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Photo Tips & Techniques

When I became a parent, it gave me a new found appreciation for photographing babies and toddlers. When my son was born, I found it easy to capture him as all he did was lay in a bassinet or snuggly seat. As soon as he discovered he had arms and legs upon which he could crawl, it presented a whole new set of challenges. I had been taking at least one picture of my son everyday from birth, and I wasn’t about to let a six month old, rocket propelled toddler ruin my goal of not continuing the process of getting “the shot” for each of the days of his first year. In the end, I was successful. Here are some of the techniques I adopted allowing me to obtain my goal.

Baby Tip # 1 - Photograph babies when they are the most alert. Just after nap time works well. Be patient and wait for the moment when their eyes go wide. To help create this, have someone stand next to you with an object that has motion or makes a sound. Try to find something new as it will stimulate curiosity which often results in an alert expression.

Baby Tip # 2 - Place a blanket in the snuggly seat or bassinet that is color coordinated with what the baby is wearing. Fill the frame so there’s nothing else in the background. The entire image should be just the baby and the item in which he’s placed.

Baby Tip # 3 - Bath Time - When your infant learns to sit up and can hold this position on his own, a must take shot is him getting a bath in the bathroom sink. Clear the counter of all items so there’s nothing distracting in the background and fill the frame with just your child and the sink. If there’s a mirror behind the sink and you’re using flash, be sure to be at an angle  so it doesn’t reflect a bright spot in the picture.

Baby Tip # 4 - Try using window light to give a nice soft look to the portrait. Set the bassinet by a window, but not one through which the sun is directly shining. Dress your infant in all white and line the bassinet with a white blanket. For an angelic touch, use a frosted vignetting filter to give the image a dreamy appearance. Based on your meter reading, you’ll need to overexpose by one stop to prevent the white clothing and blanket from going gray.

Baby and Toddler Tip # 1 - Shoot pictures from the perspective of the child. Get down to their level to make the picture. It creates a pleasing angle and nets a more unique look in that most pictures of kids are made while the adult is standing.

Toddler Tip # 1- Use fast film. ISO 400 speed is a great film to help you freeze the action of young ones as they become mobile. If you’re using flash, it also allows the flash to recycle more quickly in that it doesn’t need to emit as much light as it would with slower film.

Toddler Tip # 2 - Let the child have a prop as it will engage him in play or thought. If play is the result, the action may be more easily predicted increasing the chance of getting a great shot. Deep thought will slow the child down and my stimulate a unique expression.

Toddler Tip # 3 - Let your child play in the backyard and get lost in his own world. Watch him carefully and try to predict what may happen. By the time he’s walking, you’ll have learned what makes him tick. Anticipate the action and be ready with the camera.

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