How To Take Better Pictures Of Your Baby With An iPhone
There is nothing that compares with professional photos from an experienced newborn photographer. Besides the professional training, experience, and infant safety protocols, we have outfits and props that simply aren’t on hand in the average household.
That said, there are many tips and tricks for taking sweet photos of your developing baby between the initial newborn session and subsequent holiday photos.
7 Tips For Mastering Baby Photos With An iPhone
The great news for amateur photographers is that top-tier smartphones have professional-quality tech options and impressive photo editing qualities. Even so, taking exceptional photos takes a bit of know-how and planning. And, to be honest, photographers are much more than just their cameras. We have an artist’s eye. But rather than using a canvas and paintbrush, we frame our artistic vision using light as paint and composition as our canvas.
That said, we know most people can’t afford to have a professional photographer on-call in their home life. So, besides your initial newborn shoot or annual family photo sessions, it makes sense to learn all you can about how to take better pictures of your baby with an iPhone.
Safety is ALWAYS the priority
If you take only one thing out of this blog post, let it be this: Do NOT mimic professional newborn shots you’ve seen in online photo galleries. Some of the sweetest and most precious of those involved supportive props, human hands (or arms), warmers, and all kinds of things we edit out of the photos afterward using professional editing software. Never put your baby in unnatural positions to get “a great picture.” It’s simply not worth the risk. If you want this kind of imagery, I strongly suggest you reach out and book a professional photographer specializing in newborns.
Professional newborn photographers always place safety first, and we go through hours of training and education around newborn anatomy, heat regulation, breathing and circulation, and other critical safety protocols before we pose a baby.
Take lighting into consideration
Lighting is essential for taking photos. Most people underestimate the quality of light necessary to capture the ideal contrast between a subject and its background, taking into consideration depth, perspective, and the drama of shadows.
Click Here for a basic lighting tutorial from “How Stuff Works.”
What you consider a nice warm light is probably not bright enough to get the look we achieve in a professional photo shoot. This is why natural sunlight is one of the best light options if you know how to harness it. Fortunately, your iPhone has a lighting adjustment option (that little Sun icon that appears when you tap to focus). Drag the sun up or down to adjust the lighting. Take several photos with different lighting emphases, and you’ll notice that the best pictures are often those taken with “brighter” light than you would have thought.
Alter your tried-and-true angle
Amateur photographers typically take pictures head-on (more or less), with the camera at the chin level. That’s the easiest way to hold the candle steady while concentrating on focus. However, you’ll notice professional photographers approach their subjects from various angles - including from above. That’s certainly the case in the newborn or baby photo world.
Before trying this with a newborn or young infant, who grows restless and fussy quickly when not being held or fed, practice with one of your older children, a pet (good practice for #4), or a stuffed animal.
Study up on taking photos of moving subjects
Initially, a freshly fed, changed and snuggled infant may sleep or stay pretty quiet. And, sometimes, not. Babies move, squirm, alter facial expressions, and twitch - almost always in sync with your desire to take the perfect picture. So, the first step in understanding taking photos of moving subjects is learning about the relationship between light and shutter speed.
The brighter the light, the faster the shutter speed. The faster the shutter speed, the faster you capture any given second or microsecond in time. The longer the shutter speed, the more motion is captured, and the more blurred image appears.
Other tips for taking pictures of subjects with unpredictable motion are:
Use the “burst mode,” keeping your finger on the shutter, to capture a rapid-fire “burst” of still shots.
Anticipate movement when possible and start taking photos beforehand.
Use a slower shutter speed to emphasize movement for intentional use of movement to create artistic blurring.
Capture unexpected moments in burst mode
That first bullet point is worthy of its own “Tip” section. The burst mode is one of the best features for taking pictures of virtually anyone. You can delete the dozens that don’t work, but often one in that series is the exact snapshot you were hoping for.
The older your baby-then toddler-then child becomes, the more you’ll appreciate burst mode’s ability to capture incredible moments - their first steps, first goal, first arabesque, first run with the dog, etc.
My only suggestion is to immediately delete the pictures that don’t make the cut. Otherwise, you’ll end up with thousands of images on your phone that will overwhelm your device’s memory and your willingness to go back to those pictures.
Envision a tic tac toe grid (the rule of thirds)
Professional photographers learn to see the world as if it’s layered behind a tic tac toe grid - 3 by 3. We call this perspective “the rule of thirds.” The best photos are those taken when the subject is focused at the intersection of those lines. Notice I didn’t say in the center of the lines or in the spaces of the lines. Granted, in the newborn world, the baby is often the only subject, so s/he is front and center. However, in future photos - especially those that highlight a larger perspective - a particular room, other children or people, things going on in the background - the rule of thirds allows you to take more captivating images.
Steady the shot and adjust the blur
Finally, the iPhone’s volume buttons act as a photo steadier. This is very helpful if you have naturally shaky hands or are trying to take a photograph in an intentionally low-lit environment.
Also, you may notice that the background often completely blurs when honing in on your photo subject. Sometimes, this is a bonus for frame-worthy prints. Other times you might prefer a whisper for more background clarity. One option is to tap the “F” circle at the top of the frame while taking the picture and adjust the blur accordingly. However, that’s easier said than done at the moment.
I feel it’s best to take the picture first so you can concentrate your efforts on lighting, shadow, contrast, position/angle, the rule of thirds, etc. Afterward, use the photo editing features and slide the toggle back and forth, adjusting the background blur to your preference.
Interested In High-Quality Professional Newborn Photos?
Practice definitely makes perfect when it comes to taking great pictures. Slowly but surely, your dedication to taking better pictures of your baby with an iPhone will pay off. In the meantime, if the amateur photos aren’t cutting it, contact me here at Lemonshoots, (510) 747-9019, and we’ll schedule a professional session you’ll never regret.