Find the Location - Think Soft
A little baby girl or boy is a lot more sensitive than you are to harsher lighting, colors, fabrics, and noises.

Cottons are soft and comfortable. Burlap and wool may look pretty, but they can easily irritate tender skin.

Never point a flash or bright light directly at infants even when their eyes are closed. That thin eyelid isn't sufficient to block out a bright light that could easily damage sensitive baby eyes.

Baby photos at loud events such as outdoor sports and indoor concerts subjects a baby to loud noises that can injure tiny ear drums. If you need to bring a baby to loud events, get some baby hearing protectors from your pediatrician.

Taking great baby photos is as simple as point, click, test, point and click again.

Lighting for Baby Photos
Indirect lighting is one of the best choices for baby photos. Place extra light behind you and the baby when possible. Aim lamps at walls and the ceilings away from the baby. Cover the flash on the camera with a heavy vellum paper or cotton cloth. Outdoor lighting for baby photos is best in the morning and evening. High, overhead, bright sunlight is harsh, creates shadows, and causes the baby to squint.

Color
Beautiful, clean, clear, bright colors are perfect for babies. Get creative with purples, blues, greens, yellows and avoid dirty reds, dismal grays and blacks

Black & White Baby Photos
"It's the new color." Wonderful black & white photos make the difference in special baby photos where most people expect color photographs today.

Get Down and Close
Fill the frame with your baby's face, but be sure to turn off that flash. You may need to use high-speed film or high-speed camera settings when lighting is low. Get down to your baby's level and show the world what your baby sees. Distance shots are fine, but fill the frame with at least 2/3rds of your baby in more pictures to keep interest when you show off that baby photo album.

Stop Posing and Capture That Moment
Setting up the background and lighting is fine, but at some point, just start shooting. Closer can better, but too close can distort an image especially when you're using a wide-angle lens. Don't be afraid to keep shooting, but be unobtrusive. Take a spontaneous photo without always calling out and asking for a smile. The best baby photos are often spontaneous pictures taken with other friends and family. It's the moment you want to keep that becomes that real baby photo award.