You don’t need “The Luck of the Irish” to take some St. Patricks Day photos and make them spectacular.  All you need are some cute little subjects (which you’ve already got) and a few inexpensive props (that you can easily and inexpensively obtain at your local party store.)   Couple those with a bright sunny day and, possibly, a field of grass or clovers, and you’ll have the perfect equation for some high quality, memory-made prints of your wee lads and lassies.

Here are some ideas for some creative St. Paddy’s portrait keepsakes:

• Balloons:  A simple bunch of green balloons is a unique way to draw attention to the picture.   Sometimes one big green balloon will add a little bit of uniqueness to your photo, too.  Against a stunning blue sky, on a bright sunny day, you are bound to create a setting that everyone will dote on.

• Hats: Local party supply stores have a lot of different styles;  Derby hats, green glittery top hats, a striped stove hat, or a charming plaid Gatsby style topper.   Add one of these hats to your baby, toddler, or older child’s precious little head, and you will definitely capture a fun mood in your shot.

• Green Feather Boa: This fun prop can be wrapped around your sleeping baby or wrapped around your diaper clad infant or toddler.  It adds texture and color, all-the-while capturing that winning photo.

While adding props to your portrait scene can really make your prints interesting and entertaining, there are a few things to remember and do that will make a good picture, a phenomenal picture.

• Lay the kids down, with their heads touching, and shoot from above.  This perspective is fun!

• Follow the “rule of thirds” by place your subjects on one of the imaginary lines that make up three vertical and horizontal columns/rows.   This rule produces an image that is very aesthetically pleasing.

• Seek motion in your picture by letting your subjects move freely while you shoot.  Sometimes this type of photography will produce that accidental image that you will treasure always.

“May your pockets be heavy and your heart be light,
May good luck pursue you each morning and night.”
~Irish Blessing

The flowers are blooming, the grass is getting greener, and the day longer. After a long winter and some definite cabin fever we are finally able to get out and enjoy the fresh air. This also means that there will be a lot of natural light for some great pictures to make prints of, for the family album. No more pictures in front of the fireplace; it’s time for pictures in front of the tulips, daffodils, and blossoming dogwood trees.

What’s more metaphorical than a newborn baby in front of freshly bloomed flowers?  What a beautiful way to create a photo keepsake or gift, to commemorate your baby’s arrival this spring. A simple wicker basket with a special blanket laid down inside would make a nice prop for such a photo shoot. It doesn’t even matter if your baby is asleep or newly wide-eyed. The natural light and blooms will make a picture such as this a family favorite for years to come.

Another spring-time renewal is the picnic. No more picnics in front of the television set; it’s time to picnic under the puffy clouds of spring. This setting calls out to be documented, whether it’s in an album or for scrapbooking.  It’s the perfect natural backdrop for a portrait of your children sitting together, eating, laughing, playing, and enjoying the day.

Some tips for making your spring-time photos flourish:

1. Take photos in the early morning hours, before the sun is at it’s highest.
2. Create “catch light” in the eyes of your subject by making sure the sun is behind you.
3. Coordinate your childrens’ outfits and stick to non-busy, distracting styles of patterns.
4. Be sure to capture your child’s energy by taking shots that are everyday but extraordinary.
5. Snap that camera a lot; you are obtaining images that will last a lifetime.

Let’s face it; your life is busy with a baby. You don’t have the time (or energy) that it takes to pack up seven outfits and head to the mall where your local portrait studio is located.    I won’t even mention the cost of some of these places and how you get suckered into buying “the big package.”

Solution:  Put some money into getting a basic DSLR (I recommend a Canon Digital XSi) or nice point-and-shoot camera, and do it yourself.

No one knows your baby, like you do! You know when baby boy is well rested, when he’s eaten, when he’s cranky, when he’s dry, when he’s clean.   And being in the comforts of your home can really make for some wonderful photo sessions.

Tip #1: Use as much natural light as possible.

Set up a shoot by a window, where you know the light comes through nicely, so that you can use it to your advantage.  Or if weather permits, go outside and take some photos of her on a favorite quilt.  Natural light will give you some super soft tones, not to mention bathe your baby’s skin in such a way that you will absolutely love the end result.

