How to Focus Light on Baby Photo in Sony Camera
newdom • Regular Member • Posts: 351
Sony FE lens advice for newborn photography?
Jan 25, 2021
Hi, I've recently got a Sony A7 (mk1) with the 28-70 kit lens to take photos of my first child expected any day now. I'm relatively new to photography but have been reading, learning and practicing so at least I can cope with simple priority modes, raw processing etc. With the magic of modern electronics I'm actually taking some fairly decent photos!
I've looked up what (studio) photographers seem to recommend for newborn photography, which range from wide angle primes (24-35mm, which seem to be more for capturing families/group shots), to 'nifty fifty' primes, to longer portrait/macro lenses. I don't have unlimited budget so I ended up getting a used 55mm 1.8 Zeiss lens which gets fantastic reviews, hoping this will cater for most of my needs. As we're in strict lockdown (UK) for the forseeable future, we're unlikely to have anyone visiting so no need for wider lenses, unlikely to spend much time outdoors (lockdown and it's really cold!), so I thought a decent wide lens would help with indoor photos. As people have noted elsewhere on this forum using it wide open makes it really difficult for a newbie to focus so I've been practicing with that but I guess I'll have to stop back to f5+ to capture shots more reliably. I've ordered a decent tripod as well which hopefully should help. Does this lens with a tripod sound like a sensible idea for a newbie? It doesn't have OSS, neither does the body, so I've had trouble getting decent photos indoors..
The other lens that gets recommended a lot by studio photographers is a macro lens, for really closeup shots - feet, fingers, eyes etc. I've been surprised by how far away you have to be to focus with the 55m or the kit lens! I looked at the Sony FE macro lenses - the 50mm and 90mm. The 90mm gets fantastic reviews and has OSS, the 50mm less so but it's cheaper. But from what I've read almost all indoor macro photography will be manual focused, so is there a cheaper option with older adapted lenses? There are all sorts on ebay - adapted Canon FD 35-105mm macro, Samyang 100mm f2.8 macro etc etc. Are these relatively easy to use or am I better off just getting the 90mm? It's expensive but these are for things that can't be re-captured, and if I buy and sell on ebay I guess I can't lose that much in the long run..
TIA for the advice
Dom
Sony a7R II Sigma 35mm F1.4 DG DN Samyang AF 85mm F1.4 FE Samyang AF 35mm F1.8 FE Sony FE 28-60mm F4-5.6 +4 more
Re: Sony FE lens advice for newborn photography?
In reply to newdom • Jan 25, 2021
The 90mm macro might be a great choice depending on your working distance. He OSS will help with sharpness, and having autofocus, even with close up toe shots, will be nice. I used to have a tamron 90mm macro that I used on my 5d mark iii. It was a nice length for portraits when I had the space, and I liked the compression for the close up shots.
if you find that the 70mm on your kit lens is too long or rarely used, then a 50mm might be a better option. Likewise if you find you're shooting on the wide end, check into 35mm primes (even without being true macro, many 35mm primes can focus really close). It largely depends on the types of images you want to deliver and how much working space you have to operate in.
good luck!
Andersonm • Contributing Member • Posts: 633
Re: Sony FE lens advice for newborn photography?
In reply to newdom • Jan 25, 2021
Pretty sensible thoughts so far.
For sharp images of a newborn, and without stabilization, you probably want both a fast shutter speed and a non-shallow depth of field. Depth of field will be a real challenge, as you'll be very close most of the time. So you need to increase the f-number, as you have identified.
With a fast shutter speed, and small aperture, you really want to crank up the ISO. Unfortunately, that will seem to make worse images.
You should therefore be aware of some specialist noise reduction tools (DXO Photolab) which have become very good at removing noise from images. With that, you should be able to crank up ISO much higher than you would otherwise be comfortable with.
