I have to confess that when I first started to photograph newborns and edit their skin I struggled. I was not yet aware of so many secrets that would make your image beautiful right away. If you get it right in the first place editing newborn skin in photoshop will be a breeze.
Here is my original image with no skin edit (just bumped the exposure).
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I’m already happy with it. This sweet girl had redness and a few flakey spots. Using the following tips for creamy newborn skin I achieved the softness and creaminess.
1. Get the correct exposure. Even a little overexposed. However, I prefer to shoot in RAW and change everything I need in Lightroom later.
2. Wide aperture. I love F1.4-2.2. It softens skin automatically and gives the beautiful dreamy look. This image is F1.4. With this close distance I could go for F2.2 but it was my choice to go for F1.4 for creamy skin.
3. White balance. Get it right. I shoot in RAW and Kelvin. Here it is Kelvin 6500.
Now that I’ve done the essential work while shooting I can enhance a little.
Here is an edited version.
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I usually use Portraiture at a lower opacity. However, here it was not as important. I already had it soft and nice. I used frequency separation (action from Greater Than Gatsby) to smooth and even the skin on her cheek and eyelid. I can still see the difference and I like it.
I hope it was useful and will help beginning newborn photographers with creating creamy skin for newborns. Use these tips and get it right in the camera.
If you have something to add or find this information helpful, please comment below. I’d LOVE to hear from you! Thank you!
Good luck everyone! 🙂