Tip #2: Go the non-traditional route.

Focus on a particular body part like sweet baby toes or wrinkly little fingers.  They grow so fast and change so quickly, that you will be thankful for up-close documentations like this.

Tip #3: Don’t worry about setting aside time for a “shoot”.

Just take pictures when baby is rested, fed, happy,  visiting with family, interacting with siblings, sleeping, etc…  Some of the best portraits are candid and not set up or posed.

Tip #4: Keep it simple.

Don’t worry about props and take away any distracting items from the shot.  Focus on your baby and just fill the frame with his precious cheeks.

In this age of digital photography we are afforded the right to take as many pictures without worrying about paying for developing. We can print what we choose to print!   And we all have the ability to document our lives, daily, all-the-while honing in on our very own creative spark. Give it a try, you’ve got nothing to lose and only photographic memories to gain!

A sleeping baby is a heavenly sight.  When my husband and I had our first baby we would often find ourselves standing over his crib, watching him sleep.  I found myself looking at our perfect baby boy, then at my husband, and a feeling of peace and serenity soon washed over me.   Three months later we were pregnant with our daughter.    A sleeping baby is indeed pure perfection.

One of my favorite things has always been taking pictures of our babies while they slept.    At night it’s hard to do because of the flash, so I reserved these shots for morning and during naptime.     I could take a variety of shots with my  DSLR camera and even if I had to use my point-and-shoot I would be able to turn off the flash to get some great daytime shots.   My favorite pictures are the close-ups of baby sleeping.   Most recently we used a shot of our baby sleeping for his birth announcement.   I still get compliments on that photo, to this day, and he’s almost three!

Slumbering Newborn

Newborns sleep a lot!  This is a great time to take pictures of their sweet little ears, or their pursed lips, or their crinkly fingers and toes.  They change so quickly and demand much while they are awake, that taking a sleeping portrait will give you a great document of this phase.

Stroller Sleeping

On the go, babies will fall asleep.  This would be another chance to pull out your handy-dandy digital camera and snap away.    Taking pictures, on the go, like this will also give a great documentation of daily and weekly events.  Time passes by so quickly and ventures out get forgotten.   Recording through photography is a great way to look back and remember.

When Sleep Comes

Babies have a knack for falling asleep when-ever and where-ever; that might be on the floor in a pile of toys or in her highchair eating lunch.    No matter where sleep comes there’s just another opportunity to capture that adorable sleeping shot of your little one.

Seeing your baby on an ultrasound can clearly be called the most anticipated part of a pregnancy, especially for couples who only get one ultrasound during their pregnancy that is paid for by their insurance. Those who are lucky get to see their baby, not only in the standard 2D view, but in 3D or even in 4D which is available in some areas of the world now.

Ultrasounds are not just meant for fun. They are used medically for many things during pregnancy, and they are often a necessity. During early pregnancy you a woman might be given an ultrasound for several reasons. Those reasons include previous health problems, a miscarriage or the threatening of a miscarriage, or to date your pregnancy. These types will always be done during the first trimester.

During the second trimester, normally between the 18th and 22nd week of pregnancy a woman will be given an ultrasound in order to check the baby’s lungs, heart, and brain, as well as to check for any other visible problems such as the possibility of Downs Syndrome. At this point, unless your baby is not cooperating, you can probably find out the gender of your unborn child if you want to know. Sometimes if the doctor or technician is unable to get the measurements and pictures he was looking for, they will attempt another ultrasound later in the second trimester.

If a woman chooses to have an amniocentesis, normally because of a bad test result, advanced maternal age, or previous health problems with a child, they will also have an ultrasound so that the doctor can watch as the needle enters the amniotic sac. This generally occurs around the 15th week of pregnancy.

During the third trimester an ultrasound may be offered to the parents in order to check the baby’s weight, because of lack of fetal movement, or while checking the baby’s health and stress level while doing a NST, or an amnio to check the development of the baby’s lungs.

Today pregnant women are lucky to have the option of paying out of pocket to receive an extended 3D or 4D ultrasound. These are normally not done by medical staff, but by offices as a business. They are more like souvenirs for the parents and the fee for them comes with the option to have video and pictures of their unborn baby that they can keep and show family and friends. These ultrasound sessions normally last between 30 and 90 minutes depending on what the couple pays for.

