Every new parent wants to capture those special and exciting moments as your child grows up, but taking a good photo of babies and children can be a tricky task. Trust me; I have been photographing newborns and toddlers for the past 15 years.

To help you out, I have gathered together some tips and guidelines that will enable you to take the perfect shot of your little ones.

Hopefully this will help and guide you on how to take the perfect picture of your baby.

Time

For your baby, certain times in a daily routine are better than others. We suggest picking a time when he or she is most settled and content, which is probably straight after a feed. Try to avoid taking images before a nap as they tend to feel unsettled and get a little cranky. After a feed is generally when they will be more tolerant and can be persuaded into a photo-friendly pose and likely to show that gorgeous smile.

Environment

Select a location or room that is cosy and warm. You want the baby to be content and happy so select an area that they will feel comfortable and secure. Using familiar blankets and material from the home will settle them into the environment and use familiar toys or rattles so they have something with a familiar sound. Keep a spare set of clothing to hand, as well as a spare nappy and some baby wipes. Accidents do happen, trust me.

Focus on the details

Even though your baby is cute all over, capturing the small details is a great way to remember their growth. Hands, fingers, feet and toes are just so delicate and small it’s a great way to show their curtness and size but capturing these close up. Remember to be ready at all times for yawns, hand clutching or any funny facial expressions. Focus on the intricate details, the tiny hand and fingers, the adorable ear lobe, those long eyelashes. Don’t move the baby, but move around yourself getting the perfect angle.

Position

Babies, especially newborns, sleep a lot and feed a lot, so depending on what type of images you are after, make sure you position them correctly, keeping them content and warm. Make them center stage and use materials keeping them snug and so they feel secure. If you are going to use yourself as a prop or hold them make sure it’s a nice gentle hold and they feel comfortable to avoid the screams and crying.

Clothing

Babies come in all shapes and sizes, so clothing may be slightly too small or big as they grow. Even though you have some favorite tops, bottoms or jump suits, keep the clothing to size as anything that’s too big will cover the mouth or hands, and anything too small with make them unsettled.  Naked or just a nappy can also create a happy baby. If you can time the images around bath time you’ll have a very happy baby full of smiles. For newborn photo’s, you may want a hat, especially if it was made by a friend or granny.

Be Spontaneous

Staging a photo of your baby can be tricky, especially if he or she decides not to co-operate! To prevent stiff, awkward photos, try to be spontaneous when you take a photo. Keep your camera close by at all times. This way, you are more likely to capture special moments that happen when you least expect them.

Be ready for the mood

Photos of your happy baby are wonderful, but sometimes it’s nice to capture your baby’s other moods. Pictures of your baby being thoughtful, grumpy, or looking serious, can give your family photo album extra charm. They’ll also serve as reminders about what your baby was really like!

Give space

Make sure the environment you have chosen isn’t too confined, especially for toddlers.  If they can move and be free in a small area then the happy they will be. Introducing their favorite toys can help them settle and they may even sit still so you can capture some beautiful images. After all no-one likes to stay in the same place for too long.

We wish you luck in capturing those precious moments in time and remember to not over do it with the amount of images you take. If you have the camera up in their face everyday then they might not perform or smile. So just keep it close by so you’re ready for those special shots.

Follow these simple rules on how to create the perfect picture of your baby and you should succeed.

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