I talked before about why I’m not going to photograph newborns and Kelli Nicole has agreed to let me show some of her before and after shots so you can really see what a (high quality) newborn photographer does. Keep in mind that these photos only show the difference editing can make. When I photographed a newborn this was about the best I could come up with for a pose, and there are so many other important factors as well. Kelli has collected enough props to fill up her entire car (literally), she has a white noise machine and other tools to help craft the perfect picture, and this magical baby whisperer quality that helps her mold teeny tiny little babies into poses they would never settle into themselves. This is not something the average Joe off the street can do.
Once the image is created, there are a few tricks that can be used during processing to create smooth bright skin that allows parents to remember their child as a perfect little angel.
Here is Kelli’s original photo, with no editing whatsoever:
The final product as edited by Kelli:
Before:
After:
Before:
After:
I love this picture
This one shows a huge difference!
Before:
After:
I do have one more before and after below, but I thought I’d show you some of my favorite photos from the day! I’ll note below the photo when it is Kelli’s (really gorgeous) edit, and when it’s my basic one. Kelli worked with T1 for hours and hours and gave me far more photos than any one mom could ever need. That’s why having her as a best friend rocks.
Basic edit by me
Love the progression in this series.
Basic edit by me
Hmm, what was that delicious thing I just had in my mouth?
Basic edit by me
I think I’d like to try tasting it again. Come here you delicious fist.
Basic edit by me
Oh man, so close.
Basic edit by me
Gotcha!
Basic edit by me
Could you tell that this was an edit by Kelli? Look at that perfect skin!
Another edit by Kelli
No matter how awful you look, if you do a newborn session please please please take pictures with your new baby. I promise you won’t regret it! (Especially if you hire someone who really knows what they are doing and is able to coach you into a pose that doesn’t make you look like a bloated whale.
Kelli’s work, and I love love love it.
Basic edit by me
Our new little family!
Basic edit by me
We had to keep the house really warm for the shoot (another tool in Kelli’s bag of tricks) and so we were all sweating like crazy.
Basic edit by me
Basic edit by me
My heart is melting into a little puddle of love. TH is a terrific father.
Basic edit by me
The last thing we did was a pose that involved some participation from me (I napped through most of the shooting and let Kelli take control of everything). I had to crouch under a black sheet and reach my arms around to support the top half of T1 while his bottom half rested on a bean bag. On a side note, look at what those prenatal vitamins did for my nails!
Basic edit by me
Kelli was able to take this image:
No editing at all!
And turn it into this masterpiece!
The final product edited by Kelli
I really believe that experienced newborn photographers are worth the money they charge. It’s so much more than picking up a camera and hanging up a pretty backdrop. Even someone like myself, who feels pretty confident about their work in other areas, knows that it would take me a long time to reach a place where I can craft images like this when a brand new baby is the subject in front of my lens. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that Kelli will be available whenever a new baby makes an entrance into That House!
Everyone say thank you to Kelli for letting me post her unedited photos. That’s a big deal! Anyone feel like they better understand the difference between someone who takes pictures and someone who specializes in newborns after reading this post?
October 7th, 2010 on 8:40 am
I think the last picture shows her work the most. You can see the idea and the concept. There is already research in it, and while a lot of people could attempt to do that at home, the very last pictures shows how much she works to edit it and create something unique.
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Cécy Reply:
October 7th, 2010 at 8:41 am
PS: At first I didn’t even recognized T1. He’s changed so much! No wonder you’re glad you had those pictures taken.
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Cristin Reply:
October 7th, 2010 at 11:03 am
Agree with Cecy - it took me two or three photos in to realize they were all T1! (little embarressed about this, though I don’t know why I should expect myself to remember all of the T1 stages of development!)
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October 7th, 2010 on 8:49 am
As per usual, gorgeous pictures! I can’t believe how much your little man has grown up in such a short time!
