I am going to start this off by saying that I am in no way a professional photographer. This is just one mother sharing with the next. There are a few tips you need to keep in mind when trying to get pictures of your baby or toddler.
1) Be prepared to take a lot of shots. Don’t stop at 1 or 2 if you want to get that perfect photo. Try more like 2 dozen – especially when they learn to move.
2) Check to see if your camera has settings for this. My camera has a best shot setting for children which seems to work really well for this purpose.
3) Make sure you are level with the baby when you are taking the picture. Yes… that might mean getting down low. This way you end up with shots that feel more like you have entered the babies world.
4) Always have your camera handy. This is especially important with newborns as you just never know when they are going to do something picture worthy.
5) Try black and white. This seems to emphasize the “softness” of a baby more than colour does and will also help to minimize the look of all the scratches and blotchiness babies can get.
6) Natural light is key. Flash may scare a young baby into crying or at the very least will make them blink or stop whatever it is you are trying to get a shot of.
7) Clean their face. Make sure there is no spit up, eye crumbs, or boogers in their nose. Nobody wants to see that. Trust me.
Do you have any tips for taking pictures of babies?
Elizabeth Lampman is a coffee-fuelled Mom of 2 girls and lives in Hamilton, Ontario. She enjoys travelling, developing easy recipes, crafting, taking on diy projects, travelling and saving money!
kathy downey
Friday 1st of May 2015
Thanks can use all the helpful tips I can get
Vicki Heinly
Saturday 19th of January 2013
My daughter just had a baby last week so these are great tips. Can't wait to try them all out - especially the one about taking plenty of pictures :)
Ericka @Nibbles and Feasts
Tuesday 14th of August 2012
Thanks for the tips. I could never get my son to sit still.
Just Married with Coupons
Tuesday 14th of August 2012
What great tips! It sure is hard to get just the right angle once they start moving around! Thank you for sharing what works!
Danielle Simmons
Tuesday 14th of August 2012
I love photographing my children and definitely agree with your tips!