Birth Photography and lenses

[backin]

I am new here I went to school for photography 12 years ago and now I have decided to enter back into the market. I am looking to do birth photography with possibly some portraits to go with it. I am totally stumped on the gear I need. I am looking at the Nikon D7000 as my husband really wants to HD movie function. But now I must choose a lens. I was told by the store clerk to be good enough quality to sell you need to buy a lens with at least a 2f stop ... which is for me an expensive lens $1500. I would like a zoom lens because I will probably be in very different settings including homes and hospital rooms. I was thinking a 18-70 range less or more is fine. Please any advice is welcome. Nikon or should I go sigma because I will save a little. What is the best lens to produce sellable prints but doesn't cost an arm and a leg. Thank you for the support other comments are welcome as its been a few years

 

[chris_uk]

Buy a camera to suit the work YOU want to do. Tell your husband to get his own!

 

[PenguinPhotoCo]

Around here birth photography is a non-starter - no cameras allowed in the delivery room (germs? Distraction? Flash issues? or just they don't want you taking pics that might later be used to sue them if there was an issue during delivery).

Having been in the room for my kids birth (via c-section) I can't say I'd want any pics of that...but say you find someone that does - where do you need to be to get the pics you want? The dr will be in the way unless you shoot from above so you'll need a wide angle lens or an LCD that allows you to see what's going on from beside the bed while the camera is over the top.

Flash would be something I'd avoid completely (some rumours say flash can blind newborns so for those few moms that believe it you'll be sued out of business,house and home if the baby has any eye issues ever and you used flash during delivery!) Remember all those moms that refuse vaccines just because some dr lied that they cause autism.

so with no flash I'd suggest a 2.8 lens - canon makes a 24-70 2.8 and a cropped sensor 17-55 2.8 IS - I'm sure nikon has comparable lenses.

and get a backup camera and lens as well - even new cameras break.

$1500? I've got $20,000 worth of lenses in my bag for eveyr shoot honey. It's a business and you have to buy the tools to do the job.

If you've done your research you'll have an idea of how many jobs you can expect to get at what price, what products you'll want to sell, etc. If the numbers work out then you start the business. If they don't then you shouldn't start the business. Not every idea is a great idea.

By the way, visit this site too. http://www.nowilaymedowntosleep.org/

Can you do pics that good? That's the level of pro birth/newborn photography. And yes, you'll cry at that site.
--
If I knew how to take a good picture I'd do it every time.

 

[backin]

PenguinPhotoCo Thanks for that great response. I have done my research as far as my business plan goes, getting clients, shooting in the room etc. etc. but thanks for your thoughts. I won't make tons of money being a birth photographer I know that so I don't really want $20,000 worth of lenses yet. I am looking for a lens that is good enough to start my business. I want a zoom but everyone tells me I need a prime to get good enough quality I just wanted to hear other professionals opinion. Thanks for giving me yours ....

Here is what options I seem to have

Sigma Model: 24-70mm f2.8 EX DG Macro/NI $669
Sigma 17-50mm f2.8 EX DCOS HSM Nikon $799
Nikon 17-55mm f2.8G ED-IF AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor $1399
Nikon 24-70mm f2.8G ED AF-S Nikkor $1799

or

Nikon 24-120mm f3.5-5.6G ED-IF AF-S VR Zoom-Nikkor $699

 

[PenguinPhotoCo]

PenguinPhotoCo Thanks for that great response. I have done my research as far as my business plan goes, getting clients, shooting in the room etc. etc. but thanks for your thoughts. I won't make tons of money being a birth photographer I know that so I don't really want $20,000 worth of lenses yet. I am looking for a lens that is good enough to start my business. I want a zoom but everyone tells me I need a prime to get good enough quality I just wanted to hear other professionals opinion. Thanks for giving me yours ....

Sounds like you've given it some though - good!

Here is what options I seem to have

Sigma Model: 24-70mm f2.8 EX DG Macro/NI $669

I had the tamron version of this -sharp but slow to focus (compared to any canon lens with USM). Unless this is an updated version (less than 4 years) I'd steer clear. Check out the tamron (28-70 I think).
May be a bit long even on the wide end on a cropped body.

