Which settings are best for photographing newborns in low light?

Moose

I was talking with a fellow T2i owner over on my Facebook page and she was wondering which settings are best for photographing newborns in low light. I thought it would be beneficial to share our conversation with all of you...

Dalia's Question: I need quick advice on photographing newborns with the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Lens. I need help regarding what camera setting to use (AV mode so that I have control over the exposure, f stop, ect). Do I set the picture style to portrait? What do you suggest? Also, I want to note that the room has dim light.

Moose's Answer: For spur of the moment situations, just rotate the mode dial to the 'Portrait' icon (lady icon). This will automatically set your camera to use the widest aperture (f/1.8) which will bring more light into your camera allowing for faster shutter speeds (to prevent blur) and a shallow depth of field (great for isolating your subject against a blurry background).

If you really want to elevate your newborn shots, you're going to need to get an external flash. The reason for this is that in most dimly lit rooms, you just don't have enough light to get a good exposure. Half the time you're dealing with blurry shots or inaccurate skin tones thanks to incandescent lighting. Honestly, you'll be amazed at the difference in your photos. You can start with the Canon 270 EX II which is the lowest price speedlight from Canon. Even though it's considered a "budget" flash, this little guy can work wonders for indoor shots, largely due to the tilting head which allows you to bounce the flash off a ceiling rather than directly aiming it at your baby.