New parents be proud! Anyone can take baby photos, but your little darling is special. Now is the time to capture memories that last a lifetime. Here are five tips for great baby photos, in a studio or just for fun.
Quantity
Take lots of pictures. Baby expressions are natural and spontaneous, so keep the camera close at hand for unexpected moments. A cherubic smile lights up the room, but food messes, sleepy yawns and pouty faces make memorable photos too.
Babies grow so fast. Take photos every day to capture the precious "firsts" - the first time baby grabs her toes, the first tooth, the first taste of a new food.
Most photographers take dozens of shots in a session, to get two or three good ones. Whether you set up a studio space, or just grab the camera and snap away, more is better. Many great photos happen by accident.
Background and Composition
The human eye will focus on the subject, and disregard a busy background. The camera picks up every detail. You may not notice the lamp growing out of baby's head when you take the shot, but the camera does. Keep backgrounds clean and uncluttered.
Fill the camera frame with as much of your little darling as possible. Close-ups have a feeling of intimacy. Shoot from different angles, and get down to baby's eye level. Take perspective shots, with mommy's hand in the frame, to enhance tiny baby fingers, feet and features.
Lighting
Photography is all about light. Use natural light, artificial light or a combination of both.
Natural light, outside or diffused through a window, has a soft glow. The best light is early morning, or late afternoon to dusk. Avoid direct sunlight, which causes harsh shadows and glare. Light should accent the delicate softness of baby's features and form.
For more control, use artificial light. For studio-type photographs, set a main light at a 45-degree angle to your little model, and use a secondary light or white reflector panel, to bounce light into the shadows. Photograph a doll or fruit bowl to get the hang of it, before bringing baby into the setup.
Again the human eye is fallible, and automatically evens out the shadows in a scene. The camera picks up everything. Play around with light positions, and learn to be aware of light as the camera sees it. Awareness of light and shadow can turn a mediocre shot into a beautiful one.
Camera Settings
If too much light enters a camera, the photo is overexposed or washed out. Too little, and the photo is dark or blurred.
Most cameras have automatic settings, and often that's enough. For more control, set the camera manually. You may have to read the instructions.
The basic settings are shutter speed, ISO speed, and aperture width or f-stop. For baby photography, use a faster shutter speed and low f-stop. Low f-stop lets in more light, and tells the camera to focus on the objects closer to you, much like the eye does. For wide shots, use a higher f-stop.
ISO speed regulates the camera's sensitivity to light. Set the ISO speed fairly high. If photos come out grainy, decrease the ISO speed.
Have Fun!
Whether you set up a studio-type session, or just snap a lot of shots at random, the most important part of taking baby pictures is the fun. Play games, blow bubbles, have giggles.
Play with food, play with bath toys, play peek-a-boo with the camera. Be flexible. The more fun you have, the more delighted your little darling will be!
A photo session can become a treasured memory, in itself.
With a few simple ideas, a basic understanding of light and camera function, and the cutest little model in the world, you'll have beautiful baby photos to enjoy for years to come.
