Tips for photographing babies

This blog post is about my top tips for taking pictures of babies. I learned a lot with all the photos I took of my twins this past year. I hope that these tips will help you!

TIP 1: Feed Baby First

The first photography tip that can be helpful is feeding the baby right before. I figured out quickly that the photo session will not go as well if the baby is hungry. I wake them up from their nap and feed them right before the picture.

Tip 2: Take picture right after nap time

The second photography tip that can be helpful is doing the photo session right after nap time. I would always take the pictures after their first nap of the day. I would wake them up, feed them, and then take pictures. Things always went better when they were fed and awake.

Tip 3: Set up the Photoshoot during nap time

The third photography tip that can be helpful is setting the photoshoot up during nap time. When I first started doing this I would start to set up 10 minutes before they woke up from their nap. I found myself running into problems and not having enough time to fix them. When it was time to start taking pictures they were tired and not as happy. It’s also good to set up during nap time because you can focus on what you’re doing and you won’t be distracted or worried about babies.

Depending on the backdrop I will start setting up a couple days before. The St. Patricks backdrop that I did took awhile and I needed a couple of days to complete it.

Sometimes I like to put stuffed animals with the backdrop to get an idea of where the babies will be. This is something you can also do during nap time. It helps me choose the correct settings on my camera and test out lighting.

Tip 4: Use props to get them to look at camera

The fourth photography tip that can be helpful is using the right tools. One of my twins had to go to physical therapy for his neck. They used this light up toy to help him turn his head. I bought one so that I could practice with him at home.

The boys loved looking at it and it would always get their attention. Its my favorite tool to use during my photo sessions. I hold it right above the camera and this helps the babies look in the right direction. Anything that makes sounds or has fun lights will work perfectly.

Tip 5: Good Lightening

The fifth photography tip that can be helpful is good lighting. Good lighting can make or break a photo. If you don’t have your own photography lights, pick the room in your house that has the most windows. Natural lighting is always the best way to go! I use these photography lights from amazon and they work great.  

Tip 6: Take as many pictures as possible

The sixth photography tip that can be helpful is taking lots of pictures. It’s hard to capture the perfect picture with a moving baby. You need to be prepared to take 50 pictures to get that one perfect shot. Try and put your camera on burst mode. (most phones have burst mode if you don’t have a professional camera.) The baby will probably only last about 10 minutes so you want to get as many as you can during that time frame.

You can see in this video that a lot goes on during a photoshoot. The babies are always moving or props are falling. It never hurts to take as many as you can!

Tip 7: Look at your pictures during the photoshoot

The seventh photography tip that can be helpful is looking at pictures during the photoshoot. Make sure you quickly browse through the pictures you have taken before you end the photoshoot. Some examples of things I look for are props in the right place, eyes opened, heads turned towards camera, etc.

Stopping to look at what you have taken so far can be very helpful. It gives you an idea of what it will look like or what you might need to change. It would not be fun to have to do it all over again.

In the video you can see that we are looking through the pictures deciding if we are done or if we should take more. We notice that some props are out of place and move things around. Always a good idea to stop and check what you have so far.

Tip 8: Find a helping hand

The last photography tip is to find someone to help you. The babies move a lot and props can fall out of place. It can be helpful having someone stand close by to reposition the baby or put a prop back into place. This way you can focus on getting the perfect picture! Babies get distracted easily so you don’t want a lot of people around. You want to make sure the baby will be looking at the camera, not at the people in the room.

I hope these tips were helpful and you can create fun photos of your own babies. Let me know in the comments below if you have any more questions or if these tips were helpful to you!