Newborns are precious, sweet things for any parent. If you have a newborn, you probably want to have a photoshoot to save these memories forever. Newborn photo editing will help you get your baby’s images just the way you want. 

Newborn photography requires a lot amount of patience and skill. In fact, newborn image editing requires further skills because babies have numerous skin imperfections that require strong editing skills.

Read this newborn photoshop editing tutorial to know why baby images need to be edited, the various types of edits you can make, and lots more. 

What is Newborn Photo Editing?

Newborn photos are some of the sweetest images a parent or photographer will ever capture. Babies are beautiful, pure, precious and all things wonderful. 

However, newborn photography has many potential trouble areas. Newborns often have skin ailments with red, splotchy, and/or jaundiced skin. Furthermore, their hands and feet often appear red or purple due to a lack of even blood flow. 

Newborn Photo Editing is the process of finding and removing the flaws in a baby photograph. It helps make the newborn look perfect to share on social media with friends and family.

A Child is Sleeping Quietly on a Blanket Before Image Manipulation Service
Figure 001: A Sleeping Child Before Photo Editing
A Child is Sleeping Quietly on a Blanket After Image Manipulation Service
Figure 002: A Sleeping Child After Photo Editing

Why is Newborn Photo Editing Important?

Newborns are not going to stay that way for long. You have to photograph your baby within 2 weeks of them being born. However, photos of newborns almost always require some kind of image post-processing. 

A professional photo edit will remove any flaws typically present in a newborn. For example, your newborn will probably have slightly flaky skin (due to a lack of moisture). In that case, it is recommended that you use Lightroom to smoothen the skin. 

Have you ever wanted to present your newborn in a dream-like setting? Like the baby floating on a cloud? You can achieve that effect, and more, with Photo Editing

Benefits of Newborn Photo Editing

Why edit newborn images? Newborn image editing helps achieve more attractive and delightful infant photos. 

It gives you the opportunity to fix any imperfections and replace dull and lifeless backgrounds from newborn images with fresh and gorgeous backgrounds. 

Parents and professional photographers both benefit from newborn photo retouching. 

Benefits of Newborn Photo Editing for Parents

If you are a new parent, you probably want to preserve the precious moment forever. However, newborns don’t stay small for long. In no time at all, the baby will crawl, walk, then run. 

Newborn photography is a way to capture invaluable memories with your baby. 

The newborn photos may not come out perfectly no matter how good your photographer is. 

Newborn photo editing is the process of removing any flaws and imperfections from your photos. As a parent, it is essential to forever store the memories of your newborn perfectly. 

Benefits of Newborn Photo Editing for Professional Photographers

Are you a newborn photographer? Babies are tricky to shoot right? The photographer has to master wrapping, safety lighting, posing, and soothing newborns. Also, you must prioritize safety as newborns are quite delicate.

If the newborn photo you clicked has not turned out perfect, it’s fine! You can always fix it in the image post-production. Moreover, photographers can create dreamy and creative images by editing them cleverly. 

Types of Newborn Photo Editing

Wondering what types of edits you can make to a newborn photograph? The possibilities are endless with modern photo editing software like Photoshop. You are only limited by your imagination. However, there are several types of newborn photo editing you can perform. 

Newborn photo editing types include

  • Newborn Photo Color Correction
  • Newborn Photo Background Editing
  • Newborn Portrait Photo Editing
  • Newborn Photo Retouching
  • Creative Newborn Photo Editing
  • Newborn Photo Manipulation

Newborn Photo Color Correction

Your precious newborn will take some time and care to get perfect skin. How do you reflect that in photos? You can adjust the baby’s skin tone using color correction! 

Newborn photo custom color correction involves adjusting the following parameters

  • Tint
  • Blacks
  • Clarity
  • Contrast
  • Exposure
  • Recovery
  • Vibrance
  • Fill Light
  • Brightness
  • Saturation
  • Temperature
  • Tone Curves

Newborn Photo Background Editing

Want to make your newborn photos in a creative backdrop? You can use Newborn Photo Background Editing to isolate and remove your newborn from the photo and add a different background of choice. 

Some examples of newborn photos background include sci-fi-inspired themes (Star Wars), flowery settings, and vintage. The possibilities are endless with Newborn Photo Background Editing! 

Newborn Portrait Photo Editing

Newborn portraits are headshot photographs of babies less than 2 weeks old. A portrait usually emphasizes the newborn’s face, facial features, and shoulders. 

Newborn Portrait Photo Editing fixes any imperfections in the baby’s face, like redness, rashes, and skin tone. The final result? An adorable portrait of your little one!

Newborn Photo Retouching

Newborn photo retouching is the removal of all imperfections from the image. It includes things like skin smoothing & toning, color adjustment, blanket smoothening, and hair retouching. 

Retouching is typically done after global adjustments like color correction. It is the final polishing of the newborn photo before finishing up. 

Creative Newborn Photo Editing

Want to create a dreamy photo of your newborn sleeping on the moon? You can do that, and more, with Creative Newborn Photo Editing! 

A professional photo editor can creatively edit your newborn photos to create abstract and dream scenarios that make the images special. If you can imagine it, you can do that in newborn image post-processing! 

