Photo: TbZP5-1 (Shutterstock)
Congratulations on that super cute baby you have here! Your little bundle of joy is so precious that it is practically criminal to withhold a constant stream of images from your online followers. But by now you’ve probably figured out that photographing a baby is harder than it sounds – no matter how adorable it is in real life. Here are a few tips for getting the best shots of your little one, so you’ll stop saying, “The pictures really don’t do her justice.”
Understand that the baby is in charge
Even if you’ve only been a parent for a few days, you already know Baby is now running the show. The baby decides when you sleep, eat, shower, and do all the other normal human things that you used to do. So it shouldn’t come as a shock that the baby also decides when to be photographed (if you want decent results anyway).
If your baby isn’t in the mood to giggle or wear Aunt Diane’s scratchy tulle outfit, it won’t happen. Babies don’t care about Instagram; they care about comfort and food. (We could all learn a thing or two from them.)
“They know what they want and they run the show,” said Aneta DeAngelo, owner of Yellow lollipop photography in New Jersey and has been with it for a decade. “Some babies love certain poses; some hate them. The same applies to diapers, props, etc. “
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Even if a person is brand new, that person has preferences. Use your amateur photo session to learn more about your baby – and respect their wishes. If the outfit, lighting, or pose causes any discomfort, move on; Trying to force the situation will not do anyone any good.
Let’s go: follow the trends
Newborn photography, like everything else in the digital age, has its own unique trends and fashions. Take them on because they will help your photos remind you in time of what the world was like when your child was little. So one day you may look back and say, “I can’t believe we did this – but everyone did it! That was the style, okay? ”From naked babies in baskets to age stickers on onesies to the monthly baby wax bigger-than-teddy experiment, these photos are a time capsule.
Libby Brieger, a newborn photographer from Brooklyn, told Lifehacker that when she first got into the business four years ago, “it was popular to dress newborns in little knitted outfits with matching hats, like a baseball player or ballet dancer or some kind of sweet.” Animal. Nowadays it is more of a clean style when the baby is wrapped in a blanket or curled up, clinging to a little teddy bear and sleeping peacefully. “
Today you can find a seemingly endless choice of Floor photography mats where you can place and take a photo (or 27) of your baby once a month to track his age and growth. It’s a big trend right now, but probably not for much longer, so join in while you can.
Exemplary calm for the baby
If you are overexcited, the baby will be overexcited and you will not get productive anywhere. This is, by and large, a parenting lesson, but it is especially true when trying to get a smile out of a suspicious, disguised child.
“What surprised me when photographing newborns is that if I was nervous that the babies wouldn’t fall asleep, the babies wouldn’t sleep,” said Brieger. “If I was anxious or stressed about the shoot or my day or whatever, the shoot would be a disaster. I realized that newborns can feel calm or nervousness and that they in turn feel and act that way. Nowadays I really have to be very calm and just concentrate on the task at hand and trust that the baby will behave and fall asleep. ”
Yes, the baby is in charge, but you can still fake a sense of control! Like a well-curated Instagram feed, babies are all about mood. Make sure yours are good.
Source online inspo
We’ve already covered the growth tracking mats trend that Instagram has taken over, but there’s a wealth of inspiration waiting for you online – if you can find a moment between feeds and changes to scroll down Pinterest.
Sure, there will be times when your baby looks just adorable without prompting and you whip out your iPhone and snap a quick photo. (Make sure to enable the grid in your camera app to frame the shot and switch to portrait mode when you have the time!) However, in other cases, prepare to shoot so you can as well take a good look at what others are doing for theirs.
“I always try new things with babies,” says Brieger. “Flowers, hearts, teddy bears … I get inspired by pictures that I scroll past on Pinterest or Instagram and I work off these pictures.”
This article is also considered an online inspo, so here is some very specific, solid advice from Brieger: “Never see a baby’s nostrils in the recording. If you can see a baby’s nostrils, your angle is wrong. You want to shoot down from the top of your head and let your light flow in the same direction. “
By the way, this tip is a real winner; DeAngelo mentioned it too. If you take one thing out of this guide, let it be that nostrils are a big no-go in baby photography. Who knew
“Make sure the baby is full and tired before you try the session,” added DeAngelo. “Choose a blanket and drape it over a couch. Use a towel or scarf and place it over the baby. Stand the couch at about 45 degrees near a window. Angle of view and light are very important, so check out some of your favorite photographers and try to copy the angles. “
As any old lady in the grocery store will tell you, just enjoy it
Unlike so many other photo sessions that you will have in your life, this one is not just about collecting likes online. Here you connect with your child and record memories that you can look back on for many years to come. Enjoy it! Having a fun moment laughing with your baby is better than a perfectly framed, nostril-free shot (although you should try anyway).
“Babies are only small for so long, so these moments are fleeting,” said DeAngelo. And Brieger said her favorite part as a baby photographer is cuddling – mostly focus on cuddling and let the rest come by itself.
