Baby Pictures

My first DIY photoshoot post! :) 

With digital photos and online photo-editing websites, "photographers" are essentially popping out of the woodwork! All the same- I don't really feel like photography is something that can be cheaply generated.  I truly believe that the more thought and emotion you put into taking a picture, the more that thought and emotion will show through the photograph.  You also need to keep composition and angles and whatnot in mind- but understanding that taking a "good" photo is a process and not an instant-win is the first step.

I'm definitely NOT a "professional" photographer- but I couldn't resist trying my hand at taking some pics of my little man!  I took these pictures with my husband's iPhone4s, and used Adobe Photoshop to up the contrast and make the pictures a little richer.

I had been dying to take a shoot of Graham in our tiny townhouse backyard for awhile.  And one weekend morning I drug Brandon out of bed, drug my kitchen table outside, and got started!

I really love the deep greens and browns in our backyard and I wanted to use that contrast with Graham's perfect smooth baby skin. After deciding what/who you want to photograph, finding a location is your next step.  I like to take some of the following factors into consideration: lighting, colors, and textures.

Test out some pictures during a couple of different times of day.  I took some "pre-shots" outside before I even brought Graham out to make sure I liked the lighting. No sense going through the whole process only to find everything was too dark or too light the entire time. Even with photoshop that is a pain.  Also check your flash to see whether you want to go with natural or artificial lighting.  I prefer natural by far but it's totally up to you and what you're comfortable with.

Don't forget your elementary school art classes.  Remember that color wheel thing? It's one of your best friends in photography.  Think about what colors look "good" together. Try to have a contrast of light and dark shades in the picture but choose colors that compliment each other. (I like to stick with either "cool" colors like blue green and purple or "warm" colors like red orange and yellow. You can throw in an accent color here and there like we did with the orange tie in some of these.)

Taking pictures early in the morning is my favorite because the sun light always seems so pure, and the world is still damp with dew. I feel like it makes really beautiful clear photographs. These pictures aren't by any means perfect or anything- since I took them myself with my husband's iphone I wasn't expecting brilliant; but I wanted to capture a moment in time with some visually-appealing contrast and I feel like I did that. :)

Use a variety of props- or no props at all! I took a ton of pictures with Graham in this orange tie before I found that it kept flipping this way or that and ruining what would have other wise been an adorable shot. So while a couple came out great- I ultimately decided to ditch it and go with the bright blue blanket instead.  I like that I got a variety of pictures- different props/colors will work for different cards, prints to hang in the house, etc...

Photoshoots require patience. A LOT of patience. Especially if you're planning to take pictures of a BABY. haha.  I planned this shoot right after Graham had eaten and gotten some good sleep.  I knew he would be content- but I was prepared to delay/cancel the photoshoot if he did not feel like cooperating.

I made sure I was prepared with anything Graham or I could need.  Extra props, spit up rags, snacks, and of course Daddy as an extra pair of hands.  Because I was filming Graham on top of a table- it was incredibly important that Brandon was RIGHT THERE the entire time in case our little man decided to transform into a bucking bronco before our eyes.  

I cannot stress enough how important safety is when photographing a baby.  It's so easy to get caught-up in how cute a picture would look that you forget babies are living breathing  highly unpredictable little things.  I would definitely recommend having someone there who is completely aware and in the moment.  There were several pictures with brandon in them because he stepped-up to make sure Graham didn't lean too far this way or that.  Better to have a ruined picture than a scared/hurt baby!

Don't be afraid to shoot "too many" pictures.  It always ends up seeming like you have way less options that you thought you did originally. Or- you may find out that your little one squirmed and blurred the first 20 or blinked during the last 5.  Just keep clicking to give yourself as many options as possible. You can always delete the extras letter. (If you can bring yourself to delete that precious face!)  Check your pictures frequently as you take them to make sure you aren't completely missing something.  It can be a nasty surprise to see your neighbors were in the background of every picture if that wasn't what you were planning.

Also- don't be afraid to use some post-shoot editing. Photoshop is one of my closest and dearest friends.  I'm not a pro. but I know enough to work my way around a picture to turn it from "ok..." to "oh yay!"  Try editing your pictures a couple of different ways- or enlist a friend who has editing skills to help you out.  REMEMBER to always save your original as a duplicate before you start editing so you don't lose your base picture and get stuck with only the edit which you may or may not like as much.

Finally- have fun!

You're making memories!