Newborn Photo Manipulation

Newborn photo manipulation transforms baby images into skillful artwork and other creative edits. For example, a skilled photo editor can turn baby images into pencil sketches or cartoons. 

History of Newborn Photo Editing

Newborn photography is a relatively recent trend. During the 1990s, a photographer named  Anne Elizabeth Geddes started photographing newborn babies in creative ways. For example, Ms. Geddes staged the newborns in pea pods for adorable photographs. 

Since then, newborn photography has taken off. However, with the power of modern photo editing software, newborn images have become even more popular. 

An expert photo editor these days can transform newborn photos into imaginative scenarios in increasingly creative ways. You do not have to fix everything during the photo shoot; any problems can be solved in image post-production.

Newborn Photo Editing Trends

What are the newborn photo editing trends? Parents are using increasingly clever techniques to make their newborn images pop. 

The most popular newborn image editing trends include the following:

  • Newborn Photos in Nature 
  • Use Props Creatively
  • Newborn Skin Editing
  • Color Match Newborn Photos
  • Newborn Photos in Creative Textures

Newborn Photo Editing Skills

What skills should a newborn photo editor have? If you already have a photographer clicking the newborn photographs, then your editor needs to have a good understanding of your aims. 

Apart from general photo editing skills, the newborn image editor must have the following skills:

  • Expertise with Relevant Photo Editing Software (Lightroom and Photoshop). 
  • Use Presets and Actions for Speedy Newborn Photo Retouching. 
  • Understanding of a Newborn’s Imperfections (Blotchy Skin, Redness, etc).
  • Creative Ideas to Put the Baby In a Fantastic Setting like Outer Space or Fairytale. 

Newborn Photo Editing Tools

The best newborn photo editing tool/software is Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop. Lightroom is used to retouch skin and make color corrections. For creative edits like background replacement, Photoshop is the preferred choice. 

Other popular newborn photo editing apps include the following:

  • Baby Pics App (iOS)
  • Totsie App (Android and iOS)

Furthermore, new parents can edit their baby photos using Online Photo Editors like:

  • Fotor
  • Pixlr
  • BeFunky

How To Edit Newborn Photos?

Want to learn how to edit newborn photos? Then you are in the right place! Read this section of the newborn photo editing article to know how exactly to edit newborn images. 

Newborn Photo Editing Step-by-Step Process

Images of newborns require a deft hand to skillfully edit into an amazing photo. This newborn photo editing guide describes how to exactly edit the images for excellent results. 

The step-by-step process for editing newborn photos includes the following:

  • Import Newborn Photo to Prefered Photo Editor
  • Adjust White Balance
  • Enable Lens Correction
  • Adjust Contrast and Clarity Sliders – for Soft, Airy Photos
  • Adjust HSL Sliders for Skin Tone Smoothening
  • Use Brushes to Remove Any Blemishes

Conclusion

In conclusion, newborn photo editing is an important part of the baby photography process. No matter how prepared you are during the photo shoot, some form of image post-processing is required. 

This article has described what newborn photo retouching is, its benefits, types, trends, history, tools, and the step-by-step process. I hope you have learned something from this newborn image editing article! 

If you enjoyed reading about newborn photo retouching and editing, please share it with your friends! Especially those with newborn children! 

Thanks for reading my article! If you have further questions on newborn photo editing, leave a comment below. 

Newborn Photo Editing FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Newborn Photo Editing. Find the answers to your most pressing questions on editing newborn images. If you have further questions, please comment in the comments section below. 

How can I edit my newborn pictures?

Editing newborn photos are best done in Lightroom. However, if you do not have experience with the software, there are simple apps that can do basic editing. For example, you can use Baby Pics App or Totsie App. If you need detailed edits, you should find a professional individual or business to help you out. 

How do I edit my newborn photos on my iPhone?

There are many good newborn retouching editing apps for iOS. For example, you can download Baby Pics or Totsie. Then, follow these steps:
Choose A Photo
Crop Unwanted Elements
Straighten if Needed
Brighten Image 
Fix Exposure
Adjust The Curve
Add Special Effects from the Options

What settings should I use for newborn photography for easy editing later?

The best camera settings for taking pictures of your newborn are:
Shutter speed around 1/200.
Low ISO (without sacrificing shutter speed).
An aperture of f/4 or lower for individual newborn shots and f/8 for group shots.

How soon after birth should I take newborn photos?

It is recommended to take newborn photographs between 7 and 10 days after birth. You can always wait before editing the photos. However, to post it quickly on social media, you need to finish the photoshoot and editing quickly. 

How much does it cost to edit newborn photos?

The cost of newborn photo editing depends on many factors, including the experience of the editor, the number of images, the complexity of the edits required, and more.

How do I select the best newborn photo editor?

If you decide not to edit the photos yourself, you have to work with an external photo editor or editing company. The first thing to check before choosing a newborn photo editor is their past work. A solid portfolio will speak volumes about their quality and ability. Next, you should look at their pricing, speed, and other factors.

This page was last edited on 19 August 2024, at 3:09 pm