This is a question I get all the time, and the short answer is yes. It is totally safe! But let's break it down!

I'm not a doctor, obviously, but I have done a lot of research on this topic because it's a question I get so often!

False Reports

In 2015, The Daily Mail (a publication known for its questionable journalism) posted a story about a Chinese newborn who was blinded by a relative who took photos of the baby using a flash. This story has since been debunked but is still sighted by people who are concerned about using strobes and flash when photographing newborns and small children.

The Truth

When this story broke, parents and photographers around the world became concerned about the safety of using artificial light when photographing newborns and small children. But the claims made in that article are simply not true.

Ophthalmologist, Dr. Alex Levin was weighed in on the story in an interview with Yahoo Parenting and called the story of the blinded baby in China “inconceivable.”

He went on to say, “If this story were true, there would be lots of blind babies out there… Retinas are made to last, and it’s highly unlikely that this kind of light would cause damage… To attribute the blindness to the taking of a photograph would be incorrect. There’s no way that a camera can cause such damage.”

( https://petapixel.com/2015/07/29/baby-in-china-blinded-by-camera-flash-probably-not )

And according to Babymed.com, "The flash of a camera actually isn’t that bright at all. It only seems bright because it’s often contrasted by dark or indoor settings. The flash of light is no brighter than the light outside in the middle of the day, which is fine for a baby in small doses. The only really harmful light condition you should help your baby avoid is direct and constant sunlight, so always make sure you point your baby’s face away from the sun."

This is something I've read over and over again.

The light that comes from a flash is no brighter than the light you get through a window or from most light bulbs in your house. Now obviously, those lights would be too bright if one were to look directly at them for a long period of time, but we don't. And we don't look directly at the studio strobes for a long period of time either. A studio strobe fires for a fraction of a second. If you are using lights in the style I teach, it's being used at relatively low power and turned away from the baby.

My Approach to Lighting Newborns, Babies and Small Children

I use a low powered, 200-watt strobe flash in my studio and I'm usually shooting it at 50% power (sometimes lower).

My light is never pointed directly at my subject. I bounce the light off the back of an umbrella and then through the diffusion panel that I place on the front of my umbrella. So the light that is already at 50% power is then diffused, or softened.

I then place my light 45 to 90 degrees to my subject, so it's never pointed directly at the person I'm photographing.

Using lights in this way makes them very comfortable to sit in front of. In fact, most of the people I photograph (babies and adults alike) don't even notice the flash!

Personally, I find this style of lighting much more comfortable than sitting in front of continuous light or a bright window.

Your Baby’s Safety is Always My Top Concern

I’ve been working with newborns since 1999. I have over two decades of experience and a ton of training. Your baby’s safety and comfort are always my top concern!

Thats why I don’t use unnatural prosing or elaborate props. And that is why I created the lighting style that I use.

Follow this link to book your session!

Baby-led newborn photography

I’ve been a newborn and family photographer for 24 years at the time of this post. I started my business in 1999 and I’ve always been passionate about providing the families I work with natural, unposed newborn portraits.

My work is clean and timeless. Free of the props and un-natural posing that is so popular in newborn photography today. That is something I take great pride in.

Here’s why.

Babies are perfect just as they are

You see, I believe babies a perfect just the way they are. They do not need elaborate props or posing to make them cute. They are babies!!! And babies just being babies is enough for me!

When I photograph a newborn, I want to capture them in all of their newborn perfectness!

I want your photos to reflect how you see them.

I photograph your children the way I photographed my own. With love, care and respect.

Your baby’s safety and comfort are my top priorities

Sadly a lot of the posing that is popular in newborn photography is unsafe. And all too often babies who are forced into “Taco” poses (yes… that is actually the name of a newborn pose) are inured in the process.

Stylized posing requires extensive training. And I will conceded that there are trained newborn photographers who do it very well. But I also I believe that if you need to be trained how to do a pose so that you do not seriously injure a baby, then maybe you just should be doing the pose!

Babies are tiny humans.

Babies are not tacos!

I want your photos to stand the test of time

We’ve all seen old family photos that may have been on trend when they were taken, but make us cringe now!

I don’t want that for you! And that is precisely why I stay away from trends.

My goal is to create something for you and your family that will hang on your wall for generations. Something that is timeless, so that you can look at in 10, 20 years from now and find it beautiful, not embarrassing!

