There is no doubt that photography is a form of art. An art with its own set of rules and must do’s and must not’s and set of skills and tools that help enhance it, just like any other art. But, like any form of art, there are some rules are meant to be broken, depending on who the artist is, what their style is and what the subject of their photography is! And this is especially more so, when it comes to photographing babies!
These little bundles of joy, are any parents and photographer’s favorite photo targets! Just by their nature, they offer so much to be photographed, all the time! Be it their natural growing and increasing physical ability which we all marvel at, be it their smiles, their frowns and a whole gamut of new facial expressions, the innovative antics- cooked up by their tiny but growing brains- everything about them, leaves us adults totally mesmerized!
As a photographer, I totally understand the joy parents feel, when capturing these moments. And through this article I wanted to share some of my pro tips to keep in mind when you photograph your tiny tots!
(1) Know your goal with your photographs: When you click pictures in general- there are two things to keep in mind. Not all pictures you take will be framed and put on display. And not all pictures are taken with that goal. So click away all you want- if you just taking pictures of your baby to capture moments and document them, but when you are planning to create portraits, it might be a good idea to look for a professional photographer to step in and do the right job for you.
(2) Experiment a lot: All babies are such beauties, and from any angle- but I understand that a parent wants to capture the most beautiful of shots of their babies for their photo albums and Christmas cards etc. And the best advice here I can give you is to play a lot with the camera, taking several pictures before choosing one. Play with lighting, play with different locations, take pictures during different times in your baby’s day cycle and you will see how automatically you will learn a lot about what is the best time of the day, the location and the lighting to photograph your baby in.
(3) Being patient: Patience is a virtue that all new parents quickly learn- so you already have some practice there. But this is especially true when it comes to photography. You might be ready to go with your camera and start clicking but your baby might not be! You will be aware as parents what the low and high points of time are in terms of your baby’s mood- and I recommend to keep a camera handy when the baby is all smiles and a little bit more co-operative for cuter pictures.
(4) Photo-Editing Websites: Did you know there are a lot of free photo- editing websites that allow you to airbrush the pictures and add emoticons and banners and all sorts of fun edits!? These are especially helpful if you are using your baby’s pictures on that postcard to grandma or for seasonal festival cards! Acquaint yourselves with a few of those sites and they can be your good ally when it comes to polishing up your regular (non-portrait) pictures!
(5) Go Black and White: What they say out there is true sometimes- a quick way to make a picture look more professional and artsy is to lose the colour! Black and white pictures are the ‘in thing’ more so in the recent times for good reasons! They are more forgiving, when it comes to the quality of the photograph, but at the same time , the photos do not lose their appeal. Try B & W photography. It might be worth a shot!
