095: Barkha Agarwal – How To Master Newborn Photography & Make Your Business Unique

For our business, yes, exactly. I guess you said it very right. Coming, I had an MBA degree, and I had been into sales and business development, so this really helped me set up my business and scale it up very soon; however, something which I always wanted to learn more was on the photography part. I just felt that the photography industry, it has started to open right now a lot more during these beautiful events like WBPI and everything coming up in here, but initially when I was starting out and here in India, the struggle was real for me to learn, “All right. Which prop to buy? Which gown to buy? Which lights to buy?” So that was something which I learned, and I have always been a hustler. So yes, starting from scratch and photography, but business gave me an edge, and I guess the combination of those made me a success.

Especially in newborns, just my top tip is, one, be confident, and second, understand the baby. I just feel a huge shift happened in my newborn photography when I started listening to the babies, and when I say listening to the babies, it is not listening to them crying, but they are always trying to communicate something to you. When you hold the baby, just look at the baby. Just understand. Say, for example, if you’re trying to wrap the baby, the photographer would be first, “Oh my god. The client is here. I’m not able to wrap the baby. He’ll be just trying to do that, and the baby won’t let him do that.” Then, why is it so? Take a second. Maybe look at the baby. Talk to the baby.

Is the baby gassy, or is he really having trouble with the colleague or something? So just have that emotive connect with the baby. Give its own due time. That would work. Second step is always practice your craft. Even before, I used to do initially, very initial of my sessions, I had a doll, an old rag doll. I used to take that< and I used to wrap the doll, place it the way I would. Even before my sessions, I would write down my workflow. I still do, and I would write down my workflow, all right? I’ll start with the red. I’ll go with the white. I’ll do this. I’ll do this. I’ll do this. I’ll do this. So that is what makes it clear in your head, because when you are interacting with a baby, the last thing you would want is, “All right. I was supposed to do green after this. Where’s my green backdrop? Let me go run and get the green backdrop.” Until that time, the baby cries.

So, of course everything depends onto the age of the baby as well. Say, for example, if a baby is 15 day old, my work flow is going to be different than a baby who would be two months old. I always have a proper, proper workflow. So, say for example, I always start with a beanbag. All right. I would sort the baby first in a white layer, and then do the baby on the beanbag. Since the baby is on the bean bag, can I do the baby in a bowl with flares on it on a white backdrop? All right, so now my white is done. Can I just change? So something which is always going in my mind is, “What can I do with least effort of me disrupting the baby and get maximum variations for my clients?” Because for my clients, I want to maximize the variety in my portfolio.

Of course, it makes sense to me as a photographer. It makes sense to the clients, so that they get variety. Maybe I can add a pink headband and a pink flower. Next, I can change. I won’t change the base now, but I would change the white to a red, bring a red backdrop underneath, and then put a red wreath over the baby so that I just maximize my variations. All being said and done, one thing which is very clear, and I tell all my clients, is nothing happens at the discomfort of the baby. For me, something which is most important is the baby’s comfort. I’ve had my sessions, wherein the babies were crying, and I have waited for maybe an hour or two also, because they would have had a severe colic attack just for later to pass, but nothing happens at the cost of a baby’s comfort.