Unposed newborn portraits are hard to find

I know that my approach to newborn photography is different. Most newborn photography is highly posed and requires a lot of props. You will not find that at my studio.

If simple, minimal and timeless is what you’re looking for in your newborn photography, then you are in the right place!

Follow this link to book your session! And if you do not see any openings on my schedule, feel free to send me an email! (sandra@sandracoan.com). I always leave room in my calendar for newborns!

I always say, there is nothing as beautiful as a newborn baby!  Those first moments are truly a magical time.  And that is why you want to make sure the person you are entrusting to create their newborn portraits is the best fit for you.  

But how do you go about finding the best one?  Especially when you live in a city like Seattle that has so many talented photographers to choose from!

Hopefully this post will help answer some of your questions!

Style

Before you dive deep into your online research, I encourage you to think about what style of photography you like!  

When it comes to newborn photography, most people think of photos that rely heavily on props and posing. But not all photographers shoot in that style!

I practice what is called “baby led posing”.  

What that means is that I only place newborns in poses that are natural and comfortable for them to be in.  So, for example, I’lI place your sleeping baby on their stomach, side or back.  But I will never position them in an unnatural position like a “taco” or “froggy” pose.

I also stay away from props in my work.  

I love images that are clean, minimal and timeless!

Knowing the style of photography that resonates most with you will help you narrow down your choices! 

Experience

Once you’ve found a photographer, or maybe a couple of photographers, whose style matches your own, check how much experience they have working in this genre.

Newborn photography is a very specialized field. It takes a lot of patience.  And you’ll want someone who has experience working with newborns, knows how to keep them comfortable and happy, and understands how to work efficiently!

I started my photography business in 1999 and have been working as a newborn photographer even since. Newborn photography is my specialty. And I work with over 100 families a year, so I have a ton of experience working with newborns!

Trust

When it comes to choosing a newborn photographer, trust is another important factor to consider!  

You want to make sure that the quality of work they show on their website is the same quality you can expect to get  if you choose to trust them with these once in a lifetime photos!!

So spend time looking through their portfolio and social media!  

Is their work consistent?  

Do they show a variety to clients? 

Is the work they post in the bright summer months the same quality as the work they post in the winter (that will tell you whether or not they know how to work in different lighting conditions). 

Also, look for awards and accolades!

I, for example, and an award winning photographer.  

I’m also an industry educator and a best selling author.  

I am trusted and partner with some of the biggest brands in the photography world, like Kodak, and Westcott Light!  So in addition to serving clients for over 20 years, I’ve earned the trust of my colleagues and industry leaders! 

That is something I'm very proud of. 

Next Steps

I hope this post was helpful!  If you have any questions, please let me know!  And if you’d like to schedule your newborn appointment, just follow this link!

I was really hoping that as more and more people in our community got vaccinated and boosted, risk of Covid-19 infections would go down! But sadly, here we are in the middle of another scary surge thanks to Omicron!

I take safety VERY seriously. And am doing everything I can to keep myself, my family and my clients (especially those who are too young to be vaccinated) safe. Let me tell you how.

I AM FULLY VACCINATED AND BOOSTED

For starters, I am fully vaccinated (and boosted) and I require all adults who visit my studio be as well.

Getting vaccinated does not guarantee that you will not get the virus, but studies show that it DOES significantly reduce your risk of serious infection and will most likely keep you out of the hospital if you do get sick. Why does that matter? Because we need to keep valuable ICU beds free for people who need them!

I tragically lost my father over the summer to a gall blockage that led to Sepsis due to lack of immediate care. You see, he was told at the ER he needed emergency surgery but there were no ICU beds available. So he waited. And developed a deadly infection in the process. Myself and my entire family are devastated, and this is one of the reasons why I take vaccination as seriously as I do.

Also, I work with newborns, babies and small children who are too young to be vaccinated. Providing a safe environment for them to be in is paramount! So please bring proof of vaccination to your sitting.

I AM LISTENING TO THE EXPERTS

I’m not a healthcare provider and I’m not a scientist so I’m listening to the experts and following the guidelines put out by the CDC.

They recommend maintaining a safe social distance, and so I do, as often as possible.

When working with older kids and adults, I give direction and guidance on posing while keeping a safe 6 foot separation.

With babies and newborns, I ask the parents to assist as much as possible and only place babies in natural positions that do not require excessive posing or props.

Fun fact… this has always been how I photograph babies. Another reason to love my minimal approach to posing, it’s Covid-19 friendly!