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October 7th, 2010 on 9:03 am
Her photography is amazing. Too bad she doesn’t live in Chicago because I would totally hire her when I have my first (hopefully in the very near future!). T1 is ADORABLE, I forgot how tiny he was.
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October 7th, 2010 on 9:28 am
Gosh.. look how much he’s grown!
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October 7th, 2010 on 10:07 am
I was bummed with my newborn photos. I got a nb session free from my birth photographer so I stuck with her. The birth images were amazing and perfect but the nb’s were ehh. And I wish thay she would have had the knowledge of flattering poses for mom like Kelli because I feel like I look disgusting in ours
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October 7th, 2010 on 10:15 am
I love Kelli Nicole’s work! She is awesome
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Kelli Nicole Reply:
October 8th, 2010 at 10:14 am
Thanks! I love your work too
. Seriously, when I don’t have 3 roommates and get my own place someday…
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October 7th, 2010 on 10:31 am
I really wanted newborn photos of B but we couldn’t afford it (two graduate students on stipend income) but it is something I will invest in when we have another baby.
On a side note: I do NOT like newborn photos with the nasty little nub showing..haha..maybe it just grosses me out..
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October 7th, 2010 on 10:44 am
Awesome pictures! P is so cute!
Just out of curiosity…you’ve been talking about your budgeting/finances and one of your main points has been separating needs from wants. What do you consider this (newborn photography) and what will you do if you have another baby while TH is in graduate school and you can’t get someone awesome like Kelli Nicole to do a photoshoot for cheap/free?
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Meg Reply:
October 7th, 2010 at 10:56 am
I think Jenna has mentioned before that her family considers this a need because they see the value in photography. Which makes sense. It’s kind of like a painter not buying paintings when obviously they are a painter because they believe paintings and having them are a neccessity in life. I’m assuming (could be wrong) since she’s a photographer she sees photography for families a need. I’d also be willing to bet though it is budgeted and something like shelter and food would push newborn photos into a ‘want’ category.
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Cristin Reply:
October 7th, 2010 at 11:06 am
Agree with Meg - wants & needs will change family to family and by financial status, I think. Kind of irrelevant though, because Jenna has family & friends who do this for a living and have been there with her for these milestones. Unless they move to Poland and none of them could come, I’m not sure they would need to budget for this!
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Turtle Reply:
October 7th, 2010 at 2:11 pm
Also, I just wanted to add that Jenna never said that they don’t indulge their wants. They just recognize them as wants. I don’t think she’s suggesting with her post that others should go into debt for photography- just that this is an area that she and TH think is an area they see as worth budgeting for.
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Jenna Reply:
October 7th, 2010 at 3:36 pm
Well I think needs are pretty finite, food, clothing, water, medical care, transportation… Everything else is just a nice addition in life and gets classified as a want. I’m pretty hardcore that way I guess.
We will probably have pictures done with the next baby, we’ll see if it works out with Kelli again (she really really loves P and I know she would get so excited to meet baby #2!) I’ll only hire someone if I feel like they will do pictures of a quality much higher than I could produce for a price we can afford. My photograph is only going to get better over time though so we will see!
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Sarah Reply:
October 7th, 2010 at 3:45 pm
I look forward to your newborn pictures with baby #2. Some of the cutest newborn shots I’ve seen are with older siblings included. The only downside to you doing your own newborn shots is you can’t be in them!
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October 7th, 2010 on 10:54 am
I think this might be one of my favorite posts
And it really makes me want to become a newborn photographer-though I don’t see that happening haha 
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October 7th, 2010 on 11:05 am
It’s also why it’s awesome having her for a sister! Love those sweet pictures of baby P!
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October 7th, 2010 on 11:09 am
When I was in elementary school, my mom always scheduled my school portraits for immediately after phys ed, so that I’d have color in my face! I’m guessing its similar for why Kelli Nicole wanted the house warm?
