Filmed on location in Tracy’s studio, Elan Studio, you’ll learn the essentials for getting started photographing newborns. Safety and comfort is job one in newborn photography, and Tracy starts off sharing her methods for keeping babies safe, warm, and soothed. From there, Tracy takes you through her choice of gear and lighting, and then gives you a front row seat for a series of newborn sessions. You’ll learn how to wrap the baby, how to pose the baby on a variety of props, and how to maximize the time spent on set to give you a variety of looks in a short amount of time. Family photos are part of the package, and Tracy shares her process for working with the family in a variety of configurations. After the shooting is done, you’ll learn Tracy’s workflow in Lightroom and Photoshop for creating the final polished images that go on to become timeless heirlooms for the family.

Here’s what you can expect to learn: 

  1. Soothing Techniques
  2. Newborn Safety
  3. Photography Gear
  4. Lighting Setup
  5. Props
  6. How to Start a Session
  7. Background Options
  8. Taking Family Photos
  9. Adding Textured Layers
  10. Basic Editing in Lightroom & Photoshop
  11. Editing a Family Photo
  12. Retouching Skin
  13. Creating a Composite

And lots more—start watching here.

Tracy Sweeney

Tracy Sweeney, owner/photographer of Elan Studio in Bristol, Rhode Island, is an international award winning child, family and commercial photographer whose work has been featured in Click Magazine, Digital SLR Photography Magazine, Professional Photographer, Rangefinder,The UK Daily News, Buy Buy Baby, Babies R’ Us and Target Stores. Tracy loves capturing simple, candid moments, the indelible beauty of new beginnings and life. She is also an educator and published author with a Masters Degree in Education and Doctoral work in Curriculum, Instruction and Technology. Tracy lives and works by the sea with her husband and five children. Join Tracy, as she demonstrates how to establish connectivity and effortlessly evoke natural emotion in family photography.