My cousin’s son is celebrating his first Easter tomorrow, and knowing his snap happy parents, the kid will likely be blind by Monday. Hopefully, it will be sunny so they won’t need to use their camera’s flash.
Regardless of your subject’s age it’s always better to use natural light rather than artificial, though with babies this rule is even more important due to their delicate features. When snapping Easter photos of your newborn aim for an early morning or late afternoon session. These times are known as the “golden hours” and are best for natural light photography.
Consider dressing your baby in his Sunday best and laying him on the grass in the backyard. If you miss the early morning sun, then place your child under a tree and shoot in the shade. Or, prop her up near some spring flowers. On nice days, my cousin hauls her son’s Fisher-Price baby swing out on the deck and places him in it so he can soak up the sun and swing at the same time. The occasions have made for super shots, especially when she is able to incorporate the first signs of spring in the background.
Given that Easter is a family holiday it’s a good idea to add other loved ones in the shot. Have grandma or grandpa hold Junior on a bench or slide. These poses can be more playful than traditional portraits. Another idea is to place the baby in a wagon lined with blankets and snap pictures of him while older siblings hunt for eggs. You can then add some of the colorful plastic eggs to the wagon as props. How cute would it be to frame your newborn with polka dot and glitter Easter eggs?
The beauty of babies is that it doesn’t take much for them to look adorable in a shot. You might just want to step back and take a series of candid shots of your child on Easter Sunday. Learn how to anticipate and capture your baby’s response to stimulants, such as mommy’s voice or grandpa’s belly laughs. No matter how you choose to document your baby on Easter, it is imperative he be well rested and well fed, otherwise there’s little chance that you will snap a holiday keeper.
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