Editing Newborns (Using Bella Baby Presets & Brushes)

Editing Newborn Photos

(Using the Bella Baby Preset Collection)

Newborn photography is more popular than ever and is one of the more challenging types of photo sessions for photographers to pose, shoot AND edit.  But it can also be one of the most rewarding!

I used to struggle with editing newborn sessions, but using the Pretty Presets Bella Baby Presets Collection has made editing them a breeze!  There are a few things I do differently when editing my newborns, compared to what I normally do with my other portrait sessions.  Here are some helpful tips for editing newborn photos in Lightroom:

Step 1. Adjust the White Balance

If you are shooting indoors and using lighting equipment, a good white balance can be one of the most difficult things to achieve.  To solve this issue, I use a grey card to correct my white balance in camera.  If you don’t get your white balance correct in camera, don’t worry; there are other methods of fixing it in Lightroom.

The first method I use to fix white balance in Lightroom is using the white dropper, which is located on the right-side panel.  Just click on the white dropper and find a neutral or grey color on your image; usually, the white’s of a person’s eyes work best.  Once you do this, thhe white balance should adjust accordingly.

The second option is to use your temperature and tint sliders on the right-side panel, which will allow you to warm up an image or cool it down.

The third option is using the White Balance Fix I and White Balance Fix II presets from the Enchanted Garden Collection.  Simply click one of these presets and it will correct the white balance for you - quick and easy!

Step 2. Apply a Newborn Lightroom Preset

Next is the fun part! 

I love finding that perfect and magical newborn preset that brings my image to life!  I always scroll through my Bella Baby Newborn presets until I find a couple that really compliment my image or catch my eye in a good way.  Usually, I find two or three presets that I love on my image, so how do I decide on which one to choose?

I make a couple of virtual copies of my image and apply a different preset to each one.  Then I pull them up side-by-side to get a comparison of all three, and most of the time one will stand out to me right away.  Try it out and see if it works for you!

Step 3. Fix Skin with Newborn Brushes

Once I have my preset in place, I move on to the baby’s skin.  The first thing I do is look for blemishes spots, and blotches, and remove them using the clone and heal tool (this tool is found in the upper right-side panel).

Next, I check the baby’s skin for color imperfections, like too much red, yellow, purple, or in some cases jaundice.  There are brushes in the Bella Baby Collection that fix these newborn skin issues like magic!

Just select one of the Bella Baby brushes, adjust the density to your liking, and then brush over the problem area to remove unwanted flaws in the skin.  It's that easy!

Finally, I smooth the baby’s skin using the Bella Baby skin smoothing brush.  I drop the clarity of the brush down to around -45 and make sure the feathering and density slider is all the way up.  Then, I simply paint over the baby’s skin, trying my best to avoid the hair, eyelashes, nose, mouth, and any areas I want to stay sharp and in focus.

Step 4. Additional Adjustments

From there, I give my image an overall examination to see if anything needs to be adjusted using my sliders on the right-side panel.  For example, sometimes the highlights can be affected and I need to bring them back down.  Or sometimes there is too much contrast for my liking.

Everyone has a different style of editing, and this is where you can create your own!

Lastly, I use the sharpen tool and brush over the baby’s eyes, eyebrows, nose, hair, mouth, and any other areas I want to have stand out.  Then, I look for any little issues that catch my eye, like a piece of lint or a misplaced hair and try to touch those up.

Final Word

I hope that you will find these tips to be helpful as you hone your newborn photography and editing skills using Lightroom and Pretty Presets awesome Bella Baby Collection!

 Here are some our other favorite Newborn Photography Tutorials

1.  6 Newborn Photography Tips (to Rock Your First Session)

2.  Newborn Photography Posing Guide

3.  6 Must-Have Newborn Props

4.  5 Tips to Make Your Newborn Photo Session Once to Remember

5.  Essential Newborn Photography Safety Tips

6.  How to Get Baby to Sleep for a Photo Session

7.  Editing Newborn Photos in Lightroom

8.  3 Best Newborn Lightroom Presets

9.  4 Ways to Build a Newborn Photography Business

10.  How to Edit Newborns in Photoshop

Do you have any questions or comments about How to Edit Newborns in Lightroom?  Leave me a comment below - we would LOVE to hear from you!  And PLEASE SHARE our tutorial using the social sharing buttons (we really appreciate it)!