I will be the first to admit, those milestone photos we all see plastered over Facebook of adorable babies and the Pinterest idea’s eluded me, and {gasp} for my firstborn, somehow in the first twelve months I never once did a milestone photo. For my second son, I was determined to do better!
But we have all seen it happen, right? The photo that should be super cute, and show the growth of your sweet baby, turned out all wrong. Maybe it is the baby that won’t stay in the same location as when they were immobile, or the color makes what should be cute pink cheeks orange!
I am sure we could all contribute a multitude of “milestone fail” photos, and could defiantly get a good chuckle out of it.
So how can you get those sweet photos to remember your first ones year? Here are some tips and tricks I have learned along the way!
1. Choose a location in your home that consistently has good light. Typically this will be by a big window and away from large florescent lighting. Natural light will almost always give you better skin tones! When you pose your baby, have them facing the window, so that there is not a funny shadow on part of their face of body.
2. That tiny newborn, believe it or not, probably won’t lay down for twelve months of photos, in fact, if you lay them down you are almost certain to get that cute, but undesired photo of them crawling away FAST! Instead, when they are to little to hold their head up and sit up, pick a location that you can prop them up, so as they grow they can sit for you instead of crawl away! Pillows can be a great prop to help them sit up and also show growth as the months go on.
3. If you have a special stuffed animal or prop, use it in the photos to show how much they are growing! Be prepared that whatever you choose will eventually become a toy during the photos, so pick wisely!
4. If you are using a physical sign to mark their age, or other fun facts about this amazing month in your baby’s life, choose something they can’t destroy or hurt themselves with! I personally love to use an app to write on the photos, and it is less to deal with as you capture these sweet photos!
5. Have fun while you do this! You will get much better expressions and smiles if you are having fun while you go! And if you choose a time when your baby is most rested, those smiles will come easier!
6. Take a HUNDRED photos ;) And then take some more! I am sure there are no less than a hundred photos from each month trying to get that perfect one of my son! So don’t get discouraged, keep clicking away, having fun, and you will get that one, not to miss, adorable, Facebook lovable, photo for the baby book!
What are your tips and tricks for getting those perfect milestone photos? I would love to hear your ideas and see your photos!!
Want to get some professional photos through the first year? Message me about my “Grow with Me” or "Bump to Baby" package for all your first year photography needs!
OX,
Kate