I WEAR A MASK

The CDC also recommends wearing a mask (it’s also currently a State mandate), so I wear a mask at all times and ask that my adult clients do the same until it’s their turn for pictures.

I keep a box of disposable masks at the studio for clients who forget theirs (nobody has so far… but they are still nice to have on hand, just in case.).

I KEEP THE STUDIO CLEAN

Cleanliness has always been a high priority for me, but now I’m EXTRA cautious about keeping the studio in tip-top shape.

My routine includes, disinfecting ALL surfaces (doorknobs, cameras, sinks, toys, pens…. anything a client may touch).

The entire space gets a good wipe down (with Clorox wipes) before and after every session.

I also wash all fabric items on the warmest setting (blankets, pillows, teddy bears.etc) between each and every session.

I wash my hands frequently and keep hand sanitizer next to where I’m working for both me and my clients to use.

WE’RE LIVING THROUGH HISTORY. DON’T BE AFRAID TO CAPTURE IT!

As crazy as all of this is, we ARE living through history. Think of the stories you’ll be able to tell your kids and grandkids when you share the photos we create today with them some day!

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Babies are not tacos.

So they probably shouldn’t be posed like one.⁠
⁠
Babies are also not frogs.

So maybe putting them into a "froggy pose" is a bad idea.⁠
⁠
Babies are not props.

They are tiny humans. ⁠

And they need to be treated with care.⁠
⁠
I've been a newborn photographer for over 20 years! ⁠
⁠
And I've built a very successful newborn business WITHOUT using complicated, potentially unsafe, posing!⁠
⁠
You see, I believe that babies and perfect just the way they are. ⁠
⁠
And I've developed a system for photographing newborns that showcases the natural beauty of babies in a safe and efficient way! ⁠⁠ What does that mean for you?

It means that when I’m working with your baby, you can trust that safety is always my number one focus.

I know that your child is a precious gift, not a toy, and I will never put them in unsafe or unnatural poses.
⁠

As a newborn and family photographer, one of my very favorite things to do is capture an older sibling with their new brother or sister.  

These are the photos every mother and father want.  These are the photos that will be printed, hung on the wall and sent to Grandma.  I know it.  And it is my goal to get as many good shots of this special bond as I possibly can. But, it's not always easy.  

The truth is some toddlers are not super excited about the new baby in their lives.  Behind the scenes of the precious older sibling with newborn baby photo is often fraught with emotion.  It's one to the reasons why I keep a stash of lollipops and bubbles on hand at the studio. Ha!

This session however, was a total dream!  The older brother could not get enough of his new baby.  He was beaming and proud and so clearly over-the-moon that it brought a tear to my eye while I was shooting, and then again when my film came back.  I'm pretty sure he'll be the best older brother there ever was!  

And as for the lucky baby brother.... well I'll just let the photos speak for themselves!

These two stole my heart.  

Clients often comment on the fact that my work does not look like other newborn photography they’ve seen.  Part of that is due to my minimalistic style.  I don’t pose babies or use props, which I know is uncommon in my field.  But part of my look is also due to the way I capture my images.  

Everything seen on my website was shot on film.  And the subtle look of film is, what I believe, people are seeing when they comment on the distinct look of my work. 

I choose film because my goal is to create timeless images for my clients.  I want their baby’s photos to have the same sense of nostalgia that baby photos of their grandparents have.  Film helps me create that.  

I also choose film because I know I can trust it. 

I don’t know what the future holds.  I don’t know if we will be able to open and view a CD or a thumb drive or even what will happen to “cloud storage” in ten, twenty or 100 years from now..  What I do know is that the floppy disks I used in college are obsolete, but the film negatives I have from my own childhood and even from my parent’s childhood are still printable.  I know that when I shoot a roll of film the lab will scan it and send it to me as a jpeg file that I can then save on my computer and share with my clients.  But, if (God forbid) something were to cause my computer or my hard drives to crash, there would still be the negative, and those images would not be lost.  

I choose film because shooting film makes me a better photographer.  It slows me down.  It makes me think.  It allows me to look up from my camera and connect with the people I’m working with.  

Most importantly though, I choose film because it brings me joy.  I share that joy with my clients and it comes through in my images. It also inspires me, which means I love my job and even after 16 years of doing it, I never feel burt out.  In fact, I look forward to each and every session I shoot and am looking forward to many more years to come.