4 Tips for Taking Gorgeous Baby Photos

Words by Utterly Printable

A gorgeous baby photo comes in hand when it comes to great new baby thank you cards, birth announcements and christening invitations. But as the old adage goes, never work with children or animals. It has to be said that trying to capture good photographs of babies can be really challenging. However, it is easier now than ever before as most people have a mobile phone with them nearly all of the time. The camera technology within mobile phones has improved immensely in the last few years, and now they are certainly a decent rival for a High Street camera, yet so much easier to carry and use.

A baby thank you card with photo

Beyond general posterity innate in every parent, baby photos are extremely ususful when it comes to our core product range. Our photo birth announcements, and baby thank you cards wouldn’t be the same without a gorgeous photo of your new son or daughter. We even have christening invitations designed to hold your baby photos. So, here are some great tips for taking brilliant snaps of your little bundle of joy:

Accept Unpredictability

Babies tend to be in one of three states, awake, asleep, or crying. Trying to capture the best photographs is a case of accepting the situation as you find it at the time. One advantage is that babies can be moved when they are asleep, so you can gently position them to create a perfect shot. For new-born’s that do not hold their own head up, it is ideal to position them on their bellies propped on a pillow. You need to do this in such a way that you can get down to their level next to them, so either on half of a bed or on the floor in order to catch the moment perfectly. This also enables you to choose the blanket they’re lying on, add a teddy bear in shot and whatever else you want to create the image you have in mind.

Patience is a Virtue

There are two types of snaps when it comes to your baby, those that you are determined to capture in a certain pose because you know how good it will look, and those you just get on the spur of the moment which actually often come out better. When it comes to capturing the specifics, you need to exercise some patience. It may take two or three sessions to actually get the shot you want, and even then, it may not look as you imagined it. Some of the best shots of babies are those you take on the spur of the moment when you’re both relaxed and nobody is stressed. Many amazing images are those captured after a nap for example at times when they wake up without crying and are just lying there kicking around.

Use Height

Unless you are standing over them because they are lying on the floor, you need to be looking at getting down to their level all the time. This means that when they can sit up it may be easier to have them sat on a sofa or a chair. If needs be with a second pair of hands to stop them falling. If not, get used to spending time on the floor trying to capture the perfect shot.

Check the Professionals

A simple online search will show you what professional photographers do to capture the perfect shots of children. Anne Geddes made her name taking cute shots of babies dressed as animals and flowers and set about a whole generation of parents determined to do the same. While you don’t have to go that far it will help to see what other people are doing.

Happy snapping!