Something happens when you bring home a new baby… suddenly you CANNOT TAKE ENOUGH PHOTOS!  Which is perfect because, at the same instant, time begins to FLY and these photos will be something you cherish after you BLINK and your newborn is already six months old.

Below is a brief list of photos to take during baby’s first six months.  PLUS my tips for each one to help you take better photos of your baby!

10 photos to take during baby’s first six months

1.  Hospital (or first day).

I know, I know… you certainly don’t need a list to tell you to take photos of your brand new baby.  Duh.  Everyone wants to see your new addition and you’ll want to show him/her off to the world!  But in case you’re too exhausted to think clearly (been there), cover your bases with these basics:  sleeping in bassinet, in mom/dad’s arms, first bath, closeup of hospital bracelets, and ready to go home!

Photo Tip:  Wheel the bassinet next to the window to get better natural light (hospital rooms aren’t usually known for great lighting).

2. Fresh details.

Document everything while it’s brand new.  Zoom in on: fingers, toes, eyelashes, lips, hair, fuzz, and rolls/wrinkles.

Photo Tip:  Again, move the baby (sleeping is best to minimize motion blur) close to the window to get the best light.  If you don’t have a macro lens, sometimes focus can be tough so take the photo at a comfortable distance and then you can always crop the photo later.

3. Swaddled.

You probably already snapped a photo of baby swaddled while you were in the hospital, but if not, take a moment to do this at home.  Baby burritos are so cute!  This stage is fleeting… soon they’ll be much too physical to be contained!

Photo tip:  Convert to black and white to remove any distracting designs/colors of the swaddle or background.  This will draw focus to how sweet they look all snuggled up, instead of the fact that my baby girl looks like a boy in her brother’s hand-me-down swaddle that clashes with the sheets (just keeping it real).

4.  Sleeping.

In the beginning newborns sleep a lot (if you’re lucky).  Capture the angelic little expressions on their faces when they’re passed out.  It’s especially fun to take their pictures while they’re dreaming!

Photo tip:  While trapped under a sleeping baby, use your phone to snap a picture.  No matter where you are, try to shoot from above their nose (left photo above) or straight down (right photo above).  Use baby’s nose as a guide… ‘up the nose’ shots aren’t always flattering.

5.  Crying.

When your baby is crying, obviously your first thought will be to comfort them… not to photograph them.  But, just once, (quickly) document the moment.  It helps tell the whole story of the early days.

Photo tip:  Just do this fast.  Something about photographing a crying baby feels… cruel.

6.  Bath time (or in diaper).

Bath time gets more fun to photograph after the first few months, once baby starts to be a bit more interactive.  For newborns, snap a photo while snuggled in a cozy towel.  For an older baby, capture their expressions during bathtime!

Photo tip:  Fire a whole bunch of shots (‘burst mode’) to capture all the silly faces!

7. Tummy Time.

Not all babies love tummy time (mine didn’t), so you may have to wait a little longer to snag smiling tummy time photos.

Photo tip:  Play ‘peekaboo’ behind your camera to make baby laugh.

8.  Grabbing toes.

There’s a reason it’s called ‘happy baby pose’ in yoga.  Babies are so happy with their fingers wrapped around their toes or with their feet shoved into their mouth!

Photo tip:  Experiment with different angles…  shoot standing above baby, looking down.  Or lay down on the floor and get closer to their toes (like above).

9.  Crib.

Oh, the transition to the crib was such a momentous milestone for me.  The photo above is from Colin’s first night in his crib and it’s one of my very favorites from his entire first year.

Photo tip:  Nighttime lighting is tricky.  In the photo above, I turned on the lamp near his crib, but didn’t turn on the overhead light.  If you can’t find a ‘flattering’ light, convert the photo to black & white.

10.  First food.

Hooray!  This is such a fun milestone to photograph!

Photo tip:  Rotate their chair until you can see light reflecting back in their eyes (called a ‘catchlight’).  Sure, the background of the photo above isn’t ideal, but Jill’s face is much better lit at this angle and the ‘sparkle’ in her eyes helps convey her joy over trying new food.

 

What do you think?  Any ‘must-have’ photos you’d add to the list?