Follow what the baby does.
or the hands of a parent making a heart with the baby’s feet inside.
I sure did struggle to do anything I could to get that shot (I never got it). But, I did get a great shot of my daughter grasping onto my thumb.
I never would have thought to take that photo, nor does it sound all that great while telling you. Nonetheless, it’s my favorite one.
Get photos with parents in them
I love the idea of only the baby in those adorable poses. But, even though I was a mess and couldn’t see without my glasses or contacts, one of my favorite photos is me (blurred out a little, which is nice) looking down at my daughter. The camera focuses on her, front and center, but has me and all of my emotion right in there too.
Keep it simple
Why do we need flowing fabric, garlands of flowers, elaborate backdrops and accessories to take attention from the newborn?
Look at their toes! And fingers! And tiny little lips! And the ears, cheeks, eyelashes…you get my point.
What is the purpose of the photo?
Keep in mind what the photo is going to be used for. For example, is this going to be printed on cardstock for a birth announcement? Framed in a small or large frame? Printed onto canvas in large format? That might determine the level of detail, brightness and colors you may choose.
Safety
Obviously. Use your common sense, your mom-instincts and be a reasonable person. And keep in mind that most of those adorable poses you may have seen are actually "composite photos", where several photos are layered on to one another, and the hands holding the baby up are photoshopped out! Look!
Some Great Hacks I Came Across...
- Keep the space warm with space heaters or a heating pad (on low, safely placed under the protection of several blankets
- Try a white noise machine to soothe baby during the photo session.
- Low cost light reflectors: white poster board or cardboard with foil taped onto it.
- Low cost backdrop: bedsheets tied to a door or to tripods, or tape some gift wrap on the wall.
- Low cost light diffuser—tape a coffee filter around the flash on your camera. It diffuses light and softens shadows
Please send us your favorite baby photos! We would love to post them on social media!
-The aLoo Team