DIY Baby Headshots

Take headshots of your baby that you can cherish for years to come.

Show off the adorable face of your baby by taking your own baby headshots. Whether you're a parent hoping to introduce your child into modeling or acting, planning a cute holiday card or you simply want some great photographs of your baby, taking headshots yourself helps capture the images you love the most. Taking pictures yourself instead of paying a photographer also can save a great deal of money.

Things You'll Need

• Table
• Pillow
• Box
• Soft blanket
• Digital camera
• 2 or 3 baby outfits

Instructions

1. Set up a photography studio in your home. Select a spot with a simple, distraction-free background, such as a stable tabletop, floor or lawn. On hard surfaces such as a table or floor, lay out a soft, plush blanket.

2. Set up some props for the photographs. Boxes draped in plush fabric or pillows will be helpful when positioning the baby for photographs.

3. Use even lighting. Indoors, use natural light from windows and lamp light from several feet away to ensure the baby's face is illuminated evenly. Do not shine a spot light or other sharp light on the baby. If outdoors, stay out of the edge of shade and sun, which can cast odd shadows on the baby.

4. Take pictures of the baby in a variety of positions, from laying on its tummy to resting on a pillow. Since you are taking headshots, it is important to make the baby's head and face the focus of the picture.

5. Use different angles when taking pictures. While the baby is in the same pose, try snapping photographs from directly in front, slightly to the side, as well as from above. Getting a variety of shots provides more pictures for you to choose from.

6. Change the baby's outfit. A few bare pictures, along with photographs with the child in a few different outfit help give the headshots different looks. For instance, a bare photo has a simple, natural look while headshots featuring a pink sundress have a softer, more feminine touch.

7. Add some props. After taking headshots that focus on the baby, try taking some shots with stuffed animals, baskets, a parent or other props. This adds some seasonal, personal or artistic elements to the photographs, making them suitable for holiday cards or frameable pictures.

Tips & Warnings

• Watch your baby at all times, especially if you are taking pictures on a table top or other elevated surface.