How-to Take Professional Pictures Without Spending a Fortune

When Sienna was born, I decided to take the pictures for her announcement myself. I was able to create a professional looking picture in the comfort of my own home, without having to take such a young baby around strangers, and even saved money. If the budget is tight or your baby is still too young to take out here are helpful tips to taking professional pictures of your baby.

Choosing a camera
I prefer to use a digital camera because I can load the pictures directly into my computer and crop, resize, or just "touch-up" the picture as needed. In addition, once the pictures are on my computer I can send them directly to Wal-Mart or Walgreen's and have them printed and ready for pick-up in about an hour. However, if you do not have a digital camera you can always have the pictures saved to a CD to store on your computer to "touch-up" later. Most photo shops also have the capability to "touch-up" the photos as needed on the photo kiosk. So, even if you do not have an expensive camera, you can still take great photos.

Setting the scenery
In the first picture of Sienna, it looks as though she is lying in a studio, with an expensive backdrop, however, Sienna in lying on my bed, with a white sheet over the head of the bed, and on a couple of pillows. I laid her down on the sheet and fluffed the pillows, underneath her. Not only was Sienna in a familiar place where she could lie down and relax, but also there were no distractions and it was quiet enough for her to fall asleep.

Great sceneries can also be in front of Christmas trees, at a park, in a kiddy pool, or wherever your child can enjoy him or herself. Usually when a child is having, a great time is when you can get the best pictures.

Lighting
Notice in the second picture of Sienna, the lighting is poor. Once I opened the blinds, the lighting was no longer an issue. However, if the room you choose to take the pictures in does not have windows or is just too dark, you can collect lamps from different rooms to shine. Experiment with different light settings by opening and closing curtains or moving lamps to different parts of the room. Sometimes, a little less lighting gives the baby the perfect glow.

Take many pictures
I took 32 pictures of Sienna this day. After picking out the announcements, I realized the picture needed to be vertical. So the next day, I took even more pictures. I experimented with the zoom button, taking pictures of just Sienna's face and of her full body, the lighting, taking a couple with less lighting and more lighting, and the positions of the props, or pillows in this case. I also took a few when she was fully awake. I then loaded the pictures onto the computer, viewed several of them, and choose my favorite. Even though I had taken several pictures, very few turned out exceptional.

If you are looking to save a little money or just do not want to take that little one out yet, taking professional pictures in your home can be easy even if you do not have a great camera. Create a beautiful setting with sheets or in front of the Christmas tree, the more fun a child is having, the better the picture. You can always create the perfect lighting with a few lamps or opening the window. Finally remember to take many pictures too make sure you have that special one.