The Littlest Jedi- A Star Wars Themed Newborn Session

In a Galaxy Far Far Away....

(Sorry I couldn't resist)  I remember the first time I watched my first Star Wars film. The original trilogy (episodes IV-VI) was re-released to VHS in 1997 in a special three movie collection, and one of our family friends let us borrow them. Like most 10 year olds, the robots were entertaining, but the lengthy movies were just too much. I may have lasted an hour before I was running around doing something different. It wasn't until the hype surrounding the Episode I production that I actually appreciated the storytelling presented from the original Star Wars films.  I know millennials get a bad rap sometimes, but I love all the memories I have being a 90's kid.  In 1999 when Episode I came out in theaters, a new generation joined the Star Wars fandom. Fast forward twenty years. (Boy did that go fast... like light-speed fast) and now those young Jedi fans are parents looking for ways to incorporate their different passions. 

One of the first questions I ask parents when preparing for a newborn session is if they have a nursery theme. The Kubicks chose a Star Wars themed nursery, and I knew exactly what I wanted to do for their session. I visualized a collection of three 16x20 images above the baby's crib. Each of the images would be of a different Star Wars character, but compliment each other. 

Prior to wrapping the baby, I used the exposed and closed relaxed Swaddlers from Custom Photo Props. These are a game-changers. I have always used a base wrap during a newborn session to keep the newborn as undisturbed as possible, but using the swaddlers eliminate the bulkiness of multiple wraps. For David's session I used both swaddlers, and the first time I had ever used the open swaddler. I love it!.  

The Characters

• Luke Skywalker- To create the Jedi look, I used two beautifully textured stretchy cheesecloth wraps from Red Owl Photo Props. The beautiful espresso colored brown and soft white wraps were perfect for the Jedi's traditional garb. While I do have a green lightsaber, I opted to use my felted R2D2 from Aubrey's Felties and save the lightsaber for another character. I had the brown wrap wrap around David to give him the "hooded" look to complete the setup.
• Yoda- Quite honestly, this was too easy. I added my felted Yoda hat from Aubrey's felted, and gave the baby my green lightsaber. I'm all about adding and taking away props for multiple looks during the session. 
• Darth Vader- After photographing the little Jedi, I moved on to the "Dark Side." Using a black floor, wrap and darker gray layer, I placed the mask on the top of his head so you could still see David's face. This mask was made by the talented Pitter-Pat Creations. I can't get enough of her pieces, and will be adding more soon! I used the same green lightsaber for this image, and photoshopped its color to red in post-production.

Putting it all together

It excites me to incorporate a family's passion into their newborn images. I created a mockup using Fundy Designer to show what I had envisioned going into the session.  Have you ever tried ordering pictures and wondered "Will this fit in this space?" or "I wish I could just see what it would look like?" Using this software allows me to show your portraits on your actual walls to scale. No more guessing or dealing with the dread "It's too small." complaint.  This program eliminates the guess work in ordering in seconds. 

Gathering these items does take time, but it is in the details that really make the difference. I keep a studio stocked with popular tv, movie and books themed props and order new items often.  Featuring these pop icons into my work has become one of my favorite aspects of being a photographer, and I can't wait to share what is next!

Booking custom newborn sessions for the fall and winter here.