Five Ideas for a Fun DIY Baby Photoshoot

When you’re a parent you think nearly everything your child does is photo worthy. Photoshoots can be pricey, time consuming and complicated with a new baby. But you budget for it anyway and pencil it into your schedule only to have a fussy baby the day of the shoot or to find your child has a sudden outbreak of baby acne.

Simply put, life is complicated. That’s why every parent should know how to get quality photos of their child without the stress and complications that accompany professional photoshoots. I have put together five simple photoshoot ideas that both children and parents can enjoy.

Tips for Getting Started on Your DIY Baby Photoshoot

The key to a happy shoot is a happy baby! Try taking photos right after a nap and on a full belly.
Have your space ready before you start the photoshoot.
Try to position your baby in a brightly lit room to get better resolution and need less editing.
Shoot for a neutral background. Make use of blank walls or empty corners.
Keep your baby comfortable! Use their boppy covered in a neutral swaddle or blanket.
Have fun props that go along with the theme of the shoot.

5 Themed Photoshoots to Try at Home

For the first idea I was wanting a hippy vibe with soft, simple colors. I made sure to have my daughters crib on a fairly blank wall and laid a white blanket down over her boppy that I had placed in the crib. I purchased a cheap daisy headband from Claire’s that could be tied to fit around her head and bundle of daisies from the grocery store. Once I had everything set up and my daughter dressed we started our shoot.

I always try out a couple different positions and keep the best photo from the shoot. For this idea I had my daughter lay flat on her back holding the flower stem, propped up on her boppy and then finally on her belly supported by her boppy. My little one prefers tummy time so most of my photos tend to reflect that. I also like to squat down to her level and shoot at her height; it yields beautiful profile pictures that show all the small, adorable details.

The second photoshoot idea is as simple as it gets. I set up her boppy pillow in front of our Christmas tree and placed a fur blanket on top. I positioned the tree in the background of the frame and set my iPhone to portrait mode. Doing this focuses the image on the subject of the photo and softly blurs everything behind it. This simple trick helps to make photos look more professional. If you don’t have the option for portrait mode you can easily edit the photo afterward to increase the vignette setting in order to blur the background.

My third photoshoot idea teaches the most important lesson of all: sometimes they just don’t go as planned. My idea was to place my daughter in a large stock pot with a turkey hat, but my daughter had very different plans. It was just one of those days where she didn’t want to be put down and no amount of rocking and nursing was keeping her happy for long enough to get my planned picture. When this happens it’s easy to be disappointed that it didn’t work out, but always remember that photoshoots are supposed to be fun for the both of you and you have to find something that works for your little one too. In the end I actually got some cute pictures of my little turkey, even if she was crying.

The fourth photoshoot I wanted to be a fun, corny theme; the kind of picture that my daughter and I can laugh at when she’s grown. So for this photo I planned a spa day look. I purchased a baby robe from Target and made a quick stop by Starbucks on the way out. Starbucks has sample cups that are the perfect size for your little one.

Again I wanted a neutral background, but this time I wanted my daughter sitting up so I could prop the cup up beside her. To do this I placed our trusty boppy pillow in a wicker back chair and placed a neutral blanket over it. Then just nestle your baby in the middle so their back is supported and start shooting. This photo can also be done laying on their back with the cup laid on it’s side beside them.

The last photoshoot was a simple idea that doubled not only as a beautiful picture but also is great for your little one. For this idea I wanted a fruit filled milk bath. I decided on strawberries and lemons for a bright, summer look. This idea can be customized with any fruit or flower that you like, such as small pumpkins and apples for fall or cranberries for winter.

I then placed her bath seat into the water and draped a white muslin swaddle over it. For this type of photo I like to shoot from above as well as at her height. I shot in both portrait and live photo settings since my daughter likes to splash and play in the water. With this shoot take plenty of pictures especially if you have a wiggly baby; that way you have plenty of photos to choose from.

These five simple ideas are easy to adjust and customize; just remember to have fun with it and don’t get discouraged if it takes multiple attempts and multiple bottle breaks.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Madison Harrold is a Huntsville native with an eclectic range of interests. When not spending time with her newborn daughter and partner she enjoys a variety of activities such as gardening, yoga, hiking and refurbishing furniture.

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Guest Contributor

As a hyper-local website focused on all aspects of parenting in and around Morgan County, and the Tennessee Valley, River City Mom occasionally asks local parents to submit their stories for publication. This is part of our continual effort to represent varied viewpoints and experiences on our site. However, these articles should not be seen as necessarily expressing the views of Rocket City Mom Media Group, LLC.