Exposure refers to how light or dark your images are. Strong exposure preserves detail in the baby’s skin tones while keeping highlights and shadows balanced. In hospital environments, this requires intentional decision-making.

Proper exposure ensures:

• Baby’s skin texture is visible

• Highlights (especially on the face) are not blown

• Shadows are not muddy or distracting

Exposure issues are one of the most common reasons galleries score lower than expected.

Common causes include:

• Overexposed faces near windows

• Flash overpowering baby or parents

• Exposing for the background instead of the subject

• Loss of skin detail due to highlights being blown

• Inconsistent exposure across the gallery

If exposure is inconsistent, the gallery will not score above a 3 — even if composition or posing is strong.

These are not stylistic preferences — they are standards.

• Blown highlights on baby’s face are not acceptable

• Exposure must prioritize baby, not the background

• Flash should never overpower baby or family

• If skin detail is lost, the image will not score above a 3

During the Session (Most Important)

Prioritize the subject

• Always expose for baby’s face first

• Let the background fall where it may

Flash control

• Reduce flash power before lowering ISO

• Angle flash to diffuse, not blast

• Watch for shine on forehead and cheeks

Window awareness

• Avoid placing baby directly in harsh window light- use a sheet diffuser if needed

• Adjust position before adjusting settings

Consistency check

• Periodically review images during the session

• If one image is off, correct immediately — don’t hope editing will fix it

In Editing (Know the Limits)

You can:

• Slightly reduce highlights

• Lift mild shadows

• Improve consistency across images

You cannot:

• Recover blown skin detail

• Fix severely overexposed faces

• Correct exposure that was fundamentally wrong in-camera

If exposure is off at capture, editing will not save.

In an excellent exposure:

• Baby’s skin looks soft, natural, and dimensional

• Highlights are controlled without looking dull

• The image feels calm and polished

• Nothing about the lighting distracts from the connection

Exposure should never be the thing a viewer notices — and that’s exactly why it matters.

What This Looks Like:

• Baby’s face is too bright or washed out

• Highlights blown on forehead, nose, or cheeks

• Skin appears flat or textureless

• Shadows are heavy or distracting

Why This Scores Here:

Important detail is lost. These images cannot be fully corrected in editing and distract from the emotional connection.

What This Looks Like:

• Exposure is mostly acceptable but inconsistent

• Some images retain detail, others are too bright or too dark

• Minor highlight loss on skin

• Flash is usable but not refined

Why This Scores Here:
The photographer understands exposure basics, but decisions aren’t consistent across the session.

What This Looks Like:

• Skin tones are evenly exposed with visible texture

• Highlights and shadows are balanced

• Baby’s face is always the exposure priority

• Flash and natural light feel intentional and flattering

Why This Scores Here:

Exposure supports storytelling and professionalism without drawing attention to itself.