Photography Tips & Tricks: Posing Babies

We'll take the next few weeks and break down posing different age levels. This week, let's start with babies.

Posing babies can be difficult, but it doesn't have to be. When they're an infant, find a way to safely prop them up. A great trick is to use a boppy pillow with a blanket thrown over it. Baskets are also a fantastic way to pose a newborn. I stuff a basket full of blankets and tuck the baby down in there. Some of my favorite poses are of newborn babies in baskets. Remember, don't just get full length shots. While they're in the basket, you can also zoom in on their little feet, hands, ears, and other body parts. Another fun option is a blanket made out of fake flowers. (Think Anne Geddes.) You can easily make your own (if you'd like me to post directions, say the word!), or you can purchase them online if you don't want to take the time to do it yourself. Just think outside the box when it comes to posing a newborn. Because Parker was due on Halloween, I wanted to do something different and pumpkin themed for his announcements. I bought a great big pumpkin, put Parker on top of the pumpkin, and edited hubby out of the photo. It is one of my all time favorite photos that I've taken.

As babies get older - and more mobile! - It can become more and more difficult to keep them still. Once they're crawling, it's next to impossible to keep them on the backdrop for more than 2 seconds. A Bumbo chair is great for sitting them in. In the closeups, you'll never even know the child is stuck in a chair! :) Another fun option is a washtub. These are GREAT outside once the weather turns nice, or you can even do them indoors and use a "bath" theme. Hang a wash cloth over the side of the tub, put some bath products in front of the tub, and boom! Instant scene.

Once baby starts standing up well on his own, another fun shot is to take a large wooden stool, place it on the floor upside down, and put baby inside the legs. They sell these stools at Walmart for a fairly cheap price.

Confining a baby is always going to help you get better photos. A highchair, a crib, a swing. Anything you can put them in will help them hold still, and you won't have to chase them around everywhere.

If you try some of these tips and trick, post them on your blog. Then, come back here and leave a comment. I'll gladly stop by and check them out!

Next week we'll talk about posing toddlers! Hope you'll join us.