
Image Source: @eat.today.diet.tomorrow
Milestone photoshoots are an adorable way to visually capture each milestone of your baby's first year of life. That first year is a special time but most parents struggle to find time or money to schedule a professional newborn photoshoot, particularly during a Pandemic!
We created a DIY photoshoot in the comfort of our own home. It was quick, easy and a great way to bond with our bub during the Pandemic whilst also making very Instagram-friendly photos to share with our friends and family.
Here are 7 tips to help you create your own DIY milestone photoshoot at home.
1. Prep
Prepare the set, outfit and props ahead of time so that you're ready to go when your baby is awake and in the right mood. Our baby Harrison was only awake for a limited time before he'd spit the dummy ('scuse the pun).
2. Mood
Give your baby a good feed so he/she isn't cranky during the photoshoot.
Have lots of rattles and other noisy, colourful toys on hand to keep your baby happy during the shoot or consider doing the photoshoot while your baby is sleeping.
Consider having a second person on hand with the sole responsibility of pulling silly faces to entertain your baby!
3. The Set
Get creative! Think about colours schemes and how they match with your baby's outfit.
Milestone cards | These are a great way to document your baby's milestone or age. We used our Dorveille baby milestone cards to document each month and special occasions like our baby's first Dim Sum lunch with family.
Background | We used a simple white muslin cloth as the backdrop for Harrison to lay down on. You could use sheepskin rugs, bunny rugs or just a quilt cover. Position your baby in a safe place where they won't roll off a ledge.
Dim Sum and Tea Cups | We purchased a Yum Cha wooden toy set from Kmart (AU) and scattered these across the set. We also incorporated little Chinese tea cups and chopsticks from our own kitchen. As an alternative, we've also used takeaway dim sum from our local Yum Cha. Watch out for any choking hazards on set!
4. Outfits
Choose an outfit that will complement your set background. We love using our Dim Sum and Bao themed bodysuits for photoshoots which really pop against white, textured backgrounds.
Shop the Baby Got Bao and Dim Sum Dreams collections here. Outfits are a great way to convey your cultural background to make sentimental photos for sharing with grandparents.
5. Lighting
We find natural light is great for taking these shots. Avoid powerful, harsh and flash photography around newborns. Try to avoid using direct sunlight which can create harsh photos and lots of shadows (it might also get too hot for the baby).
You can soften hard shadows and even out any harsh lighting by using a diffuser. You can use various household items such as wax paper to diffuse the lighting source on your set.
6. Camera Angle
Milestone photos are typically taken from directly above your baby (ie. 'Flat Lay' or 'Lay Flat' as my Gen X husband mistakenly calls it haha) so that you can see all of the baby and the card in proportion. Once your baby is a bit older, you may wish to take photos from the front if your baby is sitting up unaided.
7. Memory Space
Free up lots of space in your smartphone or camera as you may end up with about 5,000 photos in your attempt to capture that one good shot!
Happy snapping!
XO Dorveille