Olympus OM-D E-M5 Olympus M.Zuiko Digital 45mm F1.8 Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 12mm 1:2 Panasonic 20mm F1.7 II Panasonic Leica DG Summilux 15mm F1.7 ASPH
Re: Sony FE lens advice for newborn photography?
In reply to newdom • Jan 25, 2021
newdom wrote:
Hi, I've recently got a Sony A7 (mk1) with the 28-70 kit lens to take photos of my first child expected any day now. I'm relatively new to photography but have been reading, learning and practicing so at least I can cope with simple priority modes, raw processing etc. With the magic of modern electronics I'm actually taking some fairly decent photos!
I've looked up what (studio) photographers seem to recommend for newborn photography, which range from wide angle primes (24-35mm, which seem to be more for capturing families/group shots), to 'nifty fifty' primes, to longer portrait/macro lenses. I don't have unlimited budget so I ended up getting a used 55mm 1.8 Zeiss lens which gets fantastic reviews, hoping this will cater for most of my needs. As we're in strict lockdown (UK) for the forseeable future, we're unlikely to have anyone visiting so no need for wider lenses, unlikely to spend much time outdoors (lockdown and it's really cold!), so I thought a decent wide lens would help with indoor photos. As people have noted elsewhere on this forum using it wide open makes it really difficult for a newbie to focus so I've been practicing with that but I guess I'll have to stop back to f5+ to capture shots more reliably. I've ordered a decent tripod as well which hopefully should help. Does this lens with a tripod sound like a sensible idea for a newbie? It doesn't have OSS, neither does the body, so I've had trouble getting decent photos indoors..
The other lens that gets recommended a lot by studio photographers is a macro lens, for really closeup shots - feet, fingers, eyes etc. I've been surprised by how far away you have to be to focus with the 55m or the kit lens! I looked at the Sony FE macro lenses - the 50mm and 90mm. The 90mm gets fantastic reviews and has OSS, the 50mm less so but it's cheaper. But from what I've read almost all indoor macro photography will be manual focused, so is there a cheaper option with older adapted lenses? There are all sorts on ebay - adapted Canon FD 35-105mm macro, Samyang 100mm f2.8 macro etc etc. Are these relatively easy to use or am I better off just getting the 90mm? It's expensive but these are for things that can't be re-captured, and if I buy and sell on ebay I guess I can't lose that much in the long run..
TIA for the advice
Dom
I think the biggest problem with newborn through toddler is freezing the jerky, quick motions in indoor light. You might need to use flash, either bounce or with a diffuser. Image Stabilization won't help with motion blur and you can't always use wide apertures. A tripod won't help if you're trying to avoid motion blur.
I used the 28mm F2 lens a lot
In reply to newdom • Jan 26, 2021
1
It's not a normal portrait lens and it makes faces more round as opposed to flat, but I loved taking baby pictures with this FE lens. And it is very small and even better for video.
OP newdom • Regular Member • Posts: 351
Re: Sony FE lens advice for newborn photography?
Ah, that's interesting - I hadn't heard of of AI noise reduction. I've got Affinity Photo, Capture One Sony and Sony Imaging Edge and it's interesting to find out that RAW images are interpreted quite differently between the different pieces of software - to my untrained eye it seems Sony Imaging Edge does the best initial job so I tend to use that. And when you bring up a RAW photo it loads in stages and you can actually see it de-noising, but there's a limit to it's effectiveness. And the A7 in Aperture priority seems to like decreasing shutter speed rather than increasing ISO, so clearly I need to open the scary Manual mode up. DXO Elite which includes the AI noise reduction is expensive, but cheaper than a new lens
Sony a7R II Sigma 35mm F1.4 DG DN Samyang AF 85mm F1.4 FE Samyang AF 35mm F1.8 FE Sony FE 28-60mm F4-5.6 +4 more
OP newdom • Regular Member • Posts: 351
Re: Sony FE lens advice for newborn photography?