By Carmen Shuey

If your house was burning down, what would you run to grab in the last few minutes before everything was gone? I know I would get my photo albums, and I’m sure you would too. Why are pictures so important? Without pictures, memory would be the only place to find your sons first baseball game or your daughters? first attempt at making a birthday cake, along with millions of other incredible moments that only happen once.

So I have put together some helpful tips on taking unique, quality pictures, as well as creative display ideas and storage. I will introduce you to easy way to play with pictures as well as print. As an additional feature to this article I have also written 101 Ways to Photography Your Baby. This article will help inspire you to take more pictures, and be more creative.

I use a digital camera for most of my photos for a couple good reasons. Price, you can take unlimited pictures for nothing – not a penny. Flexibility, digital cameras can be easily loaded onto most computers, making them easily printable, easy to e-mail and easy to doctor. (All of which I will cover later.)

If you don’t own a digital camera, and are not willing to invest (you can get a good one for a couple hundred bucks) you will need to invest in a large amount of film – but trust me its worth it, since your pictures will be priceless. To have excellent pictures you will need to take a lot, but in the end it will all be worth it. Not only will you enjoy taking pictures, your children will appreciate your efforts.

If you plan on using a digital camera, don’t hesitate to download Picasa for your pictures.? This program will allow you to doctor your pictures, save your picture, e-mail your pictures, add your pictures to a blog, and much more. Simply go to www.picasa.com and download the free program. Picasa is easy to use, even for the computer challenged and has a lot to offer. Take some time and play around to figure out how to use this program, you will be glad you did.

You will inevitably take random pictures at games, holidays and special events, but consider taking special pictures at least once a year (once a month when they are babies.) Set aside an hour, get out the digital and batteries, or a regular camera and film and be ready to take lots of pictures. Take a photo shoot of your beautiful child! The more pictures you take the more likely you are to get something amazing. If you simply let your child be him or herself as you take pictures you will catch moments that your wouldn’t if you were waiting for them. His/her most beautiful smile is only in between his/her dead stare and his/her cry! So catch all the emotions by simply taking pictures- the cost is minimal when you consider the beauty of what you are catching on film.

Let’s start with some photography basics: lighting, color and background. When it comes to lighting, natural is best. The sun provides better light than any flash ever will! The flash makes everyone’s skin look washed out, which is really undesirable-especially on your beautiful child.? Flash also puts shadows in unfavorable, unnatural places. So, you may be asking, how do I properly light my pictures? Sunlight is God’s flash. Try to take picture in areas that are well lit by sunshine; a doorway which is open to the yard, under minimum shade from a tree, or on the couch or bed under an open window. You will be amazed at how beautiful and natural your child will look in sunlight! But, if you happen to stumble upon a moment perfect for a picture- but not well lit, don’t hesitate. I will explain for to doctor up pictures later.

Color, this can be tricky. Although your child may look darling in the outfit with little dinosaurs all over it – his picture will look best in a plain blue shirt. In a couple years when you look back you won’t be looking at his outfit, but rather his facial features and size. Don’t let clothing be the focus of your photography – let your child be the center of attention. Same goes for background.

When you are considering the background for a picture-forget the background. No one looks at their baby pictures and says “Wow, what nice carpet” or “Look at the trees.” Your children will notice how they had more freckles or smaller ears! Don’t be afraid to get up close and personal with your children – the picture is only too close if it is out of focus. This is easy to determine with a digital camera. Now don’t get me wrong, a picture of her holding her favorite toy, Wiggles the cat, or him next to the house he just built with Power House are classic. Just remember to get close, and focus on what’s important – your child and his/her memories! If you photograph your child learning from and enjoying a toy from my site, I will give you a coupon for 15% off your next purchase at CT Toys! As well as post that beautiful child for all to see (with your permission of course.)

Beyond taking good pictures you must consider printing, storage and display. You can purchase printers, ink and paper to print pictures at home, but I have found that sending them to an outsource company is much easier. Simply pick a company from Picasa’s offerings and sign up for their picture service. This is usually cheaper than you will be able to print them at home – and they are better quality.

