Newborn safety should never be compromised for the sake of a pose. Cara and Steph talk about keeping your littlest clients safe while still challenging yourself as a creative newborn photographer.

Introduction (3:36)

What is APNPI? (6:45)
We started APNPI because there was very little training available specific to newborn photography. Our cornerstone is newborn safety and we now support photographers to be safe, to be skilled and work on their businesses.

How to get started with APNPI and what can you expect from membership? (9:43)
Our safety course is the first thing you gain access to, and once you pass the evaluation, it will open the pathway to learning. You submit images for review to ensure you meet the evaluation criteria, and then later you can apply for accreditation if you have an above average skill level in a certain aspect of newborn photography. You can also get a designation via merits received through courses, contests, etc.

Why is it important to submit your work for review? (16:13)
You have an emotional connection to your work, and you have to find a way to separate yourself from it. It is your artwork, but it isn’t you. You cannot process critique if you’re so personally attached to it. There is truth in every critique, and whether you accept all or some of it, it will push you to become better, whether you want to or not.

Mistakes people make when submitting images for review (22:04)
Lack of cohesiveness and lighting errors.

Any success stories you’d like to share? (23:53)
We had a student who was struggling to pass the evaluation. She revealed that she had a degenerative vision condition that was making it hard to see errors in lighting, but once we took extra time to review this with her more intensively, it was a lightbulb moment for her.

What advice do you have for beginners to be educated in newborn safety? (27:28)
Take a newborn safety course from practitioners who work in pediatrics and have expertise with newborns. Also, listen to science and their concerns. Know that sometimes the damage that you can cause is not something you can see, or that happens right at or after a newborn session. Don’t let your ego or desire to master a pose get in the way of newborn safety.

What is the one piece of advice for something starting with newborn photography (35:10)
Identify your business goals – decide what income you want to earn, and how many hours you want to work, and then decide on your business model.
Also, experiment and have fun and create your own look.

Discover more about Cara & Stephanie - APNPI
Website: http://apnpi.com
Facebook: http://facebook.com/apnpi
 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/apnpi
Bio:
Stephanie Robin is a physiotherapist, photographer, and co-founder of APNPI Inc. Stephanie was named Canon Canada's preferred newborn and baby photographer and was awarded Photographer of the Year by NAPCP in 2011. She holds many image competition titles from various rounds of competition through NAPCP and her work has been featured commercially by Canon Canada and JardHus Norway.

Cara started a part time photography business back in 2005 photographing pets and weddings, while teaching high school math and science during the day, and running the school photography club in the afternoons. A few years later that she fell in love with Newborn Photography.  She earned her Accreditation in Newborn Photography with the PPOC in 2012, and in 2017 became a co-founder of APNPI along with Stephanie Robin. 

Resources shared in this episode:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7758610/