How to take professional-looking baby modelling photos

You do not have to have professional baby modelling photographs, certainly not to begin with.

Most reputable agencies are used to spotting 'the look' that they need for commercial purposes from normal home snaps. If you are looking for advice on how to get into baby modelling then check out my hub - Could you child be a baby model? If your child is successful in getting work you will get the professional shots form that assignment to go into your portfolio. Avoid paying out large sums at an early stage for professional baby modelling photos because with a bit of peparation you can achieve a similar look yourself, and give the agencies and potential clients enough to go on.

It sounds really obvious but, make sure:

• The background is clear and uncluttered
• Your child is clean, especially check around mouth and nose
• Their eyes are open
• They are happy and contented before you start
• Nothing obscures their face - no hats, sunglasses etc

• This method works well for very little babies who are not supporting themsleves on their own yet.  You need a friend to help you with this one to be the 'photographer', or you will run out of hands!

• Place a chair in front of a blank wall that is plain white or light coloured. Avoid anything with strong colours or busy patterns that will detract from your child's features.
  

• Turn the chair sideways facing either to the left or right.  Which way you choose will depend upon the lighting in your room - avoid shadows and use natural light if at all possible
  

• Sit yourself on the chair, and pop baby on your lap holding your baby sideways on to the camera

• Turn your baby to face the camera, using your hand to gently support their back and neck from behind. Now, carefully lean back ensuring that you keep yourself and your hands out of the camera's view.  This creates the effect that your baby is sitting up on their own.  Take your time to get this bit right as it makes all the difference in the world to have a 'clean' image without any bits of hands or knees in it.
  

• Now you have it just so, get your ‘photographer’ just snap away. The joy of the digital camera is that you can take as many shots as you like so go for it.  you may need to encourage smiling, as babies rarely deliver on demand! Try a little bit of 'peepo' from the photographer, or even swap over if baby is happy to sit on someone else'e lap, but is more likely to smile at you!  If your camera has a multiple shot function then use it.  Sometimes you can take three photos almost immediately after one another which makes capturing that perfect smile just that little bit more likely! 
  

• Remember, the cute picture you love may not be the most commercial look even if it is completly adorable to you.  So, try to send a selection of photos to a reputable agency as they are the experts at promoting your baby and will know what works best and which image to use.

• This method has the advantage that you can do it on your own without somebody else to operate the camera for you.
• Use a cushion or pillow, or something similar and place on the floor in-front of a plain white, or light coloured and blank wall.  I sometimes use a folded duvet or quilt as it is so much bigger.
• Cover your cushion with a white blanket, a plain sheet or even a towel.  Make sure this is big enough that it will fill the shot you are hoping to take.  Then position baby carefully half on the sheet and half off, so that have their face above their feet, and are tilted upwards towards the camera.
• Now call to baby or make funny noises and they will look up at you and start trying to do 'baby pressups' using their arms to push themselves up towards the camera.  This is what we want!  Snap away with the same abandon as before - you can always edit later!