I’m a graduate from the College for Creative studies in Detroit, Mi, and never in a million years did I even think I would be taking photos of bellies and babies when I was completing my 4 yr bachelors program. Right now I can’t imagine photographing anything else. I leave every newborn session feeling an overwhelming sense of joy! Babies really do make you feel better and spread the exciting moment of new life to everyone they come in contact with.

I used to be a Canon shooter but now use a Nikon D700. I miss the large files at times but really don’t need to have them for the type of work I do. My main lens of use is the 50mm 1.4G for newborns in the studio. All macro shots are taken with a micro 105mm 2.8 G. It is wonderful, and so smart as it will not allow you to take photos if the aperture is not able to capture the image. Some might find this annoying, I on the other hand think… “thank you!” for not allowing me to miss the shot! Outside I do enjoy using my 85mm 1.4 and if I am far enough from my subject I have no worries shooting wide open.

This triplet session was quite special for me. The mother happens to be a very long time dear friend who had been struggling with fertility since before the birth of her second child. No one ever plans to have triplets, or even thinks of preparing for them, but I have to say my friend Leslie did everything she possible could to grow healthy triplets and without one complaint! I admire her in so many ways.

The triplets had been 4 weeks old by the time I came to Windsor to photograph them. I was not sure how sleepy they would be at that age, how flexible they might be or how many images together I would even capture. I started out with TONS of ideas of what I was going to do. sketched things out, took down notes and shopped for some new props. When I finally arrived I was so thankful that I planned on staying 3 days to complete the session. The babies had been on a really good schedule of eating and sleeping every three hours and being only 4 weeks old and born at 33 weeks they are even more fragile then term babies. I tried my best to capture as many photos I could in about a 2 hours block each day and then sometimes for maybe another hour later in the day. Just another reminder that these models are humans too and should never be forced to pose for photos.

Some ideas I had did not seem possible. I was very excited to take the triplets out to a wonderful grassy patch and place them in a basket. Realistically, packing up three babies screaming because they hate car seats was just not an option and mom did not feel safe with their weak and immature immune systems to be too far from home. Then it hit me one evening looking out the front window at the beautiful even setting sun dancing on the front lawn. I just had to take them in the front yard and capture them in the basket the way I wanted them in the field, and then take the basket without kids to the field for a photo. And that is exactly what I did! Taking the babies on the front lawn allowed me to have more natural lighting to an outdoor environment  that would translate in the composition process better. Having the basket in the field made the grass move like it would of had I taken the shot with all the components outside. It just made things more believable. With a bit more play in photoshop with DOF and focus I think it looks believable!

Natacha Silber Photography