To date, the genre of photographing newborns (Newborn Photography, newborn photography) can be considered relatively new for Russia, and many young families are still quite skeptical about the possibility of taking pictures by an outsider of their newly born child. That is why until recently the only photograph of the newborn from all Russian parents was the most traditional picture on the porch of the hospital when discharged. Meanwhile, in the UK photographers of newborns have long been surprised. Let's figure out what the differences and similarities in the history and principles of conducting newborn photography in Russia and on one of the "birthmarks" of this genre - Great Britain.

Все дело в традициях

Главное различие между английской и российской съемкой новорожденных обусловлено традициями, присущими россиянам вплоть до самого последнего времени. Речь идет об устоявшемся поверье, что младенцев до 40 дней (или до крещения) нельзя фотографировать, и, уж тем более, кому-то показывать эти снимки. Поскольку идеальным возрастом для съемки в жанре ньюборн считается 7-14 дней, именно данный предрассудок долгое время был основной преградой на пути развития этого жанра в России.

К этой же категории можно отнести и тот факт, что в Великобритании уже давно нельзя никого удивить присутствием родственников в роддоме, а зачастую и будущего отца непосредственно на самих родах. Подобное поведение также долгое время было в диковинку для многих жителей России, но не так давно стало набирать популярность, как раз наряду со стремительным развитием фотографии жанра "Newborn", появившемся в России в начале 2010-х годов. "Возможно, по причине культурных традиций, и в том числе упомянутого запрета на фотографирование новорожденных в течение 40 дней, Россия не столь продуктивна в сфере фотосъемки новорожденных, как Великобритания, США или Австралия, являющиеся признанными лидерами в этой области, – говорит известный английский фотограф новорожденных Мэгги Робинсон, сайт http://www.dinkyfeet.co.uk , But the rest of the world can definitely envy the colossal talent of portrait photographers from Russia. Therefore, I foresee that the further the influence of such superstitions diminishes, the more Russian Newborn photographers we will see. "

Of course, in Britain such prejudices did not exist and do not exist. And where did they come from, if the distant "ancestors" of Newborn photographs appeared in England more than a century ago? In a sense, we can say that the photoshoots with newborns in England were arranged in the Victorian era almost immediately after the appearance of the first photographic apparatus. However, the pictures of those times were not at all like modern ones-children were imprinted in adult images, often using adult aristocratic accessories such as whips for riding a horse in a photo session.

Art of touching photos

What does make Newburn photography in Russia and the UK? Of course, the canons of the genre. In the modern sense, this style was formed in the early 90's by the Australian photographer Anna Geddes and the genre laws that she defined are somehow fundamental for newborn photographers of both the UK and Russia - images of the genre "Newburn" are exclusively staged, similar to postcards. A beautiful baby on most images sleeps sweet sleep on colorful blankets, in miniature baskets or on the hands of a mother or father. In addition, various accessories or clothes - hats, toys, sweaters, etc. are used. The shooting itself lasts quite a long time - about 3-4 hours, and in some cases can reach up to 7-8, which is caused by the huge complexity of working with the main model - the newborn,

Today's Russian photographers of newborns have fully mastered all the secrets of the genre, which they have received from British and American colleagues, and their work is in no way inferior to the best world representatives of this style. However, in any case, only the parents decide whether they need photos of their newborn baby, and which photographer to trust, because it depends on his experience and professionalism that the child's safety depends.