07 Oct A Guide to Photographing Your Family’s Memories

You may have hired a photographer to capture your baby’s newborn photos which is fantastic. These photos will surely be treasured for many years.

I’m almost certain you have heard or used the expression “they grow too quickly” in reference to children. The fact is they do! My children are now 10 and 14. Wasn’t it just yesterday that I was staring down at them in wonder after just giving birth?

I want to give you a few tips on capturing your baby in the first 12 months and you don’t need a fancy camera to do so. In this day and age taking photos is very easy with the help of smart phones and the many point and shoot cameras on the market. Most new smart phones take good quality photos and are more than enough to print for your standard photo album. What was that? Print? Yes you need to print; we will get to that soon.

To Flash or not to Flash 

You may be familiar with the flash on your camera or phone. I suggest keeping it for emergencies only. If you can use the available light you have your results will be much nicer. Try photographing your baby in a room with nice window light or photograph them outside. Overcast days are perfect or find yourself a bit of shade. Try to avoid the harsh sun in the middle of the day as it creates shadows and squinty eyes.

Everyday Moments

For a bit of variety, try photographing your baby from different angles. We tend to photograph little ones from above a lot but try laying on the floor and getting down to their level. Capture little details you don’t want to forget such as their first bath, them giggling or sleeping, their first tooth poking through, and their tiny little toes. Messy eating photos are always fun. Remember this is about capturing real moments. I don’t want you to strive for perfection, I want you to capture the everyday moments of your baby.

A great way to show your babies growth and changes is to photograph them in the same spot every month. You could use a teddy or a chair to show the comparison. You can embellish the photo with some fun facts. You will have a beautiful record at the end.

Printing

Now the most important part… please print your photos! I can’t stress this point enough. I have two major reasons for telling you this. Firstly, keeping photos on computers, hard drives and phones is not foolproof. How devastated would you be if you lost a huge part of photographic memories? I know people who have been through this and it was heartbreaking for them. Secondly, do you remember sitting at your grandparent’s house going through old photo albums. I do. It was my favourite thing to do. We need to provide our children and grandchildren with the opportunity to do this in the future.

If you have any questions, please post them below in the comments. Otherwise, what are you waiting for? Go forth and capture some beautiful memories.