PHOTO TIPS : Best Baby Pictures Are a Snap

It seems that hardly a day goes by that I’m not looking at some baby pictures, usually displayed by a proud parent or grandparent. It’s an international custom and there’s nothing wrong with it.

I have a few tips for taking better baby pictures, but first, a warning: Photographs of babies are best when shot from close-up. But avoid using flash. A flash can harm a baby’s eyes. Have you ever had a flash go off a few feet in front of you while you are staring directly at it? How long was it before you could see again?

Rather than use flash, use the light from a window. Soft Northern light is better than sunlight. Do not shoot toward the window but parallel to it or away from it.

Babies are not self-conscious in front of a camera as are many older children and adults. Just give them a prop like a ball or a towel and snap away.

A baby peeking out from under a towel or blanket is very appealing. The baby is usually happy because the blanket is warm, cozy and associated with the peekaboo game that all babies love. As anyone taking baby pictures soon learns, a happy baby makes for good pictures.

Opportunities for pictures occur throughout the baby’s day. However, one of the best times to take pictures is just after a nap, when the baby is rested and alert.

For an excellent series of pictures, photograph the baby while he or she is being fed or being given a bath. A particularly interesting series can show the baby when he or she is first beginning to learn to eat without help.

Whether you pose your pictures or take them just as they happen, remember to aim from the baby’s level, even though it may mean getting down on the floor yourself.