BBbuilder467 wrote:
I think the biggest problem with newborn through toddler is freezing the jerky, quick motions in indoor light. You might need to use flash, either bounce or with a diffuser. Image Stabilization won't help with motion blur and you can't always use wide apertures. A tripod won't help if you're trying to avoid motion blur.
Ah, good point. That explains why most of the studio newborn shoots I've seen have the babies fast asleep! And I've been told by the time he gets to toddler stage I'll be spending my money on containment devices and entertainment items rather than camera lenses..
I came across an article that suggested putting foam over a flash to diffuse it or netting over a window (but the light is very poor indoors anyway at this time of year), and also point the flash away and heavily diffuse it so not to startle the baby(/cat/dog etc). Are there any suggestions for a reasonably cheap flash? Does it have to be wifi to point away?
Sony a7R II Sigma 35mm F1.4 DG DN Samyang AF 85mm F1.4 FE Samyang AF 35mm F1.8 FE Sony FE 28-60mm F4-5.6 +4 more
OP newdom • Regular Member • Posts: 351
Re: Sony FE lens advice for newborn photography?
Hobbitmob wrote:
The 90mm macro might be a great choice depending on your working distance. He OSS will help with sharpness, and having autofocus, even with close up toe shots, will be nice. I used to have a tamron 90mm macro that I used on my 5d mark iii. It was a nice length for portraits when I had the space, and I liked the compression for the close up shots.
if you find that the 70mm on your kit lens is too long or rarely used, then a 50mm might be a better option. Likewise if you find you're shooting on the wide end, check into 35mm primes (even without being true macro, many 35mm primes can focus really close). It largely depends on the types of images you want to deliver and how much working space you have to operate in.
good luck!
I just looked up the minimum focus/maximum magnification of both my lenses - the 28-70 is 0.19x and the 55mm is only 0.14x so turns out they're both really poor! I'll have a look at some wider primes as well as the 90mm. Thanks
Sony a7R II Sigma 35mm F1.4 DG DN Samyang AF 85mm F1.4 FE Samyang AF 35mm F1.8 FE Sony FE 28-60mm F4-5.6 +4 more
WryCuda • Forum Pro • Posts: 11,007
Try what you already have
In reply to newdom • Jan 26, 2021
newdom wrote:
Hobbitmob wrote:
The 90mm macro might be a great choice depending on your working distance. He OSS will help with sharpness, and having autofocus, even with close up toe shots, will be nice. I used to have a tamron 90mm macro that I used on my 5d mark iii. It was a nice length for portraits when I had the space, and I liked the compression for the close up shots.
if you find that the 70mm on your kit lens is too long or rarely used, then a 50mm might be a better option. Likewise if you find you're shooting on the wide end, check into 35mm primes (even without being true macro, many 35mm primes can focus really close). It largely depends on the types of images you want to deliver and how much working space you have to operate in.
good luck!
I just looked up the minimum focus/maximum magnification of both my lenses - the 28-70 is 0.19x and the 55mm is only 0.14x so turns out they're both really poor! I'll have a look at some wider primes as well as the 90mm.
Magnification values are poor measures of lens suitability.
I have the 28-70mm lens and a7, and that's enough for decent newborn shots. Go easy with spending on lenses until you give the 28-70mm a good try.
https://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/57740565
Nikon D7100 Sony a6000 Sony a7
teejaywhy • Regular Member • Posts: 447
Re: Sony FE lens advice for newborn photography?
In reply to newdom • Jan 26, 2021
No reason the kit lens won't work just fine. Congratulations on your first child.
Nikon D750 Panasonic G85 Olympus PEN-F Olympus E-M1 III
Re: Sony FE lens advice for newborn photography?
In reply to newdom • Jan 26, 2021
1
Congratulations on the baby! I think you have a fantastic kit to work with. In particular, the 55mm will be quite versatile.
A couple of tips.
- First, not every shot needs to be wide open. If you are having trouble getting enough depth of field stop down a bit. After all, you probably don't want all of the pictures of you baby to have blurry ears 😀 (maybe some, but not all).
