How to Photograph Babies

Babies are a unique subject when taking pictures. They don’t always want to cooperate like an adult will. Often times they will cry when the flash flashes and get tired of being photographed after on a few minutes. Here are a few tips to get the best pictures of your baby.

1. Use a black or white background.

Using a solid color background really makes your baby stand out in the picture. The background doesn’t have to be professional or expensive. A white sheet laid across a bed or a black blanket on the floor provides the perfect backdrop to take photographs of your baby.

2. Feelings are good.

Taking a picture of your baby crying is not just good for blackmail when they’re 15, but also good to help you remember what your child was really like on certain occasions.

3. Get down to their level.

If your child is learning to crawl, a picture from directly above them will be boring and won’t show the story. Dropping down to the floor will really give you a view that is memorable. Even setting the camera on the ground will make for a great picture.

4. Take a lot of pictures.

My daughter is 7 months old and what I’ve learned is that for every 10 pictures I take, one of them is worth keeping. In the other 9 she’ll be making a funny face, drooling or doing something else that didn’t show the picture that I wanted to capture. That’s OK because digital cameras allow you to take as many pictures of your baby as you would like and delete the ones you don’t want to keep.

5. Use natural lighting.

Whenever possible, go outside or open some windows to let in the natural light. Natural lighting looks better and is more forgiving than the flash on your camera or your fluorescent and incandescent lighting in your home.

Using those 5 tips I’ve really made my photos much better, so good that many people have asked, “Where did you have those taken?” They were shocked when I told them I had them printed by a great place online and I took them myself!

About the Author

While learning about digital photography I’ve printed from 5 different online printers. This photo printer is the best.

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How to Take Great Baby Photographs

It goes without saying if you want to take perfect pictures of your baby, having a good camera will certainly give you an edge to get the perfect picture. I would even go as far as saying a DSLR would be the best camera to use. That is not to say you won’t get good pictures with a point and shoot – you can and you will – today’s compact cameras all come with a sophisticated feature set and usually have a portrait setting.

Good lighting is the key to all good photography, and the professionals know how to make the light work for them. Let me describe two extreme baby photo shoots. The first is where granddad tries to capture that unique baby moment by candle light. He has his phone camera flash set to off and the baby is jumping around all over the place. Oh and I forgot to mention granddad suffers from shaky hands. So how would you guess the photo would turn out?

In the second case a real pro photographer gets mum to bring the baby along to his studio. He has a great backdrop, there is daylight streaming through the windows and he has several remote flashes with diffusers. His camera, the latest top of the range Nikon or Canon DSLR is mounted on a tripod. Not only that but Mum is holding the baby and she is seated. So how would you guess the photo would turn out?

I’m sure the second photo will be the most technically correct picture but will the pro be able to capture that magic baby moment. No, I don’t think he will, even though he will be able to compensate for the unnatural environment and he will have some terrific shots he might not get that magic baby moment.

Magic baby moments are usually captured by creating an almost natural environment for the baby to be in. Try not to have the scene too cluttered with baby toys distracting from the main subject of you photo, your baby.

Try to take your pictures in daylight but set your camera to have the flash on – but don’t take all your pictures with flash on. If you have a DSLR consider an external flash and bounce the flash off the ceiling to get less harsh shots.

Get down on the floor beside the baby and get someone to hold the baby’s attention in the background. Get mum to make a funny face or do something to make baby smile. Try to focus on the baby’s eyes. Most of today’s cameras allow you to press the shutter button part of the way to enable the focus and light reading. If you keep your finger on the shutter button and move the camera slightly it holds the focus and light reading of the initial press.

Take your photos at different angles to the natural light. Consider taking shots of the baby having a bath or eating or holding her or his favorite toy. Get the picture?

Think along the lines of taking 100 pictures of baby, in various situations, to get 10 good ones and your half way there. Happy shooting baby!

About the Author

Suzanne Morrison is a keen amateur photographer and recommends Tips for taking digital photography as a good resource for anyone interested in digital portrait photography.

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Baby Shower Message Camera Baby Shower Message Camera is a preloaded flash camera with 24 exposures and 400 Speed ASA/ISO film. Each Photo has one of 8 messages printed on the bottom: “A New Life, A New Beginning; Pink or Blue?; Baby on Board; A Baby is Sweetness and Light; A Baby is Happiness; Congratulations!; Baby, Baby, Baby; You’ll be a Great Mom!”. Back of camera has the frame numbers with the captions that will sh…

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Basic Studio Lighting: The Photographer’s Complete Guide to Professional Techniques $24.95 As every photographer quickly learns, there’s more to studio lighting than simply learning the equipment. In Basic Studio Lighting, an expert photographer and renowned photography teacher provides nuts-and-bolts guidance for mastering the complexities of one of the most important aspects of making a photograph: proper lighting. Readers will discover surefire tactics for using equipment proper…

Studio and Location Lighting Secrets for Digital Photographers $13.99 Written by Canon Explorer of Light Rick Sammon and leading fashion and studio photographer Vered Koshlano, this guide is packed with professional advice on the essential element of photography: lighting. It provides detailed information and insider secrets that are bound to make you a better photographer.You’ll learn the basics of studio lighting as well as how to achieve special effects. A 90-min…

The Portrait Photographer’s Guide to Posing $15.61 Providing a concise look at the foundations of posing, this guide illustrates the ways in which key posing strategies flatter the lines of the body, creating definition, dynamic lines, and a camera-friendly posture. Photographers learn how to analyze the facial features of their subjects to ensure the most flattering positioning, how to finesse fingers for delicate or strong hand positions, and ho…

SumacLife Mini Laurel Edition Nylon Camera Bag with Carrying Handle and Adjustable Shoulder Strap for Olympus Compact Cameras Like Stylus Tough 8010 (mju Tough 8010) Stylus Tough 6020 (mju Tough 6020) Stylus Tough-3000 (mju Tough 3000) Stylish New Mini Laurel Case for Compact Digital Cameras is made of durable non-scratch nylon material and helps you safely and easily carry your camera and its accessories. The interior of the case has soft neoprene padded compartment to protect your camera aginst bumps and shocks. You can store accessories like SD cards, cables and chargers in the rear pocket for quick access. The top handle of …

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