It is every parent’s delight to capture their child’s firsts and special moments. That is why parents and cameras are almost inseparable, especially when it comes to their little bundle of joy. Some parents even take the extra mile and sign up for photography classes just so they can best chronicle the kids’ younger years. Studio shots are superb but you just don’t get to have enough time for all that on a regular basis. Whether you want to join a baby photo contest or not, here are some tips that you should follow so you can take beautiful pictures of your baby.

When photographing your little one, it is best to use natural and soft lighting. Even professional photographers suggest this. Flashes and studio light won’t harm your baby but the natural light complements the baby perfectly. Find a spot in your home that has good lighting and do your pictorial there.

Newborn babies are normally still blotchy and will have reddish skin. As long as you are not planning to make your newborn baby’s picture an entry to a baby photo contest, it is best that you shoot in black in white.

Another option is to shoot in color and then head on to photo editing software to fix the color.

Babies who are older than 3 months are more fun to take photos of because that’s the stage when they smile a lot at almost anything that does not scare them. If you want pictures of your baby sitting up, it would be wise to do that at around 5 months. This is when your baby can be able to hold his or her head up and sit up but they are not yet in the crawling mood.

Past 5 months, good luck with picture taking when they are on the move. It will be very advantageous if you use a camera that can take multiple shots so that you don’t miss anything. If you want to take photos outdoors, have your baby wear simple clothes with solid colors. You will want to keep the focus on your baby so lose the frivolous clothing.

Now, when is the best time of the day to be trigger happy with your camera?

They say it is best to photograph your baby during the morning, preferably after a nap or a feeding. The babies are neither tired nor too irritated during this time. To call the attention of your baby, you can use toys like rattles and stuffed animals. You can also turn on their playtime music, or you can play a little game of peek-a-boo. Babies are normally visually stimulated with ease. If you are intent on joining a baby photo contest, use props wisely and with the criteria of the contest in mind.

You can choose the good shots after all the picture taking activity. Do not erase photos right after taking them. You might miss a good angle if you do this. Give it a little time before you censor what pictures of your amazing baby should be published or not.

You don’t need to be a professional to be able to take wonderful photos of your baby and perhaps join a baby photo contest. Stick with some of these simple tips and see your shots improving and improving over time.