Storing your digital pictures on your computer can take up quite a bit of space and slow your computer down. To avoid clutter, save your pictures onto a clearly labeled CD. For safety put these CDs in your safe deposit box at the bank or a fire safe box at home, than you won’t have to worry about running back inside for your pictures, should anything happen to your home!

Displaying your pictures is one of the many fun aspects of photography. You can always display them in a picture frame made of alphabet blocks available on this site, which spell out your child’s name, or an activity like first kite. This idea is inexpensive and cute, giving your pictures a real personality.

Another favorite of mine is hanging alphabet pictures. Simply hot glue each wooden block in your child’s name or another word onto a large nail that is already hammered half way into the wall. Than with pretty ribbon make loops and attach to the backside of each picture to a loop using tape or glue, than hang each looped picture from an alphabet block. This makes a simple and unique wall display you will love to show off.

You can also use Picasa to create collages. Simply select the pictures you want and hit the college button and Picasa will create a beautiful, eye pleasing college-which you can print (I recommend printing these as 8X10) Please continue to look back here for the best place to purchase educational toys, additional craft ideas and pictures displays.

Quick notes-

1. Black and white photos are classic and can really make your photographs stand out, don’t be afraid to try it

    

2. Don’t hesitate to take lots of pictures, you will capture the best moments

    

3. Digital cameras are the way to go, seriously consider this small investment

    

4. Download Picasa NOW! Play with this program, it is amazing

    

5. Consider a bi-monthly picture send outs. Gather a few of your favorites and send them via e-mail to your family and friends using Picasa. You can also tell them to come to www.cttoysonline.com to find out how to get their child’s picture on my website!

    

6. Sign up for my newsletter and learn more about photographing your child and much, much more!

    

7. Join my blog and talk about picture taking and much more!

About the Author
Carmen Shuey is the owner of CT Toys which specializes in toys and articles for babies and children.

by Andrea SteedScrapbooking has quickly become a popular hobby for countless reasons. It’s such a rewarding and important activity to become involved with. Preserving your memories and recording important family events and milestones is not only enjoyable, but it’s also beneficial for your children and for future generations. Here are some reasons to scrapbook:

Preserve your memories. First and foremost, the purpose of scrapbooking is of course to preserve your memories, and tell your family’s story through photos and journaling. If you’re like many people, you probably find it frustrating to ask your parents what you were like when you were a baby, how old you were when you took your first step, and what your first word was…and they can’t remember! Scrapbooking provides a way for you to record those important moments and milestones in your child’s life, while incorporating photos of the special moments to show their growth and development over the years.

Display your photos. How often do we take rolls and rolls of photographs only to have them shoved into drawers and boxes and never looked at? By scrapbooking your photos and putting them into albums, it’s a treat for all of your family to look through them and remember different events and moments in their lives. Having the photos and the stories together in one book brings additional meaning and significance to each photo.

Enjoy a creative outlet. Scrapbooking more than putting photos into a photo album. It’s also a wonderful opportunity to bring your personality as an artist into your scrapbook albums. Whether your passion is in photography, journaling, or cutting and pasting decorations for your page, you’re able to bring a piece of yourself into every page. It doesn’t matter what your creative talents are (or aren’t), because the scrapbook represents something more than just a collection of pretty pages with photos on them. Not only is your album a precious record of special memories, but the album itself becomes a family treasure and an extension of you-something your children will treasure, because it was made by you.

It’s a social activity. Scrapbooking has quickly become the “quilting bee” of the 21st century. Women often gather in churches, community classes, scrapbook stores and in homes to scrapbook together. It’s an opportunity to socialize and for everyone to accomplish a common goal of preserving their families’ memories. Some fantastic friendships have been formed through this common hobby!

With a new baby in your family (or on the way), now is a fantastic time to get started with scrapbooking, and beginning to record these once-in-a-lifetime moments so that you can remember them forever.

About the Author
Andrea Steed is the author and creator of Scrap Tutor, a web site and CD-ROM that teaches you how to create scrapbooks and how to perform many popular techniques used in scrapbooking. For more information, visit www.scraptutor.com.