I do love seeing the difference in great photos, great photos with basic edits, and then great photos with fine edits. The evolution is really neat to see.
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Kelli Nicole Reply:
October 8th, 2010 at 10:13 am
Haha, that’s so funny that your mom did that! Maybe if mine did I wouldn’t have looked like a little Village of the Damned child (seriously, my twin sister and I had the haircut and the white hair and pail faces).
I actually have it really warm because newborns don’t regulate their body temperature as well as adults and they’re used to high temperatures in utero. If you expect them to stay sleeping deep while naked you have to increase the heat!
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Cristin Reply:
October 8th, 2010 at 10:18 am
Oh gosh - funny!! Your reason is much more scientific!
I never wanted it after PE, because I thought my hair looked messy. We compromised when I was older, and my Mom encouraged me to pinch my cheeks right before camera time. I never thought anything of it, but looking back, its pretty funny that she was trying to compensate for my pale pale skin.
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October 7th, 2010 on 12:19 pm
I love Kelli’s work - she did my daughter’s newborn pictures and they are simply amazing!
Thanks for showing what good editing can do!
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October 7th, 2010 on 2:00 pm
I love the picture of TH with T1. I hope that isn’t weird to say… I think I just love seeing guys I know get married and become (with the help of a great wife) wonderful fathers! You look like such a happy family in every picture you put up! I hope you still aren’t getting nasty comments because you really don’t deserve them, you are doing great
On a side note, I think I start to droll every time I see Kelli’s work! I love her work! She is so talented and always manages to capture gorgeous pictures!
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October 7th, 2010 on 3:55 pm
While I can see the value in editing some shots, I worry about the message that is sent when we edit and alter every. single. image. I want to see imperfections, all the little winkles, the less-than-flawless skin, the variation in tone and texture. We already photoshop models to a state where they no longer resemble a real human, and I question the necessity of such vigorous editing in newborn photography, and the future consequences of such an action. The end result may be ‘prettier’, but does it capture reality? What sort of message are we sending to our children if we edit away everything we think is imperfect or undesirable?
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Jenna Reply:
October 7th, 2010 at 4:20 pm
I’m guessing the message they get from that will be no different than what they take away from me putting on makeup every day.
I also think people don’t realize how still photography captures people in a way that magnifies their imperfections in a way that we don’t see them in real life. Because the moment is frozen in time you are able to focus in on certain details, whereas with a live baby new things are happening all the time (even if it’s only the rise and fall of their vest and the sound of them breathing). I think digital airbrushing helps me focus in on his little hands and sweet lips instead of baby acne.
If you watch a video of newborn T1 you hardly notice his baby acne. Look at a still shot from the same day and things look very different. Although I guess some could day that their baby looks more beautiful with a splotchy face, I know I never would. I like my own skin clear and I want my baby’s skin to be the same. I think it’s human.
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Jen Allyson Reply:
October 7th, 2010 at 4:20 pm
I just see it as art. I could hire someone to paint a portrait of my child, but that would probably cost a huge amount of money, and I would only have one copy. I don’t think the point is perfection, but rather to have an artistic rendering of real life. Sometimes that includes wrinkles and imperfections, and sometimes it doesn’t. I don’t think perfect is anymore beautiful than imperfect… and I’m pretty sure over the course of that child’s life there will be many “imperfect” photographs from everyday life
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Virginia Reply:
October 7th, 2010 at 6:36 pm
I agree with you. While I can appreciate the obvious talent it takes to produce images like these, and I see the value in overal color/lighting correction or background editing, I would definitely prefer to leave my baby unretouched.
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Kelli Nicole Reply:
October 8th, 2010 at 10:00 am
I understand what you’re saying, and I’m actually doing a bit less skin smoothing now than I did a few months ago. I actually only edit a handful of pictures from the shoot and the parents get to choose some of their favorites to be edited. If they order a disc they get all the un-retouched pictures (edited only for color/contrast, no skin retouching) and their favorites edited as well as unedited. I leave it up to them what to do next! I have A LOT of parents ask that I edit out scratches, baby acne, rashes, etc and I try to give my clients what I feel they want
.
