Making it all click in a cosy setting
Capturing the right moment: Roshanthi at work. Pic by M.D. Nissanka
Painted in shades of white and soft grey, window covered with sheer white curtains and white drapes of pink and blue scattered flowers, a white cupboard placed against the textured wall, armchair with a green fur rug on the wooden floor and stools at a corner, it looks like a stylish English living room.
This is the cosy setting of Pic- a- Boo Baby Photography Studio especially designed to make babies and children feel relaxed. The shelves of the white cupboard are filled with tiny dresses of net, costumes, knit wraps, baskets, head bands, crocheted baby hats, bead strings, fur quilts and rugs, rattles and plush toys, all used as props in photo shoots.
Proprietor of the studio Roshanthi Weragoda, is busy with the shoot of three-month-old baby Melanya who is all smiles dressed in a pink net skirt and a pink headband. Roshanthi was eager to capture all the random moments of the baby, getting shots of the mother holding the baby and both the parents cradling the baby’s feet, their hands creating the shape of a heart.
A homely setting: Pic- a- Boo Baby Photography Studio
An Embryologist by profession Roshanthi’s interest in baby photography emerged when she photographed one of her friend’s babies when studying overseas. Six years ago, she launched Pic-a-Boo Baby Photography starting off by offering photo shoot sessions and event photography. This dedicated baby photography studio on Castle Street, Borella opened recently and now what used to be Roshanthi’s weekend part time service driven by her love for children and babies has turned into a full-time occupation.
The Pic-a-Boo team includes Roshanthi’s husband Thishya and her assistant Lisitha both of whom are lawyers. “Pic-a-Boo means taking a pic (picture) of a Boo (baby),” Roshnathi explains. “It is also the game Peek-a-Boo which we play with babies when we want to get their attention.”
Mother of two little girls herself, Roshanthi says every child is special. Her experience as a baby photographer came naturally when she became a mother and so too her ease in handling babies and awareness for their safety. “Embryology was all about hope and new life, for babies and expecting parents. The steady hands I used for laboratory experiments came in handy for me in having patience in handling babies and capturing their perfect moments,” Roshanthi explains.
“I basically use two styles which are posed shots and lifestyle shots. I personally prefer lifestyle shots which are more natural and capture random, unplanned movements of the baby,” she says. She sees every smile, yawn and movement of a baby as special and captures them with her Canon 5D Mark IV, her favourite lens 50mm/f 1.4 and 100mm macro lens for detailed and close up shots.
Picture perfect: Roshanthi and Thishya with kids Aarya and Taheli
Following online tutorials, blogs of other professional baby photographers overseas and referring books, Roshani makes sure she stays up-to-date in her field. According to her, baby photography is operated around a baby’s sleeping and eating schedules.
New borns – a few days to few weeks old are easier to capture in different styles with the use of a bean bag to prop them. Babies of 3-6 months easily prop themselves up and are usually full of smiles. Babies above 9 months are captured in their moments of happiness with some toys around. From 1 year onwards she prefers outdoor shoots as the kids are active by that age and love to move around. “We also emphasize on the father and baby pictures because most of the time fathers are out at work and they miss some of the special moments of the baby,” she mentions.
These days everyone has a smart phone and takes pictures on their own so is there a need for professional photography? The Pic-a-Boo team believes there is a difference in the way an expert eye captures the special moments in a child’s life.
Pic- a- Boo Photography provides a range of services including maternity photo shoots, new born shoots, baby shoots, family photo shoots, kids’ birthday parties, christenings and naming ceremonies. 3D casting of baby’s hands and feet is also done, molded with a material completely safe on babies and infants. Another new concept is the cake smashing sessions.
“We always strive to deliver a quality product at the end of the day by giving our clients a timeless memory to cherish forever for an affordable price,” Roshanthi states.
The Pic-a-Boo Baby Studio, is at 89 1/1, Dudley Senanayake Mw, Colombo 8.
Tel: 077-6274440 or email: picaboobub@gmail.com
You can also follow them on Facebook: www.facebook.com/picaboobabyphoto