last photog allowed her baby to fall and break her arm.

    Recently I was made aware about a photographer who three years ago was doing the “hanging baby” shot and her assistant dropped the baby, who fell onto the edge of beanbag, and then onto his back on the floor. He suffered a permanent spine injury at 5 days old. Photographer did not have insurance, and closed up shop and is paying $750,000 settlement to the parents of the baby.

    It’s not a matter of WHEN a photographer is going to hurt a baby – they already have. Most don’t even care about that. They will continue to try to one-up the next photographer with the latest trends. Do you realize there are many photographers stuffing newborns into thin glass jars/bowls that you buy at the craft stores? What I want to know is when photographers are going to realize that the pictures parents love the most tend to be the simpler safer shots.

    The real thought is – When is the first newborn going to die because of the stupidity in this industry? THAT is when this will finally hit mainstream media.

    • You Are Not a Photog

      OMG. Horrifying. If you have links to any of this, send it to us and we’ll post.

    • AMEN brother!
      you speak many truths, especially about the simple shots being the real winners.

      I love the trendy baby shots – very cool stuff, but you can spend an hour seeting up the camera on tripod, shooting the empty hammock, shooting the baby, stitching it all together, cloning out imperfections, or you can do a classic shot of mom and dad holding baby and have it be just as beautiful.

  13. I used to work in a studio and I was amazed at how many parents would walk away from their newborn when I made it so clear they needed to stay right next to the baby, in case he/she needed them. They were never in unsafe positions, but I always felt more comfortable if a parent had a hand on them in some way (under the background or blanket, or positioned in a way you couldn’t see it). But there were way to many parents who wanted to just stand off to the side, or even wander around. While it is mostly the photographer who should make sure all the conditions are safe, it is also up to the parents too. As a mother, I would never have allowed my baby to be put in an unsafe position even if it would make a cute photograph.

  14. I agree to an extent, and I think that parents need to tell photographers NO. However, many new parents believe their photographer is a professional and knows what they are doing, so they often think their photographer is so much more experienced with babies than they are, that they can just back off because the photographer would never do anything dangerous to a baby, right? Just like when they were at the hospital, and nurses or doctors picked up their baby, they just defer to the “professional” and tend not to question because they (the new parents) are so inexperienced and know it and lack confidence.

  15. Back in the 50’s and 60’s it used to be a de rigeur shot to pose a little one nude on a blankie on their tummy and looking looking up at the camera. I still do this on occasion with my adult female subjects.

  16. I am glad you posted this link. It is great info. Its too bad this info cant be shoved down the throats of the people who are doing it wrong and causing harm to babies but most of the time them doing it wrong goes unnoticed UNTIL someone gets hurt. Anyway I have a question though.. What is the point of the hanging baby pics? I am not saying I HATE them… I just don’t GET them. Can someone explain it to me? I feel like I am missing something. ESPECIALLY the ones I see where the babys face is covered. I look at that and I don’t immediately think: wow, how cute! I think: Can that baby breath?

  17. I love http://www.takeoffyourmommygoggles.com/ – even though I’m not ever going to be a mom, or a professional photographer, I found it interesting and instructive on how these and many shots are done – and how they are done wrong.

  18. Did no one see the TERRIBLE photoshop job on the baby in the basket!………….. She’s missing 25% of her head!

  19. no matter what type of photography you do safety should be your number one concern.

  20. Hey, I think your blog might be having browser compatibility issues.
    When I look at your blog site in Ie, it looks fine but when opening in Internet Explorer, it has some overlapping.
    I just wanted to give you a quick heads
    up! Other then that, great blog!

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