DIY: Baby Photo Shoot

You can tell by the name of our blog that we don't have a lot of extra cash to spend on things like monthly baby portraits. So, I have made it a habit to do it myself. While my photos aren't professional, I think they're decent for doing them at home. Here are a few tips to taking your own baby photos...

1. Lighting is key. I take all of my photos indoors, so lighting is crucial. By trial and error, I've finally figured out that the light in the living room is best early in the morning or in the afternoon. The big windows allow plenty of natural light to come in, making it easier for me to get some decent photos.
2. White backgrounds make a difference. In each of Ingrid's photos, I simply put her on top of 2 white muslin blankets. The double layer ensures that our chevron rug doesn't show through. A white background reflects more light, making the photos light and happy and all of that good stuff.
3. A simple onesie is my favorite outfit. For these photos, I want to capture Ingrid's cute faces and all her little features. I like a onesie because they fit close to her body. I like to look back on all of her photos to see how much she has grown. Dresses and bows and shoes and everything else seem to distract or get in the way. 
4. Bird's eye view is the best angle. Because babies can't sit for quite a long time, taking photos from a bird's eye view makes sense. I have to choose a lens that allows me to get above her and still get some decent shots. 
5. I like consistency. With Adair, I took all sorts of photos each month - different backgrounds, different outfits, some outdoors, etc. With Ingrid, I've done them all the same. I like the consistency this time around. It'll make a cute collage once she's a year old, too!
6. Just a little editing. I don't have photoshop or any other fancy software. I use an online editor called Picmonkey. It sort of replaced Picnik when Picnik shut down. It's my go-to editor for everything. For these photos, I just do a little bit. I adjust the lighting just a touch if the photos aren't quite right, and I add some cute text so I can tell the world how old she was in each picture. 

What about you? Do you take your own photos at home?