- A shutter speed of 1/200 will pretty safely prevent motion blur for a baby. You may be able to get away with slower shutter speeds (e.g., 1/100 or even 1/50), but it depends on the conditions.
- I find that many indoor light fixtures provide terrible light quality (particularly can lights that are pointed straight down). A bit of bounce flash off the ceiling can help provide softer diffused light that will be more flattering. Flash can also help you lower your ISO or use a smaller aperture if more depth of field is needed. I use use an off camera flash with a remote trigger so that I can move the camera around more freely (e.g., switch between portrait and landscape).
- Pay attention to the direction and quality of light. Light from a window can be your friend, since it can essentially act as a large softbox. (I actually ended up purchasing a couple of softboxes...but I have a photography addiction 😀). Paying attention to light is one of the most important aspects of getting good photos (much more important than any lens/camera purchase).
- Very important. Spend some money on frames and prints in addition to sharing the photos electronically. And try larger print sizes when applicable (e.g., 11x14, or I use 12x16).
I personally would not purchase a macro lens for a baby unless you have other uses for the lens (or really really want those close up pictures). It may be nice, but I am afraid you may not use it that often. You could always give your current kit a try and feel out which additions you should make.
I think you will find the tripod to be constraining. And, while it may solve blur from camera movement, you will still have blur from baby movement. I would personally use a bit of bounce flash instead (but feel free to experiment).
As my kid has grown older (she is 3 now), I have found more and more uses for telephoto lenses. Just a heads up that you may want to add some lenses down the road.
Chris5437 • Junior Member • Posts: 48
Re: Sony FE lens advice for newborn photography?
Congratulations! I just had a look back through our baby pics, I took nearly all of them with a 50mm and typically around f2.2-2.8. You will have to see how low you can go with the shutter speed if the light is poor. I would normally use 1/120 to 1/250. But it's a personal preference, as long as the closest eye is in focus I don't mind if other parts of the face are out of focus.
A friend who is a pro for family shoots uses a 35mm usually at f2.2-3.2 and she prefers in poor light to have a lower shutter speed (1/60) and just burst shoot, accepting that some will have motion blur but that the good ones will be better quality.
Canon EOS M6 II Canon EF-M 22mm f/2 STM Sigma 30mm F1.4 (E/EF-M mounts) Canon 70-300 F4-5.6 IS II Sigma 150-600mm F5-6.3 | C
OP newdom • Regular Member • Posts: 351
Re: Try what you already have
In reply to WryCuda • Jan 27, 2021
WryCuda wrote:
newdom wrote:
Hobbitmob wrote:
The 90mm macro might be a great choice depending on your working distance. He OSS will help with sharpness, and having autofocus, even with close up toe shots, will be nice. I used to have a tamron 90mm macro that I used on my 5d mark iii. It was a nice length for portraits when I had the space, and I liked the compression for the close up shots.
if you find that the 70mm on your kit lens is too long or rarely used, then a 50mm might be a better option. Likewise if you find you're shooting on the wide end, check into 35mm primes (even without being true macro, many 35mm primes can focus really close). It largely depends on the types of images you want to deliver and how much working space you have to operate in.
good luck!
I just looked up the minimum focus/maximum magnification of both my lenses - the 28-70 is 0.19x and the 55mm is only 0.14x so turns out they're both really poor! I'll have a look at some wider primes as well as the 90mm.
Magnification values are poor measures of lens suitability.
I have the 28-70mm lens and a7, and that's enough for decent newborn shots. Go easy with spending on lenses until you give the 28-70mm a good try.
https://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/57740565
The more I read, the more I'm beginning to understand this is good advice
Sony a7R II Sigma 35mm F1.4 DG DN Samyang AF 85mm F1.4 FE Samyang AF 35mm F1.8 FE Sony FE 28-60mm F4-5.6 +4 more
OP newdom • Regular Member • Posts: 351
Re: Sony FE lens advice for newborn photography?
teejaywhy wrote:
No reason the kit lens won't work just fine. Congratulations on your first child.
