19 Tips for Great Baby Photography
Babies are great subjects to photograph, because they are just so darn cute and cuddly. It’s almost difficult to take truly bad pictures of them. The first year flies by in a blur, so parents want to capture as much as possible on film. Baby photography is fun, but requires patience and skill to get the really good shots!
Here are some ideas for unique baby photography:
– Take a close-up of just one part of the baby; maybe just his feet, or his teeny hands. By spotlighting, you focus the viewer on something they may otherwise have missed.
– Take photos of the world from the baby’s view, get down on the floor with him and film from his perspective.
– Funny faces. Keep the camera ready to go anytime you’re around a baby. You never know when they will give you the perfect shot: a cheesy grin, or a very adult expression.
- Photograph baby looking at himself in a mirror.
- Catch baby’s element on film: his stuffed animals and bright plastic colored toys.
- Blur the background, and keep baby in focus. This is a simple yet awesome trick for baby photos.
- Props can help you take awesome photos. Catch baby trying on Daddy’s shoes, or put him in a laundry basket surrounded by colorful balls, or in a box full of kittens! Things we take for granted are often really funny with a baby involved.
- Photograph baby with his pet. If he gets nose to nose with his doggie, catch it on film.
- Try all the angles, really! There is nothing right or wrong, and some of the most unique photos will be those from a slightly “odd” angle.
- Try some totally un-posed photographs. Pictures of baby playing with his toys, or getting out all the pots and pans often catch great emotions.
- Dirty faces are adorable! Catch baby after he’s fed himself Spaghettios or frosted cake for a sweet photo.
- Try to photograph as many different emotions as you can. This shouldn’t be too difficult as most babies can be ecstatically happy one minute, highly distressed the next, and silly in the third moment. Get them all from the same distance and angle for a cool slideshow.
As you can see, there are so many different ways of taking great pictures of babies. Just keep your eyes open and your creativity turned to high, and you will think of many other great shots by taking in the surroundings.
Like all photography, there are some things you will want to avoid in baby photography:
- Get their eyes as sharp and focused as possible, and use natural light as much as you can to avoid red eye and “flash surprise.”
- Use high speed film and a large aperture to freeze the frame you want to catch. Take lots of photos as babies move around a lot, and some can get blurred. If you can set your camera to take photos so many per second, you will definitely catch some of the best shots. (And can toss the bad ones.)
- Don’t over think the background, and keep it uncluttered. The baby is the main object of these photos, so the surroundings are seldom of much importance.
- Limit the range of colors in each photo, as you can easily have what seems to be an explosion of color with all of the baby’s things.
- Dress the baby in light, solid-colored clothing to keep the focus on him, and off what he’s wearing.
- Always, always have your camera ready to go! The very best moments with babies are very fleeting and you will need to move quickly to get them on film.
- Keep your photos interesting by using props and extremes when photographing baby so that your pictures will appeal to more than just family and friends.
Baby photography becomes easier with practice, like anything else. But there are a few things to always keep in mind: keep the camera ready at all times, and when you see the perfect shot, take it quickly-because baby’s already moved on to something else!
Special Note: Good results with digital backdrops, backgrounds and image editing are often more easily achieved with step by step video tuition rather than trying to absorb a five hundred page book or guide. Why? Because you can actually see what needs to be done and how to do it.
If this takes your interest and you want to try it, this link provides the first of a string of free tuition videos straight after registering your interest. All you have to do is register your email address. Then, after confirming your receipt of a test email, we send the backdrop (background) and image editing videos to your inbox. It all takes a few seconds surprisingly. Later, you will be given an option to join the club but that’s up to you. You will also be informed if the club is closed for new members.
You can see some of the other articles on this site related to baby and maternity photography below –
This guide I compiled is loaded with tips and easy steps if you’re thinking about taking up serious baby photography.
