Baby Photography

Infancy is a fleeting period, full of rapid changes, and you need to be ready to catch these moments while you can. These precious baby years won't last forever, but make sure the memories do.
Here are 10 tips on creating great baby photographs.

1. Keep a camera handy, so you don't miss that adorable expression, that toothless smile or that tiny hand reaching out to clench a finger. Always be ready to capture the moment.

2. Create a good scene. Lay your child on a bed of roses for example, or photograph him framed in a doorway or asleep on the couch. Check out the Anne Geddes site for inspiration.

3. Make sure you are not too far, so the background doesn't distract from your baby. Get up close! And fill at least a third of the photo area with your baby. If you want to take a snap from far, the background should be as stark as possible.

4. Create an interesting portfolio of photographs. Let your child be off center in a few photographs. This has aesthetic appeal.

5. When your baby fills the entire frame, it is a good idea to use front lighting. This is the lighting that results from a single light source like the flashlight or sun. Front lighting points directly at the object to be photographed.

6. Side lighting is lighting that illuminates just the side of your baby. It adds a lot of depth and dimension to the photograph, and creates interesting shadows. Place your baby beside window shutters or blinds, with the sun streaming through. Imagine that face illuminated with strips of sunlight. Doesn't it create an interesting effect?

7. Don't be afraid to take too many pictures. Of course, this doesn't mean you get snap happy and go on clicking, but the minute you see your baby doing something quirky, capture it on film. It's usually these extra photos that add interest to your baby's album.

8. Start a photo diary from the time of your child's birth. Collect memorabilia, and place them next to different photographs of your child. Next to the snaps of your baby's mundan (head shaving ceremony), you could attach a lock of hair. Be creative!

9. Make sure your albums are a good mix of natural and posed photographs. Also include black and white photographs.

10. When you are ordering prints from the studio, remember that though gloss prints provide for a sharper picture, matt stands up better to frequent handling, and the texture gives the image more depth. Once you've seen the prints, order enlargements. Framed enlargements make wonderful gifts for proud grandparents, aunts, uncles or other relatives.