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Digital Photography Tips for the Perfect Baby Photos

Submitted by admin on Thu, 06/25/2009 - 17:14

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Taking a photo of a baby can be a tricky and time consuming business. However, with the advancement in digital camera technology in recent years, the job just got a little bit easier since you can click away until you finally get the perfect photo.

Babies tend to be naturals in front of the cameras, they often have great facial expressions and it's great to be able to look back in years to come at some great baby photos.

Below are some digital photography tips to help you take the Perfect Baby Photos:

Tip 1 - Take Plenty of Pictures

The greater the number of pictures taken, the greater the likelihood of attaining the perfect baby photos. So keep clicking away and eventually you will capture the perfect shot.

Tip 2 - Find a Partner to Help You

Of course you can always take the pictures yourself but sometimes it is often helpful to have a partner to assist you. They can play Peek-a-Boo or shake a favourite toy to try and make your baby giggle and smile. Having a partner to help you often makes the process more enjoyable and fun. the burst mode or sports mode on your digital camera can often be a great help as you can take a number of photos in quick succession to ensure you capture all those perfect baby smiles and cute facial expressions.

Tip 3 - Choose the Right Light

To get great baby photos it is important to capture them in the right light. If you are taking photos outside the best time of day to do this is early in the morning in partial shade or early in the evening. These times of day experience softer light and capture warmer tones, plus you have the added benefit of your baby not squinting to avoid sunlight.

If you are taking pictures inside try to use natural light. Window light is great and diffused lighting provides for a softer feel. Try to avoid taking pictures with the flash. Flash can often wash out colours and babies in particular are sensitive to bright light.

Tip 4 - Avoid Distracting Backgrounds and Colours

Place your baby on a neutral rug or against a neutral background to obtain the best baby photos. Avoid bright toys in the shot as these can often detract from the main focus, which is of course your baby. Dress your baby in simple clothes for the same reason as noisy, bright clothes can leave your baby's skn tones looking washed out.

Tip 5 - Choose the Right Time

Before you attempt to take your baby photos make sure your baby is well rested and fed to guarantee lots of smiles. Make photographing your baby fun for both of you and try not to set your expectations too high, know when to put the camera away! There will always be another time. When your baby is tired after their photo shoot, it's always an idea to use this naptime to get some great shots of your little one sleeping like a baby!

Tip 6 - Add Family and Friends

Photos of your baby with someone special create a great story and are great to look back on. Be creative with your photos, they can be tiny fingers against an adults hand, or pictures of family welcoming the new arrival.

Tip 7 - Explore Black and White Photos

Black and white photos are timeless and often add a feeling of fine art and capture features and subtle details which are often missed in colour. Why not take a collage of black and white photos and use them to tell a story.

You've read some useful tips on digital photography so now it's time to put them to the test and see if you can capture the Perfect Baby Photo.

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Have you Got Your Bag Packed?

Submitted by admin on Fri, 06/19/2009 - 14:22

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The packing of a bag starts when you are pregnant and are approaching the final stages of your pregnancy and people constantly ask you the question "Have you got your bag packed?", to which the majority reply with the answer "No".

My theory is the labour bag is just the start of things to come with regard to bag packing and in a sense helps you to prepare for the constant packing and unpacking of bags which seems to go hand in hand with having children.

It all starts off with the "nappy bag". The majority of new parents take a considerable amount of time to choose the perfect nappy bag. For a start it has to be practical and feature all the necessary handy pockets to hold wipes, nappies, cream, change of clothes, bottles etc and of course be fashionable. After all the nappy bag is a "must have" item and will undoutedly hardly ever leave your side for the next few months so you want this bag to help convey a good and proud feeling of your new role as a parent. In addition, the nappy bag has to be unisex in style since both of you (I hope!) will share your new found parently role and have hands on experiences.

Having said this, we all must recognise that there is undoutedly a difference between the male and female perspectives when it comes to packing the nappy bag. Men often have the view women over-pack but I would strongly dispute this fact based on true experiences where my "over-packing" has helped to avoid a potential catastrophe or possible child melt down! My husband on the other hand steers more towards the theory of less is more. He is quite happy to venture out of the house packing as little as possible. I believe this too may have some advantages, the main one being children may become more resilient - especially when is comes to being cold, wet, hungry or sunburnt!

The nappy bag is the first in a long succession of bags to be packed. Since my children arrived I have become the Master of Bag Packing. When the nappy bag era was over we moved onto the nursery/daycare bags, then progressed onto kinder bags and finally we reached the dizzy heights of the school bag! Let me make this clear, these are just the normal everyday bags, lest we forget the more specialist bags such as swimming, play dates, beach bags which we are also required to pack. In addition there is is "just in case bag" which usually resides in the back of the car and contains a change of clothes so every unforseen eventuality is covered.

Therefore, I have to honestly say, the joy and pride exprienced when I packed my first "nappy bag" for my first born child has begun to dwindle slightly as the years have gone by and the volume and variety of bag packing has intensified. There is no doubt the beginning of your Bag Packing life commences with the nappy bag and I believe only ceases to exist when you delegate the task to your children and they follow in your foosteps to become Master Bag Packers themselves!

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Choosing Baby Names

Submitted by admin on Mon, 05/25/2009 - 14:13

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Choosing a name for your new arrival should be fun yet for many parents it can sometimes be viewed as one of the most stressful decisions they ever make! There is so much to think about when choosing a baby name.

First of all (if you have chosen to keep the sex of the baby a surprise) you will have to make two shortlists: one for boy's and one for girls.

You will have your own ideas on baby names and so will your partner and other family members and friends! In addition, there may be a family tradition regarding names which you have to take into consideration and also you may want to choose a name which works well with other siblings. Furthermore, you may be searching for a name which has a certain meaning or is associated with a specific culture.

Many websites have compiled a list of the top baby boy names and baby girl names from official country statistics. If you log onto http://www.cso.ie/statistics/top_babies_names.htm you will see a list of the top 25 Irish baby names for boys and girls. Whilst over the years there has been some rivalry for the top spots many of the names on the list appear year after year, proving they are a popular choice with new Mums and Dads. The popular names obviously have wide appeal and have captured the hearts of the nation. They have character and form and we know these names will stand the test of time.

Some parents prefer to choose more unusual names for their child, something which is away from the mainstream and perhaps has a more exotic and exciting feel. Unusual baby names often bring a breath of fresh air but it may be wise to weigh up the pros and cons when choosing one for your new baby.

Many parents often wait until the baby is born before choosing a name. Seeing the face of your new born baby and being finally introduced to one another can often just trigger a name. There have been many instances where new parents have spent hours researching and deciding on a name and then when their baby arrives they decide their new baby boy or new baby girl just doesn't look like their pre-chosen name and so the search begins again!

Approaching the challenge of naming your baby is a BIG responsibility and one which you will carry on your shoulders for the rest of your life! However stressful the decision may appear, be rest assured your new son or daughter will at some point be named, and be in doubt in the end you will choose a name you are proud of as you will have spent a condersiderable amount of time thinking and researching your choice!