Babies are amazing!
In one year, they transform from a helpless creature whose every need must be attended to into a being who laughs and interacts and almost is on the verge of taking their first steps, indicate favorite foods or toys. As motor skills are refined, the little tyke can grab and manipulate objects, her vision and ability to recognize familiar objects and people improves. She is learning about the world around her and soaking it all in like a sponge.
For the rest of this little person’s life, this rapid pace of development will never again be so fast. The changes go by like that (visualize the author snapping his fingers). That’s why it’s so important to take lots of pictures of baby in that first year. Once he moves from just lying there to crawling to sitting up to cruising to walking, there’s no going back.
Whether you’re a working pro looking to improve your skills (and portrait studio marketability) or are simply a new parent who wants to capture this fleeting period in your child’s life, there are plenty of tricks and tips you can use to improve the quality of your pictures.
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It's never too early to photograph babies! I took this photo of my daughter when she was 2 weeks old, along with her toy animals. She's 11 now, and she has a framed copy of this shot hanging in her bedroom. Photo © 1995 Mason Resnick.
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Don’t try to be Anne Geddes
Australian photographer Anne Geddes has made a career out of photographing children in the oddest ways, like sleeping on a watermelon or as peas in a pod. These photos are major productions, often requiring hours of preparation, Photoshop wizardry, infinite patience, and saintly parents. Fortunately, you don’t have to go to such extremes to get fantastic baby photos.
The secret to great infant photography is simply to capture the baby doing what’s developmentally appropriate at that time. Don’t force a 6-month-old to walk, and don’t make a 1-year-old crawl. Let ‘em do what comes naturally, and photograph the joy in their faces as they accomplish a recently-learned skill, or play with a favorite toy.
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Peek-a-boo: At 3-6 months, babies can raise their heads while lying on their tummies. Cover the tops of their heads and coax them to look up. Note the eye contact with the camera! This classic baby pose is known as "The Burrito." (Scroll down for more classic baby poses.) Photo © iStockphoto.com/René Jansa
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Get down to their level
Don’t just stand there, sit down. Lie on the floor. Get to the child’s level. She’ll feel less threatened if you’re eye-to-eye with her, and may be more playful and responsive. At baby’s level, you can also better see those beautiful eyes. Baby making eye contact with the camera is essential.
 If you don’t wish to lie on your belly, you can still shoot waist-level. The Olympus Evolt 330 is a DSLR with a a right-angle live LCD monitor that can be turned facing upwards so you can hold your camera low down and shoot. Several compact models also have rotating LCD monitors. But if your DSLR lacks this feature, the Pro Optic Right Angle Finder II (right) fits over the optical viewfinder of most DSLRs and using a periscope-type optic lets you look down to see the image.
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Getting active: By around 8 months old, most children are sitting up, crawling around and doing stuff. This one can pick up big objects--and the photographer captured her pride of accomplishement. Photo © iStockphoto.com/Heiko Bennewitz
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Show off those baby blues!
One trick I sometimes employ to get a baby to look at the camera is to take a clean feather duster (make sure it’s never been used for dusting!) and tickle baby’s face. Then quickly move the feather duster out of the picture, towards the camera. Be prepared to snap quickly, as the baby’s reaction (usually a crinkled nose, and a giggle, which is very cute) will be fleeting. Play peek-a-boo from behind the camera. Babies love that.
Another way to get eye contact is to make sounds. Not loud intimidating sounds (that could start a crying) but quiet cooing sounds. Imitating cats or birds, etc., will also get baby’s attention. (Make sure you’re shooting in a quiet environment.)
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Happy birthday! As soon as he starts walking (usually around his first birthday) make sure to capture those tentative first steps. Photo © iStockphoto.com/Elena Korenbaum
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If you’re not the parent but Mom and/or Dad are in the room, instruct them to let you make the sounds, even though they will be sorely tempted to encourage baby to pose. Their sincere attempts will actually distract baby, who will look in their direction instead of yours! If they want to help, have them stand behind you (maybe play peek-a-boo over your shoulder) and get baby’s attention.
What should baby wear?
Dress him simply; a plain white “onesie” is fine. No patterns or bright colors—they only distract from Baby. The fewer clothes the better (assuming you’re shooting somewhere warm). First, kids look cute in their birthday suits, but second (and more practically), babies tend to spit up on their clothes. Skin wipes off more easily than fabric. If you (or the parents) don’t feel comfortable stripping baby for his photo, have several changes on hand, and watch out for wrinkled clothes!
Lighting tips
Avoid on-camera flash at all costs! They cast harsh, unflattering light that shouts out “amateur”. Off-camera flash, preferably with a softener like a reflector or soft box, is better. Studio lights are ideal, but if you don’t have any of the above, simply take pictures in a room with lots of window light or outdoors.
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Don't forget to include mom! Make sure both are well rested and you'll capture nothing but joy and emotion. (But use a soft-focus filter, just in case mom's showing signs of sleep deprivation.) The soft lighting and close eye contact between mother and child makes this shot a winner.
Photo © iStockphoto.com
/Amanda Rohde
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Here are four of my favorite poses...
- The Come Hither look: This is great for babies as young as a month old! Get a bolt of shiny fabric from a fabric shop and lay it out on the floor, folded here and there. Lie baby face up on the fabric, and fold some fabric over so baby’s partially covered. Shoot straight down. She’ll look gorgeous.
- The Burrito: When baby is old enough to lift his head while lying on his stomach, he’s ready for this pose. Put baby on a clean white blanket on the floor. Drape another blanket or a towel over his head. Then, wait for him to lift his head off the floor and smile (see sample).
- The TV Pose: A variation of the Burrito, but without the second blanket. Baby lies on stomach facing camera, rests chin on both hands. (This also works with older kids who can take directions)
- Cruisin’: When baby is old enough to almost walk, she may “cruise” or walk while holding onto a couch or chair. Have a low piece of furnaiture or a post ready, and get a shot of the pre-toddler holding on. Bonus points if you capture that look of pride at this new accomplishment!
Mason Resnick is the Editor-in-Chief of the AIRC - Adorama Imaging Resource Center. You can email him at mresnick@adorama.com.
© 2007 Adorama
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