If you were to spend some time perusing infant photography on Pinterest, you might come away with the very false impression that baby portraits are easy to take. Currently, there are about 61,000 employed photographers in the U.S., and very few of them have mastered infant photography. Newborn photographers can be expensive, and for many, baby photographers just aren’t readily available to them. Infant photography certainly isn’t easy, but if you choose to DIY it, there are a few tips that can help you take better shots of your little angel.
1. Get a Better Angle. Let’s be honest, for the most part, babies are all swaddled up in their little blankets, and the most you can really see is their tiny little pink heads which are often a little bumpy, scratched up, and not exactly “aww” inspiring. Try to remedy that problem by changing your angle. Get down on your baby’s level and get up close (probably with a zoom instead of physicality.
2. Document the Details. If your camera has a macro mode, use it to isolate all the adorable little body parts that will be off and growing in no time.
3. Choose Your Shot Carefully. Some of the best infant photography documents happy times. Newborns don’t smile much, but there are times when they’re most settled and content. Bath time is a common one, as is the little play break many babies take after a mid-morning feeding.
4. Be Prepared and Persistent. Have your camera on hand so that you won’t miss a moment you wish you could have captured. Try to keep that up for a while. Babies change rapidly, and even a week-long hiatus could mean that you’re missing major changes in your little one’s development.
5. Learn a Little Photoshop. Those Pinterest babies look inhumanly perfect. Don’t be afraid to airbrush away that snot string, sleepy eye, dried milk, blotchy skin, or bumps.
6. When in Doubt, Lose the Color. When airbrushing just won’t do the trick, make the photo black and white. It will soften your shot and lessen the distractions brought by blotches and marks.
Infant photography isn’t easy, but it’s a great way to bond with your baby and commemorate the little things. Enjoy the little moments and have fun documenting them. Research more like this.