I try to leave most of the texture in their skin and mostly edit out acne or scratches, but when you lighten pictures and use small apertures (essentially making the background blurry) it naturally makes the skin looks smoother. If you look at my latest newborn post (http://www.kellinicolephotography.com/blog/2010/10/04/stella/) I didn’t do any skin smoothing on her face, I only edited out some white pimples on her chin and under her nose. In the 3rd picture (and the last) especially you can see her little furry self (I love that newborn furriness, lol).
I think Jenna makes a point that when you see a live person/baby you are much less likely to notice the “flaws.”
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October 7th, 2010 on 4:18 pm
I’m trying to figure out how much it will take to bribe Kelli Nicole to come and take our newborn photos. I’ve tried to find a photog in our area (sacramento), and it’s so hard to find anyone who specializes, and of course impossible to find anyone as good as Kelli.
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Kelli Nicole Reply:
October 8th, 2010 at 10:16 am
Thanks Jen! If you email me I can send you a few newborn photographers in the bay area (don’t think I know of any in Sacramento) and if you wanted to pay for my plane ticket I would gladly come out
.
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Kelli Nicole Reply:
October 8th, 2010 at 10:17 am
Also, your wedding is still one of my favorites!
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Jen Allyson Reply:
October 8th, 2010 at 12:42 pm
I would gladly pay for your plane ticket. How is your availability in March? Our due date is March 10th.
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Kelli Nicole Reply:
October 10th, 2010 at 12:48 am
I emailed you
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Jen Allyson Reply:
October 14th, 2010 at 12:18 pm
Hey Kelli,
I never got your email, I think it’s lost somewhere in cyberspace
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Kelli Nicole Reply:
October 14th, 2010 at 12:20 pm
Darn, I’ll send it on facebook then!
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October 7th, 2010 on 6:11 pm
Great Great Great Pictures!
Great job! I LOVE them. SO many great shots
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October 7th, 2010 on 6:49 pm
It’s funny that you posted this, because last night I was looking at Kelli’s site and drooling over her photos. I hope she stays in Texas for a couple more years so I can hire her!
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October 8th, 2010 on 6:42 am
I think the one of him yawning might be one of my favorite photos of all time. TOO CUTE. And I loved this post! I always find it so interesting to see before/after photos when they have been edited, because it always amazes me how talented some people are at editing! These photos of T1 have pretty much convinced me that I HAVE to have newborn photos when I have a baby someday!
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October 8th, 2010 on 1:55 pm
The pictures are great. I think you made a wise decision to get a professional.
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October 10th, 2010 on 3:05 pm
I definitely hear you about hiring a pro, but your family is so darn photogenic I could take the photos and they’d still be awesome.
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October 10th, 2010 on 3:06 pm
i love the point you made about getting mom and dad in the pictures too. one of the nurses at my nieces birth was a photographer too, and she came back on day two to take some pictures. the best one, which now hangs in the new labor and delivery wing in the hospital, is a closeup of the the brand new family, baby in arms and mom and dad’s joyful faces. you can’t tell they’d had 2 sleepless nights in the hospital, all you see is love!
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October 12th, 2010 on 2:03 pm
When I have children I really hope to hire someone to get photos like these. They’re just gorgeous!
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October 13th, 2010 on 10:14 pm
I’m already hoping that I will be able to hire Kelli Nicole when we have kids! These pictures are SUCH a treasure. I would be so bummed to miss out on the opportunity to have such sweet pictures.
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October 17th, 2010 on 7:38 pm
I always think newborn pictures are kind of weird… like… the naked family pictures. Obviously people like these “au natural” family pictures… but I think I look better with clothing.
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