Two Simple Tools for Successful Baby Photos
Sure, you need a camera of some sort. And as a professional photographer, there’s a ton of other equipment that can come along as well. But there are two very surprising (and affordable!) pieces of gear that I’ve purchased over the years, that have made such a difference for me when trying to photograph a baby. These two simple tools for successful baby photos can be used by anyone and can do wonders!
The Baby Shusher
There are so many tips and tricks when it comes to calming a newborn … most of which I never knew when my two kids were little! I have learned so much during these 6+ years as a newborn photographer about how to soothe a baby and how to figure out what they need. One of these soothing tricks is shushing. Typically the louder the better. Think of how loud it was in your belly, with the wooshing of your heart and the world outside. Your baby has only been out of the womb for a short time, so those noises that they’re so used to, still do a great job of calming them. I started out with different types of white noise during my session. There are tons of sound machines and apps out there that are great options. But one tool I’ve come across beats them all out in my opinion … the Baby Shusher (can be found on Amazon and many other retailers). In fact, so many of my clients leave my studio and buy their own after seeing how well it works!
Lens Buddies
Let’s face it, once your baby is a bit older it gets a bit harder to get their attention. They’re taking in the world around them and after a second or two, you aren’t quite as interesting as everything else that’s going on. Especially if you’re sticking a big black box (camera) in their face. Besides the obvious ways of getting their attention (ie. call their name, make funny noises/faces, sing a song), I was always looking for something that would interest them. Something that would actually make them stare directly at my camera. And that’s when I visited etsy.com and came across lens buddies. I have a few, but the hands down favorite has always been Elmo (he rarely leaves my lens during a milestone session). I got my lens buddies from SimpleStitchesLB on Etsy if you’re in the market, and it’s held up great over the years.
https://www.etsy.com/shop/SimpleStitchesLB
I know these two items are a bit unexpected, but I truly have found them to be essential tools in creating some of my best baby portraits. And how awesome that they’re affordable and easy to use as well!
Happy shooting! xoxo
Corie