Thanks, I will definitely try it to start with
Sony a7R II Sigma 35mm F1.4 DG DN Samyang AF 85mm F1.4 FE Samyang AF 35mm F1.8 FE Sony FE 28-60mm F4-5.6 +4 more
WryCuda • Forum Pro • Posts: 11,007
Re: Try what you already have
In reply to newdom • Jan 27, 2021
newdom wrote:
WryCuda wrote:
newdom wrote:
Hobbitmob wrote:
The 90mm macro might be a great choice depending on your working distance. He OSS will help with sharpness, and having autofocus, even with close up toe shots, will be nice. I used to have a tamron 90mm macro that I used on my 5d mark iii. It was a nice length for portraits when I had the space, and I liked the compression for the close up shots.
if you find that the 70mm on your kit lens is too long or rarely used, then a 50mm might be a better option. Likewise if you find you're shooting on the wide end, check into 35mm primes (even without being true macro, many 35mm primes can focus really close). It largely depends on the types of images you want to deliver and how much working space you have to operate in.
good luck!
I just looked up the minimum focus/maximum magnification of both my lenses - the 28-70 is 0.19x and the 55mm is only 0.14x so turns out they're both really poor! I'll have a look at some wider primes as well as the 90mm.
Magnification values are poor measures of lens suitability.
I have the 28-70mm lens and a7, and that's enough for decent newborn shots. Go easy with spending on lenses until you give the 28-70mm a good try.
https://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/57740565
The more I read, the more I'm beginning to understand this is good advice
There are some nice lenses available for the Sony, but many of them are very expensive. ($1500 to $2500). A lens that I sometimes use on Sony a7 is the FE 35mm f/2.8, but even this non-stabilised prime isn't cheap.
I'd suggest posing the baby in the arms of the parents or other relatives.
Nikon D7100 Sony a6000 Sony a7
OP newdom • Regular Member • Posts: 351
Re: Sony FE lens advice for newborn photography?
LightCameraAction wrote:
Congratulations on the baby! I think you have a fantastic kit to work with. In particular, the 55mm will be quite versatile.
A couple of tips.
- First, not every shot needs to be wide open. If you are having trouble getting enough depth of field stop down a bit. After all, you probably don't want all of the pictures of you baby to have blurry ears 😀 (maybe some, but not all).
- A shutter speed of 1/200 will pretty safely prevent motion blur for a baby. You may be able to get away with slower shutter speeds (e.g., 1/100 or even 1/50), but it depends on the conditions.
- I find that many indoor light fixtures provide terrible light quality (particularly can lights that are pointed straight down). A bit of bounce flash off the ceiling can help provide softer diffused light that will be more flattering. Flash can also help you lower your ISO or use a smaller aperture if more depth of field is needed. I use use an off camera flash with a remote trigger so that I can move the camera around more freely (e.g., switch between portrait and landscape).
- Pay attention to the direction and quality of light. Light from a window can be your friend, since it can essentially act as a large softbox. (I actually ended up purchasing a couple of softboxes...but I have a photography addiction 😀). Paying attention to light is one of the most important aspects of getting good photos (much more important than any lens/camera purchase).
- Very important. Spend some money on frames and prints in addition to sharing the photos electronically. And try larger print sizes when applicable (e.g., 11x14, or I use 12x16).
I personally would not purchase a macro lens for a baby unless you have other uses for the lens (or really really want those close up pictures). It may be nice, but I am afraid you may not use it that often. You could always give your current kit a try and feel out which additions you should make.
I think you will find the tripod to be constraining. And, while it may solve blur from camera movement, you will still have blur from baby movement. I would personally use a bit of bounce flash instead (but feel free to experiment).
As my kid has grown older (she is 3 now), I have found more and more uses for telephoto lenses. Just a heads up that you may want to add some lenses down the road.
