PRACTICAL VIEW : Picture This: A Beautiful Baby

All new parents want to document their baby’s latest grin and, with Mother’s Day coming, here are a few tips for capturing a new arrival on film:

* Shoot near a window. Natural lighting illuminates a child with soft, pleasing lighting as opposed to the harsh lighting of an on-camera flash.

In addition, a flash may frighten a child or break a peaceful mood.

* Get down on the child’s level and fill the frame with the child’s face.

* Don’t always go for the posed shot. Rather, try to record a child’s everyday activities, even the messy ones like self-feeding.

* During a picture-taking session, your child does not always have to be smiling. A slight frown can bring back good memories, too.