DIY photographer: At home pics of your newborn

by Aimee Heckel · June 8, 2016

As soon as you become a parent, time seems to move at a different pace. While each individual second as a parent of a newborn can seem to last an eternity (especially during a crying fit or when you’re trying to get your munchkin to fall asleep), the years seem to only last minutes.

It’s the parental time warp. And it makes you want to preserve every special moment on film. We’ve partnered with Shutterfly to give you the best tips (and prints) for your infant photographs.

While it’s ideal to hire a professional photographer to get some high-quality, high-resolution photos of your new baby to keep forever, your photographer can’t always be there when something photo-worthy strikes.

That’s why we asked one of our favorite family and lifestyle photographers, Nicole Hart of Hart Photography in Portland, Oregon, to share her best pro tips on how to take the best at-home pics of your newborn.

Here’s her advice:

1. Get in close to your subject:

Fill the whole frame. You want to focus on them and not be distracted by anything in the background.

2. Watch the background:

Make sure nothing distracting is going on behind them.

3. Shutter speed is important:

Hard says she never shoots below 250. You want to keep those tiny movements in focus.

4. Find the light:

Shoot near large windows or open your front door to let in more light. Face your subject toward the light.

Also, think white. White bedding, white clothing help give a room light.

“I can always tell when I’ve had a busy week of shooting because all of my white shirts are dirty. I usually always wear white to sessions to bounce light back onto my subjects,” Hart says.

Consider the light source. A good rule of thumb for photographing babies is to have them angled in such a way that the light flows from the top of their head down their body at a 45-degree angle.

White sheets & clothing we love:

Hotel Collection Frame White Bedding Collection, $69.97-$216.97, Macys.com
Women’s Crochet Detail Dolman Sleeve top, $29.99, Target.com

5. Keep it simple:

“I can shoot an entire session with a family or baby on the master bed,” Hart says.

For babies, she prefers simple, neutral colored clothing so that nothing distracts from the baby. Just a white onesie is simple, sweet and timeless.

Onesies we love:

Carter’s pack of newborn bodysuits, $13, Sears.com
Luvable Friends Baby Newborn Baby Bodysuits, $11.50, Walmart.com

6. Safety is the number one priority:

Don’t try any of those crazy poses you see on Pinterest unless you’ve had proper training. The best newborn photographers have spent hours and hours training and learning the safest way to handle and pose newborns. Never leave a baby unattended or unsupported near props.

7. Pay attention to details:

Those baby feet, lips, and fingers. Capture it all within your pictures. It’s a fleeting moment in time that those sweet fingers that will soon grip your hand are that small.

8. Photography doesn’t have to be perfect:

Don’t forget to document the everyday moments and messes.

9. Lens:

A good starting point for a lens is a 50mm and then you can build from there as you get more comfortable and learn your camera.

Lens we love:

Canon EF 50mm Standard Lens, $125.99, Bestbuy.com

10. Get into the shots yourself:

You’ll be happy you have those memories, especially if you have grandparents, older siblings, and four-legged friends!

11. Work with angles and perspectives:

You can make the same shot look a lot different just by changing where you are standing or the direction you are shooting.

Once you’ve taken adorable pictures of your newborn, make sure they make it off your computer and into your home!

Print one or one hundred images by ordering online with Shutterfly. Use ShopAtHome.com for Shutterfly coupons and major savings.