Some fantastic advice, thanks
It's funny when you start looking at cameras and lenses, it always seems like the lower the f number the better the lens (or photo), then you start actually taking photos and wonder why everything has blurry ears! I've started to take the aperture back to 3/4/5 and along with learning how to spot focus am getting much better results now, I guess when my technique is a bit better I'll have more luck with the wider apertures. I got a really nice tripod (Manfrotto befree GT carbon) and it's transformed my photos indoors of still objects (my poor cat is getting really bored of posing), but as you say it won't help when the baby is awake and moving around. So I've now started researching my next obsession of flashes, remote triggers and softboxes - thanks for triggering my next addiction
Lots of great advice on here, and a lot of people saying just use the equipment you've got to start with - I guess technique is the limiting factor not quality of equipment when you're starting out. Although good quality gear hides bad technique to some degree
Sony a7R II Sigma 35mm F1.4 DG DN Samyang AF 85mm F1.4 FE Samyang AF 35mm F1.8 FE Sony FE 28-60mm F4-5.6 +4 more
(unknown member) • Forum Pro • Posts: 12,611
Re: Sony FE lens advice for newborn photography?
In reply to newdom • Jan 27, 2021
newdom wrote:
LightCameraAction wrote:
Congratulations on the baby! I think you have a fantastic kit to work with. In particular, the 55mm will be quite versatile.
A couple of tips.
- First, not every shot needs to be wide open. If you are having trouble getting enough depth of field stop down a bit. After all, you probably don't want all of the pictures of you baby to have blurry ears 😀 (maybe some, but not all).
- A shutter speed of 1/200 will pretty safely prevent motion blur for a baby. You may be able to get away with slower shutter speeds (e.g., 1/100 or even 1/50), but it depends on the conditions.
- I find that many indoor light fixtures provide terrible light quality (particularly can lights that are pointed straight down). A bit of bounce flash off the ceiling can help provide softer diffused light that will be more flattering. Flash can also help you lower your ISO or use a smaller aperture if more depth of field is needed. I use use an off camera flash with a remote trigger so that I can move the camera around more freely (e.g., switch between portrait and landscape).
- Pay attention to the direction and quality of light. Light from a window can be your friend, since it can essentially act as a large softbox. (I actually ended up purchasing a couple of softboxes...but I have a photography addiction 😀). Paying attention to light is one of the most important aspects of getting good photos (much more important than any lens/camera purchase).
- Very important. Spend some money on frames and prints in addition to sharing the photos electronically. And try larger print sizes when applicable (e.g., 11x14, or I use 12x16).
I personally would not purchase a macro lens for a baby unless you have other uses for the lens (or really really want those close up pictures). It may be nice, but I am afraid you may not use it that often. You could always give your current kit a try and feel out which additions you should make.
I think you will find the tripod to be constraining. And, while it may solve blur from camera movement, you will still have blur from baby movement. I would personally use a bit of bounce flash instead (but feel free to experiment).
As my kid has grown older (she is 3 now), I have found more and more uses for telephoto lenses. Just a heads up that you may want to add some lenses down the road.
Some fantastic advice, thanks
It's funny when you start looking at cameras and lenses, it always seems like the lower the f number the better the lens (or photo), then you start actually taking photos and wonder why everything has blurry ears! I've started to take the aperture back to 3/4/5 and along with learning how to spot focus am getting much better results now, I guess when my technique is a bit better I'll have more luck with the wider apertures. I got a really nice tripod (Manfrotto befree GT carbon) and it's transformed my photos indoors of still objects (my poor cat is getting really bored of posing), but as you say it won't help when the baby is awake and moving around. So I've now started researching my next obsession of flashes, remote triggers and softboxes - thanks for triggering my next addiction
Lots of great advice on here, and a lot of people saying just use the equipment you've got to start with - I guess technique is the limiting factor not quality of equipment when you're starting out. Although good quality gear hides bad technique to some degree
I own the A7 with kit lens and the Sony fe50 f1.8 ( super cheap lol) I can tell you this kit is more than capable.
