It is very common to see moms and dads out on the playground with their children during the warmer months with their cameras, and snapping pictures of their child’s warmer extracurricular activities. However, once it gets chilly out, many of the cameras seem to go away, even though some of the best pictures can be taken during these colder months.

If you are in a location that gets a good amount of snow, take advantage of the snow and use it like a prop for your pictures. Have your children make snow angels, and capture pictures of them having a snowball fight or building Frosty. One of my favorite pictures of my son is from when he was one years old, bundled up in his jacket, sitting in the snow with fresh snowflakes falling on his head. This is a picture I would have never been able to take had I not taken a risk and taken the picture in the cold.

You can also use different props in the snow and cold weather that you aren’t able to use in the summer. Dress your daughter up in your way too big fur coat for her keep warm. Get out the sled or borrow your neighbors for your kids to sit on. Use scarf’s and hats to give your children different looks.

Don’t worry about the cold hurting your camera or affecting your pictures. Your camera should work fine in cold weather. You should however protect it from condensation when going from cold to warm by putting it in an airtight plastic bag until the camera reaches room temperature. Also be sure that you take extra batteries as the cold makes them run down faster.

You may be afraid that you or your kids will not stay warm enough to take pictures. Be sure to wear warm thin gloves that will keep moisture away from your skin while allowing you to be able to press the button. Don’t forget your hiking boots, galoshes, scarf’s and hats when or if they are needed.

When you first get pregnant you think of all the things that you will want to do during your pregnancy. Have a baby shower (or maybe more than one!), set up a baby registry and decorate your baby’s nursery. Have you thought about how you can keep track of the physical aspects of your pregnancy?

Taking pictures of your growing belly is a great way to keep track of your pregnancy. It will also be a great beginning to your baby’s scrapbook or photo album. Before you start however there are several things to think of.

1. Pick the perfect outfit.
If you want to showcase your growing belly and how it makes a certain shirt or skirt change shape on your body, wear that outfit for the first picture you take and for all the pictures following. Be sure to get an outfit that will still fit your belly when you are nine months along.

2. Bikini’s.
Some women will chose to wear their bikini or a bra and panties in order to take pictures of their belly. Side by side the naked belly pictures will show every inch, as well as every stretch mark you might get.

3. Decide how much you want to remember.
Because belly pics will show every aspect of your belly, decide how much you want to remember ahead of time. Do you want to see all the stretch marks in 10 years, or would you rather your belly be covered by clothes? Early on the blemishes won’t be there, but by the end the blemishes may be more than noticeable.

4. How much of your body do you want to show?
Remember that as your pregnancy progresses and you gain weight, most of the time you don’t only gain it in your belly. Many times you will gain it in your face, your behind, your legs and your thighs. Some people will want to see the full change, others will want to forget. Whatever you decide, go with it for your first picture and follow through with it for the rest.

5. Use props.
Maybe you go out immediately and buy the baby’s first stuffed animal or you want to detail your progress with a tape measure. Knowing that some of your baby’s first pictures will be with that stuffed animal, you can take pictures of yourself holding the animal, or as your belly gets bigger you can have the animal “holding” the belly. You can also get a picture of the tape measure around your belly so that you can record the inches you grow not only on paper but on film.

Use your imagination when it comes to photographing your pregnancy and your belly growth! The sky is the limit and nothing is out of line. After all, you will only be pregnant THIS time once, and all pregnancies are different so you will never be able to get these exact shots again. And with all the FREE print offers these days that include free shipping and free online storage, be sure to take as many shots as you can.