Tiny Baby Details through Macro Photography

Have you ever heard the term “macros” used in photography lingo and wondered what that really means?

Macro images are close-ups of small objects, usually taken at close distance from the subject and with a special Macro lens that can focus on very tiny details. Typical objects photographed with Macro lenses include insects, small flowers and jewelry, but technically a Macro lens can be used on anything that the photographer wants a close detail of.

In the case of newborns, Macro lenses allow photographers to get close and personal with those baby details that are oh-so-fleeting and oh-so-adorable: puckered lips, tiny nails, cheek dimples, skin flecks, sweet eyelashes, hairlines or swirls, nose bumps, profiles, body rolls, finger knuckles, digital prints, and those adorable tiny toes.

During my newborn sessions, I always try to set aside some time to capture a series of macro images focused on those baby elements that make us swoon. Though parents sometimes don’t think of these as something they might want in their collection of newborn photos, they are always surprised to see them included in their galleries and comment about how much they treasure those details being frozen in time. After all, newborns grow so fast, and in a matter of weeks, they look very different.

For my Macro images, I use a Canon L series 100mm f/2.8 lens. ISO should stay below 3200 for my Canon 5D mark iv camera, and my personal preference is to keep at 1600 or less. I typically set my aperture between 2.8-3.2. and try to keep a low speed of around 160-400 to let a lot of light in, but of course speed will also depend on what is needed to get correct exposure.

There are two other conditions that are important for these images. The first is for the baby to be sleeping.

Because of the narrow depth of field (meaning only a very small plane of the image is in focus), and the desire to isolate a feature of the baby, if her arms/legs are flailing or if head is turning constantly then it would make it very difficult to focus and get the result you want. Movement can also introduce blur to the images at such slow speeds.

The other condition that I think about when doing macro photography is how I am going to place the sleeping baby in relation to the light source, usually a window.

For macro images side-lighting can be desirable, which is when you have one side of your subject lit and one side darkened. You can also use oblique lighting, which is when the light spills over your subject diagonally. With these setups, you get nice shadows and highlights that showcase the details of baby’s textures such as wrinkles, skin flecks, hairs, and body rolls.

Having said that, you don’t really want to be moving the baby around while taking Macros as you can risk waking her up. My preference then is to setup the baby’s head diagonally from the light source, and then walk around her to isolate body parts and take the detail’s photos.

Macro images, as you can see, can be very moving.

How incredible is it to gain such an intimate perspective of a person’s brand new life? And what a privilege it is to become aware, fully aware, that this is a human being with a whole journey ahead of them and incredible stories waiting to be written.

Are you expecting, and looking for newborn photographers in Chicago? Please reach out so we can discuss your needs and talk about how I can create an unforgettable, stress-free experience for you, and deliver images that you’ll treasure forever.

— Caty is a family photographer specializing in newborn, baby, children and family portraits. She serves clients from around the Chicago area including the northern suburbs of Evanston, Winnetka, Wilmette, Glenview and more.