Need help with casting shadows

[Dayna]

Hi everyone, Question for ya.

When taking pictures of new babies when they can't sit on their own and can pretty much just lay on thier backs cause they can't hold thier head up yet..How do you avoid the shadow that is being cast by their head?

I've tried white reflectors and different angles but can't beat it.

Here is an example from a baby girl I took a pic of the other day.

Camera: Canon EOS Digital Rebel XSi
Exposure: 0.033 sec (1/30)
Aperture: f/3.2
Focal Length: 50 mm
Exposure: 0.00
ISO Speed: 100

[Woodfire]

Why do you need to beat it? A hard-edged shadow is unattractive, but to me the shadow in the pic you show looks gradual and natural. I like it. Under the obvious circumstances (baby lying on its back) no shadow at all would seem odd to me, as if the background had been added after the shot.

[Dayna]

I'm talking more about the shadow on the side of the face.

[Dayna]

Can anyone help?

[rpcrowe]

If you bounce the flash onto the ceiling and use either an index card (poor mans reflector) or a diffuser reflector like the Joe Demb Flip-It or a Stofen you should reduce the shadows.

What bothers me in this portrait is the cropping. Te baby's face is all the way over to the side with part of it cut off and you have included a mass of busy, yet uninteresting, bedding.

[ARKreations]

Have you tried a reflector?

[Chip]

Looks like your flash is off camera. If so, try having off to the side of the baby a bit, then bounce it off the ceiling. This should soften the light, give it some direction and not create too much shadow.