The arrival of your baby is one of life’s greatest moments and one you will certainly treasure forever. What better way to capture the moment and another thousand special moments in their first year of life than with photographs?
Whilst baby’s wrinkled skin, chubby cheeks and sticking up hair might be things you think you will never forget, the passing years can often play tricks on our memory. What could be nicer than digging out photos for a nostalgia trip? We at Talent Management feel photographs are a perfect way in which to keep in touch with family and friends about baby’s progress and of course amusing portraits – for example at bath time – will make everybody smile! After all, you don’t have to look for baby modeling jobs to make him or her a great subject.
Don’t worry about how good your photographs are – just keep clicking!! It is easy to take plenty of shots and then delete those which don’t work or crop the ones that may. Keep your camera or smart phone close by at all times because you just never know when you are going to need it. If you regularly take photographs, your baby will soon become oblivious to the camera. This will allow you to capture some completely natural expressions as your child model will be relaxed and happy. Even if he or she is not, click away because a characteristic grimace will make you laugh in years to come.
Good photographs can be achieved with most smartphones and cameras. For the latter, a 24-105 mm zoom is fine and will enable you to get down and close enough to baby to see how his or her world looks! Pick your moment, however; wait until about an hour after a feed and 30 minutes after your baby has woken from a nap and has a clean nappy. He or she should then be happy with the world and with your camera!
For the most successful photographs, there are a few pointers to follow:
1. Pay attention to lighting
Natural light is best of all and experts recommend that flash photography of babies is avoided. Whilst you may consider yourself something of a David Bailey, keep things simple for best results. A soft rug or baby blanket stretched out on a sunny day is perfect. Timing is important though as the bright midday sun will be uncomfortable for baby and too bright for good photos. Better to capture photos in softer light, either a couple of hours after sunrise or before dusk.
2. Don’t stop taking photographs!
In the first year your baby will change so much – size, hair colouring, abilities – and it will be fun to photograph the changes. Capture special family moments, too, such as when baby meets various relatives for the first time. A beautiful portrait of the eldest and youngest family members is always a lovely keepsake. Don’t worry about getting up close and personal to your baby as closer shots capture far more detail. Definitely get down to baby’s level rather than taking photos from a height and distance. It’s a great excuse to roll around the carpet together and the resulting photos will be great.
Don’t let your early enthusiasm wane as time passes. Many parents have to admit that they have thousands of photos of their baby’s first months and then only odd ones until their wedding day. Taking photos just couldn’t be easier with today’s ever-present smartphones so there’s really no excuse!
3. Be creative with baby modeling photos
Traditional style portraits are great but ‘think outside the box’ too and especially in the early days, capture some very precious details about your baby that will soon disappear as he or she grows: the size of a tiny hand in that of an adult’s; how small the feet are; the delicate eyebrows; the beautiful folds of skin on the nape of the neck (that one will conjure up the memory of skin fragrance too). It’s great to take pictures of baby chuckling at a favourite toy because it will bring back memories of how smart teddy once looked and also his comparative size to baby, which will be so different a few short years later.
4. Think about backgrounds
Before you click away, check that the background of the photograph will not be too fussy as it will detract from your subject. A simple sheet draped behind can be just right, as can leafy trees, grass and natural shades. The same goes for clothing too; a fussy outfit can detract from your baby’s features, so keep it simple. Baby in his her birthday suit is great but make sure the temperature is warm enough and keep a towel close by.
5. Back up every time
The most important point of all! Nothing is more heart-breaking than losing precious photographs that cannot be replaced. Spare yourself the heartache and be strict with yourself – back-ups take just moments to do.
