If you’ve ever tried to take a “good” photo of a child, particularly a baby, you know how challenging it can be. If you don’t have children or are pregnant, at some point you’ve likely witnessed the magic that is child photography. We live in a time where everything is online. This can be awesome to stay connected. But it can also be super overwhelming for new parents. Something as simple as taking milestone photos of your children may cause anxiety. “Is it good enough?” “His smile is crooked. Is someone going to make a comment about that?” “This doesn’t look anything like I envisioned.” We’ll be honest: taking photos of kids, especially multiple kids, sucks. Want some tips for taking milestone photos of your little one?

Milestone Photo Tips

Keep it Simple.

Plain and simple – any photo of your little one is going to be adorable. Even the “fail” photos. Will there be parents who post elaborate photos of their baby for their monthly milestones? Yes. Is it ok to not be that parent? Yes.

My preference: take the monthly milestone photos on a large blanket that you can lay baby down on. Before they’re able to sit up, this allows you to take a picture where baby isn’t slouched over. As they get bigger they can still lay flat on their back, allowing for more uniform looking monthly photos. You can also take the blanket and put it on a couch or chair as a backdrop when baby is sitting up.

I’ve also seen our clients use items to write out how many months old baby is. Paper hearts for February, beer cans for March, plastic eggs for April, etc. and have baby laying next to the numbers. There are also special blankets for sale with 1-12 on them and a place to the side where you can lay baby. What I’m trying to say is this can be as budget friendly or as boujie as you would like.

With regards to what you should dress your baby in, there’s no right or wrong. Some parents opt for the same thing every month (ie: white body suit, just a diaper, etc). Others want to switch it up with a festive outfit. What you decide to do will be based on your personal style, budget, and how many other children you have (sorry, Baby #5, just saying it how it is).

Try Not to Stress

Society puts so much pressure on us to be “perfect” parents. But, as I’m sure you know, there is no such thing as “perfect,” especially when it comes to parenting.

• Set a reminder each month to take the photo
• Aim to take the photo when your baby is most content.
  • For some, that is when they first wake up. Other babies are happiest right after eating.
• If baby isn’t in the mood for a picture, try again later or the next day.
• You will look back on the “fails” and realize they are just as cute as the “perfect” ones.

Props?

Props can be a fun way to jazz up your milestone photos. You can opt for the same prop each month or change it with the season. Some examples:

• The same stuffed animal
  • You can see month to month how your little one has grown. This is cute to look back on and compare your baby’s size to their favorite stuffed animal.
• Holiday lights
  • You can make a circle in holiday lights around your baby for your December photo for a fun holiday touch.
• Paper cut outs
  • Download, trace, and cut festive shapes from colored paper to put around your baby.
• Felt Letter Boards
  • Use these to highlight baby’s height/weight, milestones for the month, current favorites, etc
• Chalk Boards
  • Find them on Etsy and have a place for you to fill in baby’s name, age, number of teeth, likes/dislikes, accomplishments, etc.

Fun Fails

We couldn’t resist sharing these adorable photo “fails” from members of our exclusive Facebook group.

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