If you are wondering how you can take better baby pictures then you will want to follow some of the great advice you will find below.

1. Pay attention to your lighting. Whenever possible use natural lighting for your photographs but be careful that you do not have shadows overpowering your little one’s sweet smile. The right lighting can make a good picture phenomenal at the same time it can also ruin a perfect photo opportunity. If you have a digital camera with really good quality photo editing software and a firm knowledge of how to use that to your advantage lighting is still important but not as critically important. The truth is that very few of us have that benefit in our corner so it is better to err on the side of abundant natural lighting whenever possible.
2. Make sure your baby is comfortable. Believe it or not this often gets overlooked in the process. If your baby has a wet or dirty diaper he is much less likely to be cooperative when it comes to giving those elusive smiles. The same holds true for days after vaccinations or when teething. You also want to avoid taking photos around your baby’s traditional naptime as this tends to be a time when your baby is trying to settle down according to his routine and photos may prove to be disturbing. Choose your photo moments carefully in order to insure a happy baby.
3. Whenever possible try to choose your background. There are times when a great picture simply presents itself and you would be crazy not to take it. However, there are other times when choosing the right background will insure that the focus remains on your beautiful baby rather than getting lost in busy things going on in the back. The simpler the background for your baby photos, the better.
4. Take plenty of photos so that you can go through and weed out those you aren’t pleased with. You may just find that there are times when you hit the jackpot with that one special shot. This is especially easy if you are fortunate enough to have a digital camera as you have essentially unlimited mulligans when it comes to baby pictures.
5. Take photos at the level of your little one rather than looking down on him through the camera lens. This will make you seem less threatening and the prospect of your being behind the camera far less intimidating to your little one. Also remember to interact with your baby during this process so that he will respond to your voice and act accordingly.

While these five tips may not tell you how to take the perfect baby pictures every single time they offer practical advice that is a great place for any photographer to begin when it comes to taking pictures of baby.

When you first come home with your new baby, there are so many new things to learn that it can be quite overwhelming. One priority, however, is to help your baby establish good sleeping habits. For a long time now baby has been sleeping in your womb, which is quite a restful place. The big, wide world is quite different, and it takes time for baby to learn to adapt. But the sooner you can help baby sleeping well, the sooner you can get some much needed rest yourself!

There are probably as many stories about what helps babies to sleep as there are babies – and the reality is that there isn’t one totally successful secret that works with all babies. However it’s very important to find a way to help your baby to transition between being awake and being asleep. Once baby can do this on his own, he will be able to fall asleep much more easily and with a lot less effort from you. Establishing a routine that baby associates with going to sleep. Use the tips below as a starting point, to try and determine the best way to help your baby through transition. And always remember to trust your instincts – it’s amazing how often they’re right.

Fathering Down

One useful trick if daddy is around at bedtime, is called “fathering down”. Just before putting the baby to bed, daddy should cradle baby, with baby’s head resting on his daddy’s neck. Daddy should then talk to baby in a gentle voice. A male’s voice is much deeper than a female’s, and many babies find that deepness soothing, and so will transition into sleep more easily.

Wearing Down

Another technique is called “wearing down”. No, this doesn’t mean playing with baby until he’s so exhausted that he falls asleep on the floor! The idea is for you place your baby in a sling or carrier – “wear him”, basically – and go about your regular household activities in the lead up to bedtime. This is particularly helpful if baby has been very active and is either too excited to sleep or overtired. Moving about with you helps to rock and soothe baby, and so calm him down in preparation for bedtime.

Driving Down

A more modern option is “driving down”. Most parents have heard of this trick, which basically involves putting your baby in his car seat and driving around for a while until he’s asleep. Unfortunately this is rather inconvenient and uses up petrol, but if you’re desperate, it’s worth a try – it has a very high success rate. When my children were babies, I often used to time driving somewhere or coming home so that it roughly coincided with the start of my baby’s naptime. Then once we were home I’d transfer my baby into his bassinet or crib, and he’d have a lovely long nap. I’ve been known to take the long route home for just this reason!

Although these techniques are generally successful, obviously you don’t want to be obliged to drive around with your baby every night just so he’ll go to sleep. The idea of these techniques is to start out with these more drastic techniques, to help baby learn the feel of going off to sleep, then gradually ease out of them. Replace driving in a car, for example, with being rocked in the bassinet. Always remember that learning to transition into sleep is a big thing for your baby to learn, and it probably won’t happen overnight. With patience and persistence, however, baby will gradually learn how to fall asleep by himself, helping both baby and yourself get a good night’s sleep.

About the Author:

Discover more ideas for helping baby to sleep well at Info About Baby You can sign up for a FREE Baby Tips newsletter at Baby Tips Newsletter. The author’s book about babies is available at Baby’s First Year.