As a mom, you want to capture every possible moment in your child’s life, which is why you always seem to be armed with a camera and ready to shoot at any minute. Pictures help you to capture memories, and they’re a great way to hold onto those precious moments in your child’s life as they grow.

If you want to take great pictures of your child, it’s important that you learn some basics about photography. Too many moms out there make the same mistakes when it comes to taking pictures. Their child is always posed the same way, the pictures are always blurry, or there’s always some random item in the background taking away from the cuteness of your child.

Taking pictures of babies is no different than taking pictures of older kids, and it still requires some practice to get them just right. If you want to take the best possible pictures of your baby, you need to use the following five tips.

1. Get down to their level.

Everyone has a tendency of standing far away and taking photos, but this isn’t the best way to take photographs of your baby. It’s very important that you get down low and shoot pictures that are close to your child. These close-ups are more personal and capture more detail than any picture taken from far away. Get up close and personal with your child to get some of the best possible shots.

2. Shoot from different angles.

Taking pictures of your baby from the same angle is going to get old. Get creative and take photos from different angles. Walk or crawl around your baby and take different pictures. Take some looking down on them, take some from behind, take some that are sideways, and even take some from the ground looking up. You’ll be amazed at how well your pictures will turn out if you stop taking photos from the same angle and start getting creative. Plus, you’ll be able to capture different moments from these angles, making them so much better.

3. Keep it simple.

The focus of these pictures is on your baby, so keep the details simple. Stick with a one-color background, such as black or white, to keep the simplicity of the photo intact. Try to avoid multiple colors or designs that are overwhelming, as these will take away from your child and become the unintended focus of the shot.

Another great option you have to keep pictures simple is to remove the color after the shot by turning the photo into black and white. There’s something about black and white photos that are timeless and simple, and you’ll be able to enjoy these photos for many years.

4. Keep shooting.

With today’s fancy DSLR cameras, you can shoot multiple photos in a short amount of time. Since babies are fidgety and don’t listen to your commands, you need to take as many pictures of your child as possible in order to get the best possible shot. Use your fancy camera to shoot, shoot, shoot pictures of your baby. You can always go through the pictures you took at a later time and determine which ones turned out and which ones did not. This way, you’ll have plenty of options to choose from when it comes time to printing the pictures or choosing the right one to send as an announcement.

5. Know the end result.

Different shots are better for different purposes, so it’s important to have an idea of what the pictures are going to be used for. For example, if you are taking pictures to place in a baby announcement, you’ll want to make sure to use a simple background and leave some extra space on the side for content and/or cropping. If you’re taking pictures that will be blown up to a canvas that sits over your mantel, you’ll want to use an intimate shot of your baby. Knowing the reason for your photo shoot will help you capture the right picture for your needs and give you plenty of different options to choose from.

Like anything as a mom, you’re going to get better over time. The more you practice taking pictures of your baby, the better you’ll become. Once you have a handle on different angles and shots, you’ll be able to start tackling other areas of photography, such as using different lighting or different filters to create unique and captivating photos.

About the Author

David Landers is a freelance writer and photographer for Rev.com. David donates his time to take photos of school sporting events and social functions.