Your baby will grow so fast and it is very important that you keep a camera close by to capture all of the special moments for your baby’s scrapbook. Most will be on the spur of the moment and without planning your pictures can have a tendency to look washed out. There are some tips that can help your pictures look great however, so that you don’t miss having a picture of all your baby’s firsts in his scrapbook.

Turn Off Your Flash
Have your blinds open giving a lot of extra light to the area that your baby plays in the most. Have your baby set up close to a window that the light shines on your baby at approximately a 45 degree angle. Keep in mind that the time of day will determine the amount of sunlight coming in the window. Experiment at different times of the day to find the right light with your view finder, and to determine how much extra light you will need to leave on in your house.

Get Close-up Shots
Use a telephoto lens or stand directly in front of the baby’s hands, face or feet to get an extreme close-up. Don’t always try to get full body shots, shoot for that precious close up shot that will get the twinkle in your baby’s eye. Get down on the babies level and you will be able to catch some of the most precious facial moments that you won’t get from up above your baby. It is definitely possible to capture your baby’s personality on film so take advantage of it. Get pictures of all the different facial expressions, including when your baby is crying or mad.

Variety
Most people tend to take most of our photos horizontally. Try some vertical or angled shots as well. This can help fill in those empty spots in your scrapbook and will give a whole different look to your picture.

Remove Distractions
Keep your backgrounds simple and free of distractions. If you use a blanket to add texture, be sure that it is a simple color and that it doesn’t take away from your babies face. Don’t use a heavily patterned background that will take the attention away from your baby.

Black & White
Experiment with black and white pictures to give your baby a different look. Even sepia shots can give a great, old timey look to a special photo. Take pictures with toys in different formats.

Review Your Photos
When you look at your photos you will see what needs to be improved and you can work on those areas on future pictures. You will see what techniques worked out great, and what techniques didn’t deliver the picture that you were looking for.

These techniques are good for both digital and regular cameras. Remember that everyday your baby is going to be doing things that you will want to get a picture of so be prepared! In twenty years, you will be glad you were.

What a beautiful baby! Are you one of the proud moms or dads who hears this regularly from friends and family or even strangers in the store or on the street for that matter? Or do you have a photo of your baby that is so unique and special you’d love to share it with the world? If so, you may want to consider entering your precious one’s pic into a Baby Photo Contest. And what better way to show off not only your baby’s adorable face, but their personality as well. Because baby photo contests are not solely focused around ‘beauty’ as is many times the case with pageants and such. Baby Photo Contests are actually much more about expressions of spontaneity, that perfect (unplanned) pose, silly spaghetti smile or first confusing trip to Santa’s lap – anything that you feel has turned out to be a great shot.

There are an abundance of Baby Photo Contests to enter and rules vary amongst them, but for the most part, the initial entry steps are the same – Snap, Submit and Vote. So if you’re interested in a fun way to display your baby’s beautiful, funny or distinctive gaze, following are a few of the more commonly asked questions to help you get started.

Q. Where do I find out about Baby Photo Contests?

A. An online search for ‘Baby Photo Contests’ will bring up a plethora of results. You can also get a little more detailed in your pursuit and search for contests that convey specific holiday themes such as Halloween, Christmas or Valentine’s Day as well as others that relate to a particular season, monthly contests etc.

Offline, there are lots of parenting magazines that hold baby photo contests and even some of the more popular baby clothing and furniture stores in your local area that sponsor them as well.

Q. How do I know that the contests are legitimate?

A. With so many baby photo contests to choose from, the best way to ensure you choose the one that is right for you (and baby) is to read everything on the site pages you choose to explore – especially the small print.

A well-known baby website is your best bet and most of the time, there will be other parent’s testimonials that have entered previous contests for you to read through and get some added peace of mind. Also, many of these reputable sites are backed by national child protection agencies as well as magazines that you already know, read and trust.

Q. Is there a fee for entering a baby photo contest?

A. Depending on the type of media the contest revolves around, e.g., internet, magazines, etc., there is sometimes a small membership fee that can range anywhere from $3 to around $19.95, although there are some that are completely free. But the sites that do request a fee will usually provide you with benefits such as free regular newsletters, access to their parenting forums, coupons and more.

