We’ve all seen the Pinterest grids of perfectly cute baby monthly photos, along with bump photos! In this post, I want to give you some tips for taking your baby monthly photos stress-free. Unlike the 4 pregnancy bump photos I took I have actually been able to keep up with these. 😬😂
1. Don’t feel guilty for not doing taking monthly photos
Just gotta get this out there. Whether or not you take monthly photos of your baby has zero reflection on how good of a mom you are or how much you care about your baby. You are the perfect mom for your baby irregardless of this. There is so much guilt in motherhood, and I know you feel it everyday. My tips below are to help make these photos easier for you, only if you actually want to take these photos. If you don’t, do you boo-boo. You’re great mom either way, and don’t forget it.
2. Set reminders in your phone
Honestly this tip helps me the most because I rarely know what day it is. 😂I try to take Emme’s monthly photo at least two days before the actual date so I’m not stressed out on the 2nd of the month feeling like I have to get it done that day. The little bit of cushion takes the edge off. It will also help you for if you are using natural light to take them and the weather is bad one of the days.
3. Find the right light
Turn any overhead lights off, find an area near a window, and place your baby parallel to the window or diagonal to the window, with her head closest to the window and feet pointing away. That way the shadows are falling at a relatively flattering angle, not making haunted house eyes. If the window is pulling in super bright, hot sun, pull her away from the window to a more evenly lit area of soft light. I recommend avoiding trying to take them at night or when it is dark, as it will probably result in a grainy, discolored image.
4. Create some consistency
You decide what sort of consistency works best for you. You don’t have to use a monthly blanket, or take the photo every week or every month. Remember there are no rules to this. I prefer to take the photo every month. All I use is a white sheet on Emme’s crib mattress placed on the floor. I lay my favorite muslin across the sheet, add her lovey, and put her in a white onesie and seafoam bow. I leave the bow and muslin blanket in the same spot in her closet so I know where it is every month. Just remember to keep baby in a safe position matter what you decide to use for props. Here are some ideas for a consistent background and “props” that you can use:
- a special quilt or blanket
- monthly blanket
- a rug in your home
- have your spouse hold baby in front of a wall
- use baby’s special chair if they have one
- a lovey or stuffed animal
- a muslin blanket loosely layered onto your background
- month stickers
- digital stickers using apps like baby pics, littlenuggetco, and baby story
5. Prepare the spot
I am not even going to try to tell you to aim to take your baby monthly photos at the same time of day every month because we all know how unpredictable babies are and I for sure did not do that. My advice is to just prepare the photo before hand, while baby is sleeping or just anytime not right before you were planning to take the photo. We are trying to make this as zen a process as possible. If you’re like me and using the crib mattress, you can’t prepare much while your baby is asleep but I think most people use blankets or rugs as a background. Just gather your materials, and take a test shot with your phone or camera to make sure you now what you plan to do before you place baby in the frame.
6. Take it easy
Okay this is basically the same tip as the first one, but I can’t stress enough that there is no award for taking these photos or making sure your baby is smiling in them. It doesn’t matter if they are different each time. This is about you documenting your baby growing however you want to. Take the photo even if baby isn’t smiling or looking straight at the camera. When you think you have your monthly photo, maybe take a few more from different perspectives. This time goes so quickly and you will love looking back at the different expressions your baby made.
Want more hands on help?
If you want to know EXACTLY how to take these so they look like ya hired someone, I have the perfect resource for you! Check out our super quick, super easy, online DIY portraits workshop! I hold your hand through how to find a location, use natural lighting to your advantage, what (exact) settings to use on both a phone AND DSLR camera, and how to edit and print them! It honestly couldn’t be easier if you follow along to the 30 minute workshop. Can’t wait to see you in there!