Photographs help us appreciate our young lives, especially when we’re older. They remind us of the good moments, the bad and also where we come from.

Below we’ll acquaint you with a couple of essential photography tips and techniques that will help you, as proud parent, to capture all these moments that will, one day, help your child realize just how much you love him or her.

What To Expect

If you’re about to pick up your camera, just hold on, mom, dad. Take some time to think about photography in general: what is it that makes a good picture? Is it great technical ability? Perhaps the intuition needed to recognize a great shot when it presents itself. Or, maybe both?

In our opinion, photography is about a combination of technical skill and composition. You’ll have to learn to use your camera to its fullest extent while, at the same time, know which elements present in the frame will and won’t work.

We’ll give you a bit of advice on both to best prepare you for your photographic journey to come.

Technical Skills

Remember mom, dad: photography is all about light. And if you learn to manipulate the light entering though your camera’s lens, then you’ll be able to weave photographic magic! So let’s look at a couple of basic concepts.

A Little More About Light…

To best understand the motivation behind the fact that some types of light are good, in terms of photography, while others are less so, we have to understand what is meant by the ‘dynamic range’ of a camera.

The dynamic range refers to the differences in light or tone that can be accommodated before some aspects of the image in front of us loses detail. Our eyes have a dynamic range of about 2000:1, while the average camera only has a dynamic range of about 8:1. What this means in terms of lighting is that, when ‘wrong’ types of light are used to illuminate the subject of our photography, it will cast deep shadows that will appear black on film, even though we can make out the detail with the naked eye.

In practical terms, this means that, if you are planning on a bit of outdoor photography, you’ll do well to take your pictures either early in the morning or late in the afternoon. Cloudy days are also suitable and will provide you with the necessary soft light to bring out your child’s beautiful skin tone.

The Exposure Triangle

Your camera will provide you with a host of settings that will allow you to manipulate light as it enters through the lens. The most prominent among these represent the elements of the ‘Exposure Triangle’ and include ISO, aperture and shutter speed. Let’s take a brief look at each of these separately.

ISO

At this stage we’d like to encourage parents of all very young babies to switch off the flash. Not only will the sudden bright bursts of light startle your child, but it can also be potentially damaging to his or her developing vision.

However, that doesn’t mean you should put your camera down. On the contrary, learn to use the ISO setting of your camera efficiently.

ISO is a term that is used rather loosely and refers to the film speed standard for color-negative film as maintained by the International Standards Organization. Those parents who would like a bit more information can search for ISO 5000:1987 (though be warned: you’ll be greeted with a lot of technical information).

Now while most cameras nowadays don’t use film any more, the standards still apply and is more commonly referred to as the camera’s sensitivity to light.

If you are intent on taking a picture of your baby in a low-light environment, then you’ll want to ensure that you are using a high ISO number, like 800. In a bright environment, the reverse is true: a low ISO number will suffice. Acquaint yourself with this feature of your camera by experimenting.

Aperture

The aperture of your camera is defined as the amount of light that gets admitted onto the sensor and works very much like the pupil of the human eye. We measure the diameter of the aperture in f-stop and indicate it as follows: Fn, F:n or F-n, where n is the aperture size. The higher the f-stop the smaller the aperture.

Shutter Speed

The last element of the ‘Exposure Triangle’ refers to shutter speed, which is measured in fractions of a second and seconds. As the name implies, this function determines how fast the shutter opens and closes.

Shutter speeds between 1/60 (a sixtieth of a second) and 1/000 (a thousandth of a second) and faster will allow you to hold the camera in your hand. Shutter speeds of 1/30 (one thirtieth of a second) and slower will require the use of a tripod to avoid camera shake. However, take note: certain shutter speeds can last second, minutes or even longer and will capture more light as well as movement (that’s the cool trailing effect visible on photographs of highways).

Composition

In terms of composition, there are a lot of things that can be said and a lot of rules to be expelled. But in the end, good photographic composition is a skill mastered only by practice, practice and then some more, practice.

All we’ll be able to do is to give you a couple of pointers of things to look out for that will help you recognize certain elements that will help you on the journey to photographic excellence.

Texture & Lines

Take a look around you. What do you see? All physical objects have a texture, and they have lines, too.

The edges of said objects, if not the patterns on them, will fill each photograph you take with a variety of shapes. To excel in your photographic journey, you’ll have to train yourself to pay attention to these lines, shapes and textures. Have a look at your child (if he or she has already been born) and carefully study them for the aforementioned characteristics.

When its time for another photography spell, try to employ the following guidelines:

• - Converging lines will supply your picture with a sense of depth and distance
• - Curved lines or swirls will convey a sense of calm
• - Slanting lines, on the other hand, can imply direction or action

That being said, we’d also like you to pay attention to the various colors that fill the frame of your camera. Photography 101 states that colors that belong to the same tonal range will make for a better photograph than those that seem out of odds with one another.

An Interesting Angle

Last but not least in our mini parent photography course is something present in all brilliant photographs: a good angle. Whether you take a picture over your baby’s shoulder to show what he or she was looking at the time, or whether you find it fitting to show them in a special type of light or way, it’s often the unique angle that draws us to a picture.

Remember: all photographs should tell a story that’s what sets them apart from mere pictures.

About The Author: Betty A. Muscott is an accomplished child photographer who provides tips on how to photograph children outdoors to create beautiful images and some personalized photo gift hints. She provides a review of a great Canon starter digital camera, ideas on how to create amazing babies photos onto canvas and personalized photo gift ideas..

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

Sheets and bed linen make an excellent backdrop for babies of all ages. The simpler the better when it comes to this particular background selection. Other great backgrounds include uncluttered floors, carpets or rugs with uncomplicated patterns or better yet no patterns, and a clear blue cloudless sky (though clouds aren’t really that distracting in most instances). Sandy beaches also make an excellent backdrop or setting for a really cute baby picture and we all need at least one beach picture of our baby’s. Be sure to keep the sun at your back and away from the baby’s eyes for best results.

In addition to creating a setting that isn’t overly complicated for your photo of baby you should also make sure that your baby is comfortable in the setting. It doesn’t matter how perfect a setting is if your baby isn’t going to leave your side long enough to take a photo. Beaches are a good choice for many reasons. First you have an uncomplicated backdrop. Second you have the added benefit of a novelty (something that is interesting to touch, feel, play in, and unfortunately taste). Third, it offers its very own entertainment to your child. He or she will be distracted by the seashells, the sea gulls, the sand itself and in the process will worry less about the camera which makes for even better baby pictures. These photographs will be great entries for any baby photo contests you are considering.

If you can’t exactly enjoy a day at the beach in order to fill your baby photo album, perhaps you could combine some of the settings I mentioned above with a little creativity in order to create an excellent setting for your baby photos. If you have an old washtub and a rubber duck or two lying around the house, these make excellent choices for baby photos. You could hang a blue sheet or blanket as a back drop and let your little one sit in the wash tub with a duck in each hand. To make things interesting you can take different photos within the same setting by adding an umbrella for baby to enjoy or watching him or her try to climb into a rubber boot.

The most important thing to consider when creating the perfect setting for your baby photos is to choose a setting that is comfortable and fun for both you and your baby. The fact that we as mom think it will be fun for baby doesn’t always make that the case so always be willing to be flexible. It is better to have a photo of a happy baby rolling a ball on the carpet than a miserable baby in the cutest of settings.