Hospital photography: Do's & Don'ts

Let me begin with the fact that it was incredibly difficult not to title this post “dos and donuts.” Now that that is out of the way, here are a few tips on photography while you are admitted in the hospital.

DO: Let your husband be the gatekeeper to others taking pictures of your bambino. Their tiny eyes are sensitive to light – aka a reckless flash. Try not to blind them with aunt Martha’s newest point and shoot. Here’s a time tested removal method for dads: “she needs to nurse….now.” Dad can stop whenever the guest finally gets the thinly-veiled hint(s).

DON’T: Forget your camera and/or phone charger and extra memory card. Many folks have a nice camera to tote to the hospital, others will rely on their trusty phone as the quality is now on par with the bulky equipment. That being said, you can still run out of memory. Make sure if you are bringing a camera, add an extra memory card to your bag. Come on they weigh less than a tissue. Alternatively, if you’re relying on your phone, back it up in the weeks surrounding your due date and clear up some memory because all you’ll want to do is take pictures of that little miracle of yours!

DON’T: Be surprised when the “hospital photographer” casually swings by to take your baby’s picture (while blinding them with their flash) and then attempts to charge you half of your hospital bill on the frighteningly close and overexposed images. It’s not cool to prey on recovering (drugged up) mamas.

DO: Bring a video camera. I am obviously a big fan of print photography but when you are in the hospital recovering the days slip away quickly – even if it doesn’t feel like it when you are attempting to use the restroom for the first time. You’ll want to remember the little moments with your adorable new family member in between guests, checkups and a very uncomfortable/frightening seminar on shaken baby syndrome.

DO: Ask visiting family members to take pictures of you and your expanding family! You’ll have plenty of pictures of you and the baby and your husband and the baby, but not everyone’s selfie skills can capture all of you. It’s the least your visitors can do and most of them will happily do so! Note: give them YOUR camera or else the picture will end up in never never land.

DON’T: Be afraid to ask your social-savvy aunts, cousins and…grandmas(!?) to refrain from tweeting/posting/blogging pictures of your new baby. Chances are, you have yet to do so and there is a little part of you that crumbles when you get tagged in a post announcing your baby’s stats to the world by someone other than you, the parent. I made the mistake of thinking this went unsaid and would suggest being proactive rather than awkwardly scolding them to take it down afterwards…grandmas don’t know how to remove posts as well as they know how to put them up!

DO: Make an appointment with eleVated to professionally and naturally capture your baby’s images at your convenience – but DON’T wait too long. Little ones are especially sleepy during those first few weeks so posing and working with them is best done 2-4 weeks after birth.