What does a photographer do when they have a crazy idea? Much to their excitement, they carry it out! Being that crazy Photographer with an idea and a vision, I have spent the last few weeks bringing my little project to life.
I am pleased to announce that it’s finally finished and ready to show! This has, without a doubt been the most fun I’ve had in my studio since I officially opened nearly 3 years ago!
My first task was finding enough babies. Any newborn photographer will tell you, there is always an abundance of babies being born until you realise you need 9 of them all in one day! Some babies went past their due date and some arrived too early, however I am pleased to say that as the shoot date approached, my little handmade props and outfits were ready and waiting. With batteries all charged, an abundance of biscuits (always a must!) and babies all confirmed, I was ready to go!
I scheduled the babies to arrive at staggered times throughout the day so I could ensure that each one of our little models had the time they needed to get ready and I could also meet each new Mum to explain the image being shot. Each baby was soothed, wrapped and posed and then placed into their position. I had spent the previous days planning the shot so knew exactly where and how I wanted each baby to ensure that the day ran as smoothly as possible.
Anyone who has ever had a session with me will know, that safety is my main priority when working with any of my clients, especially newborns. Each of my babies were supported in situ by my assistant on the day and were never left unattended at any point. Parents were also always in the studio and in full view of the shooting area. It is important to note that the final image is a complete composite of the babies with all their support removed in post processing.
A selection of Behind the Scenes images taken on the day @coraliekyriacouphotography
I started with Mary and Joseph. Not only were they super sweet but they are also twins, which made it even more cute! I used two assistants for this shot to ensure that I had enough help in holding them in position once settled. These babies were originally photographed separately to ensure I could get the background in for the later edit then also photographed together.
Next up was Baby Jesus who was nice and easy as he lay there fast asleep. Then came the three kings, by this point my little studio was becoming increasingly hot and full of parents and babies…but the image was coming together.
As the day progressed, my shepherd and lamb arrived too, followed by the super tiny and very sleepy Angel. She was just so sweet!
Once the whole shoot was finished I was very happy as I knew that the day had been everything that I had planned and visualised, so stage one was a huge success. Every baby was fantastic! I couldn’t have wished for better behaved or sleepy babies and each and every parent that chose to take the time to come and be part of it, I can’t thank enough.
Sat in front of my computer with multiple images open I was ready to go. With around 10 images to composite together to make up the final result, the excitement grew. My heart smiled a little more each time I finished an edit and made that baby a part of the composite. My vision was coming alive.
AND HERE IT IS! THE FINISHED IMAGE!
Introducing my beautiful Models: Chrysanthi and Loizos as Mary and Joseph and Elliott as baby Jesus. Zenon, Connor and Lincoln as the Three kings, Louis as the Shepherd, Hallie as the little Lamb and Joanie as the Angel.
My initial idea couldn't have become reality without the support of each and every parent, all the beautiful babies and my fantastic assistants.
The final outcome is just how I imagined it...Now I can’t wait to see what next year brings!
