52 PPMAG.COM
LIGHTING NEWBORNS AND MOMS
Whether a maternity portrait shoot or a newborn session, lighting is critical to setting
the mood and determining the creative direction of the photography.NEWBORNS
Karen Marie Hourscht prefers natural light for newborn shoots. It provides a softer, more realistic feel, and there isn’t the shocking pop of
flash that comes with electric strobes. She sets up sessions next to a wall of windows, which she uses as the main light shining from the
side, modifying as needed with a reflector. The room is fairly small and gets very bright, so her lighting setup includes a lot of side light
and rim light. On gloomy days when the quality of natural light isn’t as great as she wants, she uses an 86-inch PLM umbrella system as
an artificial window light. Overall, the approach is light, warm, and natural.MOMS
For maternity sessions, Hourscht moves to the studio next door and usually works with a custom backlight setup that provides a light,
airy effect. To create this look, she painted a wall pure white, then set up two strobes pointed at the wall. Next, she hung a large, sheer,
chiffon curtain between the strobes and the wall. When she fires the strobes, they reflect off the wall through the sheer fabric. That mod-
ifies the light down a couple of stops and creates a softer look that wraps the light around the subject’s body.