Every photographer knows that old saying – never work with children or animals. They're impossible to manage and they'll always find new and creative ways to ruin your shot. So, taking a nice baby picture can take a lot of effort and time. What's more, post-processing is painstaking work and many photographers dislike it. However, baby photography doesn't have to be so difficult and time-consuming. To ease the whole process, here are some useful tips on how to take and edit great baby photos.
Tips for Taking Baby Pictures
First, let's talk about several ways in which you can take better photos of your baby.
- Choose a Great Pose
By placing the baby in a cute or interesting pose, you can take a much better shot. Try to capture the baby in a natural and comfortable pose, such has when she's sleeping or laughing. Also, always make the baby's face the main point of interest of your composition. The face holds all her character and emotions so it makes your picture much more powerful.
- Make Use of Props
Props are an exciting and creative way to take innovative and unique pictures. By placing the baby in a basket or by dressing it up in a fun costume, you can add freshness and interest to a picture. When it comes to props, you can try to think outside the box and come up with something that is both suitable for the situation and never seen before.
- Pay Attention to Light
Lighting is everything in photography. The word “photography” itself means “writing with light”. When taking baby pictures, soft light is very pleasing to the eye and appropriate in terms of composition. Babies are gentle and fragile, so the light should reflect that. Sharp contrast and strong shadows may work elsewhere, but for baby photos, the softer the light the better.
- Location, Location, Location
Depending on the time of year and on the purpose, baby photos can be taken both indoors and outdoors. Indoors are better for making the most of your props and being creative with the pose. However, the outdoors offer variety in terms of the background and make the shot more aesthetically pleasing.
- Include the Parents in the Shot
When including the parents, it is important to really show the parent-child connection. Again, the pose is here very important. Try to emphasize the contrast of size between the baby and the parent, or try to place them in a nurturing and protective pose.
Tips for Editing Baby Pictures
After you have come up with many great baby photo ideas and finished the shooting, it is now necessary to edit the pictures with Movavi to make the best of them.
- Removing the Background
If, for some reason, you are unhappy with the background, you can easily remove it using a photo editor. A good editor is the photographer's best friend – it offers endless possibilities. After you have removed the unwanted background, you can replace it with something more appealing or suitable.
- Captions and Filters
Professional Tips for Taking and Editing Baby Pictures -2Filters can add depth and interest to a photo. By selecting a filter that adds softness, you can emphasize the subject – the baby. What's more, when you add caption to image, you can easily tell the story behind the picture. Your captions it can be something as short as a single word or a complete sentence.
- Retouch the Photos
Retouching is another important step in editing. By correcting the white balance and colors, you can make the photo even more striking. There is no need to spend hours retouching pictures – photo editing software usually comes with some built-in presets. So, if there is little time for editing, just select the best preset for the picture you are working on.
- Cropping the Photo
When taking and editing a photo, we should try to keep to the rule of thirds. The rule tells us where we should place the subject to make the composition better. By following this rule, we make sure our subject shines. Cropping the photo in post-production to adhere to this rule is sometimes necessary, but do try not to crop too much.
- Effects
Editing software often also comes with some effects that can be added to a photo. Effects can be used to bring attention to the subject, and they can also add some flair to the photo. However, choose the effects carefully and always follow the rule – less is more. Too many effects can affect the composition badly.
