Photographing babies can be quite a challenge, unlike almost any other portrait photography. Babies don't stay still and can't be positioned, you have to react quickly to take a usable, beautiful photo.

 

Tips for techniques when photographing babies

 

Posture and stance

Very small babies are not yet able to hold themselves upright. Depending on their age, they may not yet be able to lift their head. Therefore, when taking photos, you need to choose positions for the baby that are both safe and photogenic. A popular method is to lean the baby against a large, thick pillow, which supports them slightly upwards and allows them to play with their toes. As the baby is still in a natural position, this makes for beautiful photos.

 

Props

Props are very useful when photographing babies. The props have two uses: They bring life, colour and naturalness to the picture and they draw the baby's attention so that you have enough time to press the shutter button. The props can be soft toys, musical toys or even pets. You can either place them next to the baby so that they are in the photo, or you can hold a toy next to the camera so that the baby looks at the camera. A good trick is for mum or dad to stand behind the camera and call out the baby's name. The baby will instinctively look over to the familiar voice and maybe even smile.

 

Shooting angle

The photographer can position himself more easily than the baby. The less the baby is positioned, the less easily it is irritated. The baby is placed in a comfortable position and the photographer can photograph it from different angles.

 

Light

Natural light is the best for a photo. Where this is not possible, indirect light should be used to avoid casting dark shadows behind the baby's head. Natural or indirect light creates the effect of a soft filter, while direct light produces harsh contrasts.

 

Camera setting

It is best to set the camera to "burst", where a large number of photos are taken within a few seconds. This allows you to select the best and most natural photo from a series of photos afterwards.