Need tips for photographing older babies

[BulldogMom]

A friend of mine is wanting some photos taken of her 10 1/2 month old. Our photo shoot will be outdoors in a park.

Any tips at all are welcome.

[oldwolf]

Ummm.....have lots of patience? hehe

Hmm...I'd probably capture the interaction between parent(s) and baby. Maybe have her teach him how to walk? Him playing? Always have the camera ready to take a picture because you're going to miss it if you wait for that special moment to get ready to take the picture.

Did I mention patience? Lots of it.

gl and let us know how it goes hehe.

[kaypea]

Well as a children's photographer and a mother to a 12 month old I can give you my two bits for whats it's worth. Have the parents bring toys like a truck or something like that for him to play with. Don't worry too much about getting a great smile. Babies that age should smile all the time but will be timid with a bunch of people saying "smile, smile, smile" Bring a toy or a bell to hold right above the camera. Ask the parent to get behind you and play peek-a-boo either with the toy or themselves. Be sure to capture little hands and feet. Get the parents involved and have fun. Babies are so natural I love to take photos of them the most. It gets tricky when they get to the on the move stage but still so cute. enjoy

[kencaleno]

Here is a copy of my hints sheet, that I give to prospective clients:

Hints for photo shoots

Here are a few helpful tips to make sure everything goes smoothly:

If I am photographing your baby :

Have a favourite toy handy - one that guarantees a smile-
One or two different outfits-hats always look cute-
Maybe a “teddy” or something personal to be photographed with-
Try to time your booking for when baby is happy and has a full tummy-
If baby is uncomfortable, or unhappy, we may need to take a break, and retry in a few minutes- or reschedule for another day-
Be sure to inform me what sort of photos/poses you would like-

For older children:

Also a favourite toy-
One or two different outfits-
Any props you would like to include-
Time your booking for when child is most agreeable-

For family groups:
Please put some thought into where you would like the photos taken - indoors, outdoors, your home-another setting-
Clothing is best kept simple-similar clothes/colours are more effective-
Try to avoid text or logos on clothing-they distract from the subject-

For Pet character studies:
A favourite toy (if they have one)-
Please make sure pet is in agreeable mood-

For Mature Character Studies:
Wear favourite clothes; Choose location of shoot -
Decide which traits you want to portray -
Decide on slant of shoot- glamour/ fashion etc.,-

Regards, Ken

[BulldogMom]

Thanks for the tips guys!

If anyone else has two cents throw 'em in.

Now if the weather would just clear up so we can get out there. Oh well, the rain will just green up the park.