Baby Portrait Tips

When should I have my baby’s first portrait taken?

The moment baby takes his or her first breath is the first time a portrait should be taken.  Babies grow and change on a daily basis and there are such beautiful moments to capture even in the first few hours, days and weeks of a little bundle’s life.  Ideally, a newborn session should be conducted at 7-10 days old, at 6months when baby is sitting and again at 1 year when baby is walking or crawling.

What should I do to prepare for the portrait?

The first thing would be to get Mom to relax.  If Mom is stressed baby will sense it so it’s very important Mom feels calm when preparing for the shoot.  Give yourself plenty of preparation time planning those extra few items of clothing as guaranteed baby will get sick on your ‘’pretty’’ clothes just as you walk out the door.  Make sure both Mom and baby are well rested and well nourished too.

How far ahead should I schedule my baby’s portraits?

Your baby’s portraits can be scheduled for any time from before or just after he/she is born.  Preferably a week will give both parents and photographer enough time to prepare.

Are there better times to schedule during then the day than others?

The best time to capture baby’s natural smiles are in the morning soon after they have woken up, once they are well rested and preferably well fed too.  Babies have a very small window and a limited amount of smiles so don’t use up the photographers smiles by playing with your baby before the session begins.  Smiles are expensive so give the photographer first option to capture baby just as you know him/her to be!

What happens is my child has just had his/her inoculations or is coming down with a cold?

Please please please don't put your child through the trauma of feeling unwell and having to cope in a different environment like our studio, we want to your child to have happy associations and memories of us.  With any signs of being unwell (runny nose, raised temperature, general crankiness) please rather reschedule.  Ideally sessions should be scheduled 4 weeks after inoculations and 3 weeks after recovering from a cold.  We also don't want to infect others so please don't share germs!

Should I come early to the studio to let my child adjust?

It is best not to arrive any more than 10 minutes before your scheduled appointment as waiting around for too long will only cause your child to loose patience.  Children on average can only last for about 20 minutes in a setting where they are required to perform for the camera, so as soon as they walk in the session should begin. 

Important do's and don'ts?

It is advisable not to tell the child they are having their picture taken or threaten them that they ‘’better behave’’.  Instead give them a positive mental image first and tell your child they are going to have fun at Miss Mimika’s studio.  Also NEVER EVER tell them they have to say cheese for the camera as it will only result in ‘’cheesy’’ looking portraits!

Should I offer my child a reward (lollipop, trip to a favorite play place, etc) if they cooperate for the photo?

Bribery always works well, but it is important only to offer the treat for after the session is done.  Never tell a child that if they behave badly they won’t get the treat, but rather use positive reinforcement and tell them what a fun time we are going to have and how wonderful it is going to be to enjoy their treat time afterward.

When you’re photographing my child, is it helpful if I talk to my child and ask him/her to smile?  Or should I be silent?

It is a photographer’s nightmare when Mom, Dad, Grandma, Grandpa and whoever else is in studio shouts out commands to the child.  Firstly it is confusing to the child who they need to look at, as they want to please everyone in the room.  It is very difficult for the child to pay attention to the camera and it makes the photographers job much harder to get the natural smiles that every parent wants captured.  Instead, a few encouraging words at the start like ‘’Miss Mimika is going to talk to you so listen to her’’.  Then the type of silent support from parents is always best by staying in the room to put the child feel at ease while remaining quite.  Some children are better when parents leave the room as having Mom and Dad in sight could possible make them clingy.  Talk with your photographer first about the best option to take.

Should I bring favorite toys or comforters?

A child is far more comfortable when they have their favorite toy or comforter and it is advisable to bring them with you.  They can prove useful toys and great talking points for the photographer to chat to you child.

What type of clothes should I dress my child in?

As the saying goes less is more so keeping the colors neutral and the clothing comfortable will make the child feel less restricted.  Although shoes look cute when worn they don’t work in a photograph as they make a child’s feet look larger than they actually are.  The cutest part of a photograph is a child’s eyes, their hands and feet so showing their little toes off for the camera is always a hit.  Avoid stripes, dots, brand names, and commercial characters as they will date the photograph in years to come.  It is not an absolute necessity to dress all members of the family in the same color clothing as each person has their own individual character and colors look different on different people e.g. a blue shirt brings out the color of blue eyes.  However, plain white or black clothing with jeans or khaki pants do look great in black and white or sepia toned photos.

Anything I should be prepared for?   What if my diaperless baby has an accident?

No problem!  In most newborn session cases, we are only tempting things when we remove all of baby's clothing and their diaper to get those cute fetal looking portraits.  Don't panic though as everything in the studio is wipe able and washable!  Do remember to bring both Mom and Dad an extra set of clothing as the probability is very high that someone is going to get sprayed!

What if my child can’t yet sit up?  What should I bring and what should I expect?

>Being able to sit is not a requirement to take beautiful looking portraits as babies during the first few weeks of life have gorgeous features too.  I just love taking photos of their ‘’kissable’’ parts such as their hands, feet, ears, eyes, nose, mouth etc. and compiling them in an artistic montage to treasure forever called a ‘’Kissable Collection’’.  A newborn baby still has much to offer in a portrait as their little form reminds us how precious and vulnerable new life is.  These early days are gone in a blink of an eye so capturing them while you can is so important.

What if my child cries during the session?

>We all have our good and bad days and sometimes even adults wake up on the wrong side of the bed!  So it is only understandable that a baby or child could cry during a photo session.  If it happens it is best to pause the photo taking and give Junior a hug and cuddle to make them feel that everything is alright.  It may be a sign that the child is passed their patience barometer and has ‘’lost the plot’’, so it is no use in forcing the matter and wrapping up the session quickly would be advisable.  They may be unwell or coming down with a cold and if that is the case it is not a problem to reschedule the session for when Junior is feeling better.  If it is just a case of nerves, then a really talented photographer would be able to offer distractions to both Mom and child and re-focus them when they feel at ease again.

What’s the key to getting really great portraits of my baby?

>The most important key in being able to capture really stunning, emotive and memorable moments of your precious little one is to feel comfortable with Mimika who understands the needs of both Mom and baby.  If Mom feels uncomfortable and tense then her tension will rub off on Junior.  A friendly disposition, bucket loads of patience and a comfortable environment will make the portrait experience a pleasant one for all.  Of course the skills and talent of the photographer play a major part in the success of the session because as the saying goes ‘’Anyone can take a picture but only an artist can capture the perfect moment’’.  Above all, enjoy yourself as making and capturing these fleeting memories in a child’s life is an awesome privilege!

Copyright Mimika Cooney (2006)