This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Local Voices

Tips and Ideas for Professional Baby Photography

For those who are looking to go for professional family portraits (or professional baby photography or maternity photography), the following advice can prove to be quite useful.

Tips for family portrait photographers:


1. Dressing Up The Group
As their family portrait photographer you can either ask the group to dress in a similar fashion, or if they choose keeping their personal styles, then ask them to don clothes having same color tones or a neutral color. This not only makes exposure and retouching easier, but also ensures that the photo does not seem washed out or appear dated few years down the lane.

2. Utilize natural lighting
For an effective family photo shoot organize the shoot either early morning or early evening. In the event these slots are not possible and you’re asked to conduct the shoot at mid-day only, opt for a spot that’s not open to harsh sunlight and is either under a shade or within the home.

3. Choose effective background
A background that’s uncluttered, natural and has soft colors will ensure that the family remains the centre of attention and isn’t affected by any detractions. One moreAnother thing to remember is that there are not any unimportant or embarrassing things in the background. You might also consider to blur the background a bit in order to concentrate more on the family.

Tips and ideas for Professional Baby Photography

1. Start clicking
You can’t expect a baby to strike a picture-perfect pose for you, so the better thing to do is to click a number of photos consecutively. This will ensure that at least one of those 20 picures will contain an excellent shot.

2. Utilize natural lighting:
As in the case of professional family photography, the use of natural light would majorly improve professional baby photography as well. However, the important thing to remember is to use soft lighting during early morning or late evening and not the harsh afternoon sun.

3. Get the baby to smile
You can either attempt to evoke a playful laughter or a cherubic smile from the newborn on your own, or request for the parents’ help. The effort will definitely be worthwhile!

4. Keep it classic
Black and white photographs appear classic and timeless and are one more good way to professionally shoot newborns. In case going for monochrome, opt for a contrasting background and light to generate a dramatic effect.

Some quick tips for professional couple maternity photography

1. Always choose the shooting location depending upon the comfort level of the client. For those who desire more privacy, indoor shoots are the better option. But in case the client does not have these needs, then outdoor shoots can give beautiful photos.

2. Cut the clutter in the picture by concentrating on the mother-to-be. It is the most crucial requirement of the photo and therefore, any detracting backgrounds or colors should be eliminated.


3. Make the client feel relax and confident of her body. Pregnant women tend to get immensely insecure about their bodies, however, as their photographer it is up to you to make them relaxed during the shoot so that it can get shown in the photos as well.

4. Try to incorporate the family in the photographs whenever possible. Capturing the mother’s relationship with her family and capturing the love of her partner and children adds immense warmth and character to the photograph.

As a maternity photographer, it is your job to make this outdoor Maternity Photography a cherishable experience for your client.




We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?