Q. How do I submit my baby’s photo?

A. Once you’ve chosen one or more contests that you’d like to enter, the steps to getting your baby’s photo posted are very easy. You simply fill out a short form on the website and then upload the photo.

In an offline circumstance such as a contest entered through a publication, you can either mail in your photo or go the magazine’s website (if applicable) and upload it there.

The compensation that comes along with winning or placing in baby photo contests are well-worth the effort – prizes include toys, clothes, furniture and even college scholarships! So just make sure you do your research and choose the contests that are best suited for your and your baby.

There is no better way to capture your baby’s first year and all of his firsts than by taking pictures of him. It used to be that parents were limited to the use of a standard film camera and then having to wait till the pictures were developed to see how they turned out. While some people, especially professionals still choose to take pictures this way, many people have moved on to using a digital camera for their picture taking needs.

The digital camera has many benefits. Not only can you shoot a picture and then delete it if you don’t like it, giving you more room to retake the picture, but you can upload the pictures from your camera onto your computer in order to crop them, edit out blemishes and red eyes, or just make a little tweak to the coloring or contrast in your picture. You can then upload your pictures to a site like Clark Photos, where you can order copies of the pictures you want, in the sizes you want them, or gifts for friends and family members. How do you go about taking the BEST pictures of your baby however?

Posing
Don’t always worry about posing your baby. Sometimes the best pictures are the accidental ones, taken on the fly or spur of the moment. Catching that sideways glance or the tummy time moment might prove to be magical. There are times when posing your baby may be called for. If you want to get a good shot for Christmas cards you can try sitting your baby up, or leaning him against a background or object, and hoping he will smile for you…just so you get that perfect shot. All pictures don’t always have to be posed and planned out.

Background
Think about your background. Take your baby to the woods or to a field of flowers to get some great shots of him. If staying at home consider what your baby is going to be wearing and use a sheet or blanket in a complimentary color. If your baby has bright blue eyes, taking pictures on a blue back ground might really help bring them out. If you have a bright outfit that you want to put your baby in for pictures, try using a black or white blanket as the background, so that your baby stands out more. Pick colors that will draw out your baby’s best features and highlight the mood of your baby.

Props
Props are nice to throw in with pictures done at home in order to change things around some. In the spring get some fresh flowers and let your baby play with them while you snap away. Or take your baby outside and put him in an old wagon taking pictures of the scenery. Pets can often bring out the best smiles and laughs in a baby, so using a pet as a prop during your baby’s photo shoot may get you some great shots. Pictures taken of your baby while he is playing with his favorite toys can be fun and more true to life, as they would rarely be posed and more than likely be “fun” pictures that you will look back on and laugh about. Keep changing your props around so that the pictures always look new, fresh and exciting.

Coloring
Not only can the coloring of your background change a picture and make it exciting, but the coloring of your picture itself can give it a completely different feel. With digital cameras and/or photo enhancing software you can buy for your computer you can easily change any color picture to a black and white or sepia theme. With many cameras you can actually take the picture in black and white. Since most pictures are done in color, these colorless pictures often add a different feeling to your picture, whether it is an old fashioned or vintage. Certain props may go better with different coloring as well, for instance picture of your baby girl wearing an oversized flower rimmed hat would look great as an old-fashioned picture in the sepia coloring.

Other Family Members
Adding other family members to pictures with your baby can make them not only unique, but sweet. Posing dad and your baby, or having dad take a picture of you and your baby will be cherished and loved for years to come. If you have more than one child, taking pictures of the siblings playing and laughing together will give you a lot of picture choices for albums, gifts and to hang on your wall.

Never be afraid to try something new with your baby when it comes to taking pictures. It may work, it may not work. In reality, 20 years from now you probably won’t remember why many of the pictures that didn’t work, turned out the way they did. They will still be pictures that captured a split second of your child’s “babyhood” that you will never get back. So take your camera and take lots of pictures! Have fun with it! Soon your baby won’t sit still long enough to allow you to get good pictures, or he will get to a point where he doesn’t want pictures taken of him and the easy days of picture taking will come to an end.