You'll only need a tripod if your doing selfie shot lol.
Babies move so you need a higher shutter speed so you won't get any benefits from image stabilisation.
Don't be afraid to use shallow dof ( f2.8) .
Your 55mm lens is a great starting point . Even the kit lens will work with enough light.
You can always add a wide angle and short telephoto later on .
Take a look at the budget priced samyang primes like the 24/35 and 75mm .
When my kids where born I great success with much lesser kit as I used an aspc with 35mm and 50mm f1.8
I then added extra lighting and a back drop as local studios where far to costly for me to afford.
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Re: Sony FE lens advice for newborn photography?
In reply to newdom • Jan 27, 2021
newdom wrote:
LightCameraAction wrote:
Congratulations on the baby! I think you have a fantastic kit to work with. In particular, the 55mm will be quite versatile.
A couple of tips.
- First, not every shot needs to be wide open. If you are having trouble getting enough depth of field stop down a bit. After all, you probably don't want all of the pictures of you baby to have blurry ears 😀 (maybe some, but not all).
- A shutter speed of 1/200 will pretty safely prevent motion blur for a baby. You may be able to get away with slower shutter speeds (e.g., 1/100 or even 1/50), but it depends on the conditions.
- I find that many indoor light fixtures provide terrible light quality (particularly can lights that are pointed straight down). A bit of bounce flash off the ceiling can help provide softer diffused light that will be more flattering. Flash can also help you lower your ISO or use a smaller aperture if more depth of field is needed. I use use an off camera flash with a remote trigger so that I can move the camera around more freely (e.g., switch between portrait and landscape).
- Pay attention to the direction and quality of light. Light from a window can be your friend, since it can essentially act as a large softbox. (I actually ended up purchasing a couple of softboxes...but I have a photography addiction 😀). Paying attention to light is one of the most important aspects of getting good photos (much more important than any lens/camera purchase).
- Very important. Spend some money on frames and prints in addition to sharing the photos electronically. And try larger print sizes when applicable (e.g., 11x14, or I use 12x16).
I personally would not purchase a macro lens for a baby unless you have other uses for the lens (or really really want those close up pictures). It may be nice, but I am afraid you may not use it that often. You could always give your current kit a try and feel out which additions you should make.
I think you will find the tripod to be constraining. And, while it may solve blur from camera movement, you will still have blur from baby movement. I would personally use a bit of bounce flash instead (but feel free to experiment).
As my kid has grown older (she is 3 now), I have found more and more uses for telephoto lenses. Just a heads up that you may want to add some lenses down the road.
Some fantastic advice, thanks
It's funny when you start looking at cameras and lenses, it always seems like the lower the f number the better the lens (or photo), then you start actually taking photos and wonder why everything has blurry ears! I've started to take the aperture back to 3/4/5 and along with learning how to spot focus am getting much better results now, I guess when my technique is a bit better I'll have more luck with the wider apertures. I got a really nice tripod (Manfrotto befree GT carbon) and it's transformed my photos indoors of still objects (my poor cat is getting really bored of posing), but as you say it won't help when the baby is awake and moving around. So I've now started researching my next obsession of flashes, remote triggers and softboxes - thanks for triggering my next addiction
Lots of great advice on here, and a lot of people saying just use the equipment you've got to start with - I guess technique is the limiting factor not quality of equipment when you're starting out. Although good quality gear hides bad technique to some degree
To clarify one point, it is fine to shoot at wide open apertures (small f-number). Sometimes the extra light gathering is needed or you need to blur the sofa in the background.
Just don't get stuck stuck there. Shallow depth of field is sometimes overused and there are other ways to highlight your subject that you may want to explore.
How to Focus Light on Baby Photo in Sony Camera
Source: https://www.dpreview.com/forums/thread/4549758
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