5 Tips for Taking Your Own Baby Photos

5 Tips for Taking Your Own Baby Photos

It goes without saying that I’m advocate for hiring a professional for photos with your new baby. But, what about when the session is over? There’s still soooo much cuteness to capture!

Here’s my top tips for getting the best possible pics of your baby at home.

1.Pick a well-lit area for your photos. Lucky for us, babies are super portable! So, when possible, pick your little one up and move them over next to a window before you take that photo! A grainy photo in a dark area just isn’t going to do your little one justice!

2. Make sure the exposure and focus are spot on. I-phones make this incredibly easy by just touching the screen. You can adjust these things in a second with the slide of your finger, so you should be pretty well set if you just take that moment to check the focus square. (Filters are great to enhance and fix minor things, but it’s always best to have a good photo from the start. Remember, you want to capture the natural beauty of your new baby, you don’t want to have to use a retro filter that will unnecessarily date the photo.)

3. Related to the first point, position the baby so the light from the window (or whatever your light source may be) is NOT pointing up their nose. You know how when telling a ghost story, a kid will shine their flashlight up in their face and it looks super bad and creepy? Ya. Don’t do that to your baby! And while you’re at it, don’t point the camera angle up their nose either.

4. Rely on other people! This is most definitely a prime time to soak up every sweet moment with your baby and sit down and relax if given the chance. So, if someone is over to visit or your significant other is home, have them do the photo taking. They will probably be doing it anyway, so have them send you their photos. And don’t be scared to be photographed too. (Ok, I know…you’re not going to be looking or feeling your best if you recently had the baby. I PROMISE you, one day you’ll be sad if you don’t have any photos of you and your baby together. And, so will they!)

5. In this season of life, with your baby changing so quickly, any photo is better than no photo! While all of the above are great tips, don’t let anything stop you from taking a photo anyway. If you can’t find the perfect spot of light or simply don’t want to move from the comfy spot on the couch, go ahead and snap that photo anyway. Not every photo has to be worthy of posting and sharing online. You can keep some just for you and your own memories. You really can never have too many photos of your baby!

THAT SAID, enjoy the moments in the now! Snap your photo, and then go back to living and being present with your baby.

Article written by Anne Wilmus Photography in Pittsburgh, PA. If you are currently pregnant, take some pressure off yourself and e-mail Anne now at anne@annewilmusphotography.com to get your due date on her calendar for professional newborn photos. Anne does newborn photos in her Pittsburgh studio within 2 weeks of birth. Book during your pregnancy to ensure a spot is reserved for you!

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