It goes without saying if you want to take perfect pictures of your baby, having a good camera will certainly give you an edge to get the perfect picture. I would even go as far as saying a DSLR would be the best camera to use. That is not to say you won't get good pictures with a point and shoot - you can and you will - today's compact cameras all come with a sophisticated feature set and usually have a portrait setting.

Good lighting is the key to all good photography, and the professionals know how to make the light work for them. Let me describe two extreme baby photo shoots. The first is where granddad tries to capture that unique baby moment by candle light. He has his phone camera flash set to off and the baby is jumping around all over the place. Oh and I forgot to mention granddad suffers from shaky hands. How do you think the picture will turn out?

In the second scenario we have a professional photographer with mum and baby in his studio. He has a great backdrop, there is daylight streaming through the windows and he has several remote flashes with diffusers. His camera, the latest top of the range Nikon or Canon DSLR is mounted on a tripod. Mum is seated on a chair firmly holding the baby. How do you think the picture will turn out?

I'm sure the second photo will be the most technically correct picture but will the pro be able to capture that magic baby moment.  No, I don't think he will, even though he will be able to compensate for the unnatural environment and he will have some terrific shots he might not get that magic baby moment.

Magic baby moments are usually captured by creating an almost natural environment for the baby to be in. Try not to have the scene too cluttered with baby toys distracting from the main subject of you photo, your baby.

Try to take your pictures in daylight but set your camera to have the flash on - but  don't take all your pictures with flash on. If you have a DSLR consider an external flash and bounce the flash off the ceiling to get less harsh shots.

Get down on the floor beside the baby and get someone to hold the baby's attention in the background. Get mum to make a funny face or do something to make baby smile. Try to focus on the baby's eyes. Most of today's cameras allow you to press the shutter button part of the way to enable the focus and light reading. If you keep your finger on the shutter button and move the camera slightly it holds the focus and light reading of the initial press.

Take your photos at different angles to the natural light. Take pictures of the baby eating, drinking, having a bath, playing with toys, sitting in large chairs, with a cap on, holding a teething ring or toy. Get the picture?

Think along the lines of taking 100 pictures of baby, in various situations, to get 10 good ones and your half way there. Happy shooting baby!

Author:
Suzanne Morrison is a keen amateur photographer and recommends http://www.digicamuser.com as a good resource for anyone interested in digital photography.

Posted: 16 August 2008

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