We all love cute, glossy photos of our kids when they’re little. It’s why baby photography is such big business. But it is possible to achieve studio quality results at home using just your mobile phone.I’m Rob, and together with my wife we founded our own babywear brand, Stretchaboo, last year.
Stretchaboo makes changes easier and keep babies comfortable. And we need lots of great photography to show off our product in the best possible light.
Because we’ve founded the business as a family, we’ve made our daughter our chief model and done all the photography ourselves. We’re not professional photographers, but have lots of experience of achieving a high-quality look at Stretchaboo (and in my marketing career at some of the UK’s biggest kids brands).
So here are my top tips…
1. Use natural light
Good lighting is absolutely vital but that doesn’t necessarily need a full lightning rig. Indoor lights tend to make everything look yellow and hazy. So shoot in the middle of the day and make use of big windows, conservatories or the garden wherever possible.
2. Get rid of clutter
Obviously this is pretty much impossible with little ones about. But a clean background gets rid of distractions and makes baby the focus. You might be some sort of magician who can look after a baby and keep a tidy house, but if not we’ve found piling everything up behind the sofa to work just as well.
3. Get down to their level
Shoot from baby height and you’ll create instant connection and get those intimate, natural perspectives. The beauty of using a phone is that it’s easy point and shoot from low down without baby spotting what you’re doing and making the camera the centre of attention.
4. Turn on continuous shooting mode
You’ll invariably be going after a moving target. But modern phones have a burst mode that lets you fire off a stream of photos and choose the best one later. The more shots you take, the better your chances of capturing something brilliant.
5. Pick colours that pop
Bold colours and simple patterns photograph really well, especially if you can find an outfit that compliments your background (or vice versa). And soft textures or an accessory (like a matching bow or bib) are great for adding depth.
6. Add a prop
Be it a favourite toy or a soft blanket, props add personality and help keep them busy.
A lot of our favourite pictures come from our daughter interacting naturally with something that’s new and interesting to her, so keeping props out of sight until it’s time to shoot can be really effective.
If you like you can try to pick something that compliments the colour of their outfit or the set but don’t sweat too much.
7. No poses required
The best baby and toddler photos are the natural ones that capture their personality. So our approach involve a lot of following them round and watching them play rather than setting up specific shots.
Generally speaking, happy children are easy to get great photos of, so don’t spend ages trying to get them to pose or keep still. Instead have fun with them (without endless rounds of “Say cheese”) and keep an eye out for the magic moment.
8. Keep sessions short
Our daughter has a photography tolerance of approximately four minutes. We find she’s much happier (and we get better results) if we have a quick go and then take a break. This might mean spacing three or four quick sessions over a day, but as with everything, perseverance tends to pay off.