Kelly Buchanan
Baby Steps Into Lighting, Posing and More
Kelly Buchanan is an award-winning newborn and maternity photographer based in San Antonio, Texas, known for her strong focus on newborn safety and education. Since beginning her photography journey in 2010, she has built a reputation for preserving meaningful family moments with care and intention.
As a military wife and mother of two, Kelly understands the importance of documenting life’s fleeting seasons. She stepped into education after recognizing a gap in genuine, safety-centered teaching within the industry and is passionate about helping photographers grow with confidence.
Kelly has completed multiple newborn safety and posing courses, including specialized training as the Demises Photography Provider for the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany. She is dedicated to creating a supportive and engaging learning environment for photographers at every stage.
Why You Should Take This Class:
In this comprehensive newborn photography course, Kelly Buchanan guides photographers through the foundational elements of safe, efficient, and confident newborn sessions. Designed for those looking to strengthen their workflow and deepen their understanding of newborn posing and lighting, this class places newborn safety at the center of every decision.
Kelly breaks down the five critical areas every newborn photographer must recognize and monitor to ensure baby safety throughout a session. You’ll learn how to identify potential risks, understand physical cues, and create a secure environment that supports both the baby and the photographer.
Topics include recognizing signs of discomfort or pain such as joint stress, discoloration, and changes in a baby’s cry, along with how and when to transition babies into specific poses safely while maintaining an efficient workflow.
The course also covers a variety of essential newborn posing techniques, including bucket posing, chin-on-hands, back poses, side poses, potato sack posing, and bum-up posing. Kelly demonstrates how to move seamlessly between poses to reduce handling and keep sessions calm and efficient.
If time allows, the class will also explore simple, effective lighting techniques and wrapping methods. You’ll learn how to achieve beautiful results using lighting angles, umbrellas, strobes, and constant light, with an emphasis on simplicity and consistency.
This course is ideal for photographers seeking a deeper understanding of newborn safety, posing fundamentals, and practical lighting solutions that can be applied immediately in their own studios.
