1. Get down on their level. Hold your camera at the baby’s eye level to capture the power of those magnetic gazes and mesmerizing smiles.
2. Use a plain background. An uncluttered background forces attention on your baby. Place your baby against a plain background or move yourself (and the camera) a few feet.
3. Capture feelings. A smirk, a frown, a wail – capture all the emotions, not just the pretty smiles. Babies are uninhibited and uncensored, show it in your pictures.
4. Get close. Zoom in, filling the frame to emphasize what’s important, creating a more impactful photo. Capture the details, like blue eyes, a toothless smile, or tiny fingers.
5. Show scale. Take pictures of your baby with items that will show her relative size – a teddy bear or Daddy’s hands. Take a series of pictures with the same object as your baby grows.
6. Try different angles. Get down on their level, shoot from high above, shoot some sideways, some looking up at them.
7. Include other people. Capture others with the baby – Big Sister feeding the baby or Grandpa dancing with his little grandson. Make sure to include everyone who visits your baby.
8. Take some vertical pictures. Many subjects look better in a vertical picture – from the Eiffel Tower to portraits of your friends. Make a conscious effort to take some vertical pictures.
9. Use natural light. Shoot photos next to windows or outdoors, taking advantage of natural light. Cloudy, overcast days provide the best lighting for pictures of people.
10. Take lots of photos. Always keep your camera handy! Babies change so fast, capture every moment right from birth, including all firsts. Document a day in the life of your baby.
