Maybe this is not groundbreaking…but I have found a great method for taking frame-worthy baby & toddler photos at home, that I think anyone can do! (Photographer friends, please don’t come for me!!)
These might not completely replace your in-studio sessions, but I like the freedom it gives me to quickly capture a special outfit or milestone (ex: Whit’s “2 front teeth” era) without the pressure of needing to book something!
Let’s talk about the “equipment” I used first – I ordered this photo backdrop set from Amazon, and it is so worth it to me! Everything is in it’s own little carrying bag so it’s simple to pull out of the closet, and the set-up is so easy – basically just like setting up a tripod. You could definitely rig your own backdrop with a bedsheet, but I like knowing that this is all ready to go and stored together for whenever I might need it!
Next, I recommend a little stool or small chair for the child to sit on for the shoot! This is the stool I use. (I ordered the white, but at the moment it doesn’t seem to be available!) TJMaxx and HomeGoods are also great places to look for little stools/chairs.
Here is how I think of age ranges for heirloom-style photos:
1. If they are sitting up by themselves, but not yet crawling or walking: You can just sit them directly on the backdrop, and they won’t go anywhere! This is really a sweet-spot age for taking photos in my experience. Whit was around 7 months in this set of photos, which was about a month or so before he started to crawl. It’s so much easier to get great photos when they stay put!
2. If they are crawling or walking: You’re going to want something that will force them to sit still like a stool or a chair, even if you have someone else helping you. As soon as I took Whit off of the stool for the set of photos in this blog post, he immediately ran away – toddler moms will get it!
And finally, my camera. I take most of my photos with my Canon Rebel T6 (the T7 is the newer version, but you can find some refurbished T6’s online) with a 50mm lens, which worked great for these pictures! I am definitely not a professional photographer and just make it up as I go, but I love referring back to this blog post from Carly Riordan about how to take better baby photos – she includes camera settings, etc.! I really like that she says, “the best camera is the one you have.” I even think portrait mode on your iPhone could create some really pretty heirloom shots!
Now, for the actual set-up, it is crucial that you are shooting in natural light, but not direct sunlight. I set up my backdrop on our screened porch in the middle of the day, and that works just perfectly! It is also essential that you completely set up your backdrop, stool, and camera settings before you actually “begin” – then once you have your child ready, all you have to do is plop them on their seat and snap the photos! Once I have Whit sitting down, I spend no more than 5-10 minutes actually taking the pictures. (Use a prop on top of the stool or seat prior to the shoot to get your camera settings/lighting perfect before you begin!)
For reference, my best photos from this shoot were shot at ISO/200, F3.2, 1/200 shutter speed.
Next, the edits! I edit in the Lightroom app. My most common edits are turning the exposure up, and increasing the value of the shadows (lessening the shadows), turning the tint slightly pink, and increasing the noise reduction and sharpening on the detail tab. Then, I use the “vignette” tool on the effects tab to create the fade! From there, I export the photos and use the “mono” filter in the iPhone photos app for the black & white pictures.
Send me a message on Instagram with the specific questions that you have!!
I hope this is helpful – it brings me such great joy to be confident in capturing these special moments for my family, and I love being able to share some of my processes with you!!
