Professional portrait photographer gives you the TLDR on how to take stunning pictures while stuck at home.
1. The best camera is the camera you will use
Phone cameras might not be ideal, but not using them because better cameras exist in the world is stupid. Make sure whatever camera you're using it's taking the largest image it can, more information means a larger print size without looking bad. Whatever camera you use, learn to use it, if reading a manual isn't your thing watch a tutorial on YouTube. Your camera inevitably does more than you're aware of as far as burst shots, white balance adjustments, and focus adjustments. Play with it so when the time comes you know how to use your tools.
2. Light matters more than megapixels
Being near the biggest window in the house is the single most important thing you can do to get stunning pictures in your home. Move furniture around so the largest window with the most light is close to your subject. Use a white poster-board, or sheet just out of frame to bounce light from the window back to the shadowed side of the face. Most houses get the best light for indoors from around noon to 3pm. The human eye is very good at seeing light, so good that I will often underestimate how much light I need. If it's too dark, your camera will usually compensate by adding digital noise which risks your final product being unusable.
3. Designate time for this
Yes, take advantage of the cutest moments as they come, but scheduling time hopefully gets you into a head-space where you are constantly looking for a better angle, a better pose, or the next distraction to remove; anything that gets you closer to your vision of the perfect picture. Make a Pinterest board of poses you like, anything you can emulate the day of when you're at a loss for where to start. Take way too many pictures, catching focus on the eyes is harder than it looks, set yourself up for success. Mentally prepare for this to be time consuming, set aside time to keep at it until an hour or two has passed. When you pick your best shots make mental note of tactics that worked and didn't work. Rinse, repeat, practice.
4. Outfits/Setup
Simple prints and fabrics let the focus be the face not the setup, try a tasteful wooden box or basket lined with a soft scarf, try the bedspread or an over-sized pillow. The focus should be the kiddo. Get on eye level with them, take time with it, and take way too many pictures. Keep busy patterns and logos out of it. Pastels and muted tones that compliment each other, not necessarily match are great.
5. Composition tips
Foreground and background matters, distractions matter, leading lines should draw you in to the subject, negative space gives your eye a chance to breathe. Whether or not you crop off someones head, or hand, or foot can make the difference between a good picture and a bad picture. Keep the camera at eye level or above. Utilize different angles in relation to your background, spin around and find where the best spot is for your lighting scenario. Be deliberate with what your subject is and what is in focus. Reflections, shadows, and symmetry are all ways to influence how your viewer sees your subject. Take what you think is way too many pictures and look at them, make small changes and try again. When you find a lighting setup that works get a wide shot zoomed out and a tight shot zoomed in. Tell a story by getting detail shots of blankets, hands, bottles, hospital bracelets.
6. Have fun
If you are having fun they wont be as stressed out. Anything you can do that keeps them secure and chill will go a long way, a swaddle tight enough to give them security, a warm environment, food on hand, baby shark on a loop?! Whatever works. You already have everything you need to take some stunning images, go out there and try!
