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Home › Articles › Family Life › Spring Portrait Pointers

Spring Portrait Pointers

Tips for Perfect Photos of Babies and Toddlers

By Kim Seidel

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When meeting the photographer for a session, treat it like a fun game, a special experience to be shared with your child, Giss says. "Talk about who is coming, or who you are going to see; say his or her name so the baby is comfortable hearing it," she says. "That way when the photographer shows up, the child is familiar with them and sees them as a friend."

Timing also is everything. Plan your little one's photo shoots when they're typically in their best mood, rather than during nap times or after a long day. "Parents should allot 30 to 60 minutes for the photo session," Giss says. "This time range accounts for feeding, changing and other needs of a child during a shoot."

For parents, it's so important to go with the flow. If a baby or child senses Mom feels uptight about the session, they'll be more likely to feel stressed too – which unfortunately will reflect in the photos, Giss says.

Taking Photos on Your Own

With digital cameras, it's easier today for parents to take exceptional pictures, rather than depending on a professional portrait studio. "There are a lot of great, digital single-lens reflex (digital SLR or DSLR) cameras out there that are reasonably priced," says Sandra Coan, owner of Sandra Coan Photography in Seattle, Wash. "They can be programmed to be fully automatic. The nice thing about using a digital SLR is that you don't get the delay you get with most point and shoot cameras."

To avoid red eye, don't use the flash on the camera, Coan says. Instead, sit your child in front of a window and shoot from an angle to avoid back lighting; the natural light is very pretty, she says.

"One of my favorite tricks when photographing babies is to put a sticker on their belly or foot," Coan says. "They'll spend a long time trying to get it off, and you'll get some great candid-looking photos of them playing with their toes and tummies."


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