It takes planning and luck to get a traditional photograph of a baby on a lambskin rug. If you follow the directions below, you can’t possibly get a worse photograph than I did.
- First, planning. You have to take the photo at the right age. The baby must be old enough to hold his chest and head up, but not yet crawling. (This baby crawled so fast that he made it off the rug in seconds. In this photo he also demonstrates the problems involved with a baby who can’t hold his head up, although you don’t usually have to deal with both problems at the same time.)
- Clear away everything distracting in the background unless you want your friends and family to focus on your messy house rather than your beautiful baby. (And let’s face it, all of us have messy houses when we have young children).
- Work with a partner. One person works with the camera and the second person works with the baby.
- Work in good light, but plan on stopping action with your flash.
- Get down on the baby’s level so that her sparkling eyes and laughing smile are the most important part of the photograph. (This photo has been closely cropped because the baby’s bare bottom turned out to be the most obvious part.)
- Once the baby is in place, work fast. Position and expression are subject to change without notice.
- If you don’t get a good photo, try again tomorrow. Don’t wait a week, chances are he’ll be crawling and/or walking by then.
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