Sigma 17-50mm f2.8 EX DCOS HSM Nikon $799
Nikon 17-55mm f2.8G ED-IF AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor $1399

the nikon will be the better choice - it will also hold it's value better so when if you decide to sell it you'll get most if not all your money back. I bought the canon version 4 years ago for $950 and am now selling it. I can prolly get $850-900 for it. Before I had it I had a sigma 18-50 2.8 (ver 1) and it was a decent lens but not sharp wide open. I lost more than $100 when I sold it - about 25% of it's value new. Not a good investment.

Nikon 24-70mm f2.8G ED AF-S Nikkor $1799

Better than the sigma lens or even the tammy, but yeah, pricey SOB, huh? Prolly gonna be too 'long' even on the wide end.

What lens you need will depend on how you 'see' things. If you can get in close then more than 75mm won't be needed, but if you gotta stay back and want a closeup of the baby coming out you'll want 100-150mm. On the other hand to get an overall view of the action you'll likely need something like 15-25mm. And since changing lenses takes time a second body with the other lens on it would be a good thing to have, and the second body would act as backup as well (odds of 2 bodies failing on the same shoot is astronomical).

Remember that if a body or your main lens dies, acts up, etc and you don't have any backup you can't finish the job, will have to refund their money, apologize forever, have to deal wtih the bad WOM they'll spread about you (deservedly so). Even a used 40D or film body - some kind of backup is mandatory for anyone charging money.

or

Nikon 24-120mm f3.5-5.6G ED-IF AF-S VR Zoom-Nikkor $699

5.6 is way slow, as in dark, for anything but flash or outside daylight. Remember that delivery rooms are gonna have all sorts of odd colored lighting and no windows. I've already mentioned some about flash but add in shadows (from heads, hands in teh way) and mixed light I'd avoid it like the plague - so you'll need fast glass.

Primes are faster (usually) than 2.8 zooms but you'll have to know what focal length you'll be usiing so you know what to buy and you'll want several to cover a range...

Most pros have the 24-70 (or 17-50) range, 70-200 2.8, a prime (often a 50mm 1.4 or so) as the basics. I love shooting wide so a 12-24, 16-35 or similar is a must for me.

--
If I knew how to take a good picture I'd do it every time.

 

[backin]

PenguinPhotoCo thank you!

 

[Andrew64673]

The nikon d7000 and tamron 28-75 2.8 is all you will need for that work, really. The 50 1.4 (even a used 1.4d) will work well with the d7k, (its all I used for the birth of my 2 kids) or even a 50 1.8 will be excellent but if you need to go wider, you will have to change lens, so another camera with a 35 f1.8 will be a good pair. (a back up is necessary anyway, you cant reshoot this job.) If you get a d3100, you need the built in focus motor lens.

The tamron 28-75 without built in motor is excellent, cheap and focusess fast on nikon bodies. This lens on nikon the focus is driven from the camera so it does not have the issues that the older ones for canon had which had its own focus motor. I think the screw focus one is actually faster than the BIM one but I have not tried the BIM one. The nikon 24-70 will be better and faster no doubt, but the tamron is good enough for pro use, I used one for years on weddings and portraits with no issues.

You need gear that will not let you down, this is good enough. I just got a d7000 myself and I really think it is an excellent choice for less demanding pro work, like portraits, up to and including weddings. The bonus is that you will have to do less jobs before you are in the black. The cameras and lenses is only a small part of what you will be up for though. Some will tell you you need the nikkor lens and a d3, ok

 

[backin]

Thank you Andrew! Great suggestions I will look at the tamoron for sure.

 

[Setaege]

I am a birth photographer and I thought I would reply to the post about not being able to do photography in hospital. There is definitely a market for it and you can easily charge 800 for a birth. I do not agree with a wide angle at all. I use a 50 1.8 another great pictures. I also use a flash and have had no problems. Follow lyndsey stone. She is awesome. I would not do a wide angle though unless you just want some shots of the room. You wantfro shoot above mom so shots are not too graphic and then to the side of her. Most birth photogs I know shoot around 50mm and my backup also uses a 50 prime. I would suggest maybe looking into a 24-70 if you want a zoom.