3 Tips to Take Beautiful Pictures of your Baby

A baby changes so quickly during his or her first year. From their first little smile to their first steps, there are so many moments that you will want to capture. Wouldn’t it be nice if you could feel confident in your own photography skills? So that you could take beautiful pictures of your baby on any random day, no matter what camera you are using.

I’ve learned many skills during my 10+ years as a baby photographer. Here are a few things to keep in mind when photographing your little one:

1. Lighting is key

Have you ever tried to take a picture in a dimly lit room? It’s tough. Most pictures turn out blurry or grainy. And rarely do people look good when you use a flash. If you’re at home, take a minute and find a space with great window light. Natural light is so beautiful, and almost always looks better than artificial light (such as a lamp or overhead lighting). Set baby down on a blanket near the window and snap away.

Sidenote: make sure the light always falls down baby’s face, not up the face (known as up lighting or ghoul lighting). Up lighting can be very unflattering (think ghost stories while holding a flashlight under your chin – scary!).

If you’re outside for photos, shade is your friend. Think about how squinty you get when looking towards the sun. This is the look you want to avoid. It’s best to look for open shade where your subject can have their eyes wide open while looking at the camera. You also want to avoid streaks of sun on your subject which is another reason shade can come in handy.

2. Keep baby’s schedule in mind

As you might have already learned, babies have typical good and bad times of day. It’s always smart to try to photograph your baby when they’re happiest. That might be first thing in the morning, after lunch or after a nap. If you’re out and about, make sure to bring a favorite snack or favorite toy to help get their attention and keep baby happy longer.

3. Keep it simple

Don’t worry about fancy poses or perfect smiles. Bold patterns and colors can distract from your sweet baby. Bright colors and neon colors can reflect on baby’s face which can be unflattering. Avoid loud prints and big logos unless that’s the look you’re going for. Basically, just keep it simple and you will end up with gorgeous photos you will love.

I hope these tips to take beautiful pictures of your baby have helped! While I can’t be there every day, I’d love to photograph your family for those big milestone moments. There are so many wonderful stages to capture during baby’s first year and beyond. Please reach out for more information.