Baby (and Beyond) Photography Tips from SanDisk

I can say with nearly complete certainty that no parent ever looks through their photographs and says, "Geez, I managed to take only PERFECT pictures of my kids when they were babies."

Just doesn't happen.

Because no matter how much we might want to capture that innocent gleam in their eyes, that mischievous smile or those first wobbly steps, inevitably it won't be as easy as we plan. Why does photographing one memory or milestone end up requiring 25+ pictures just to get one that turns out right?

You're just trying to document the birth of your second child with something like this...

 ...but you have to go through 24 that look like this to get to it though, right?

Stop yawning, Kid. Mommy is going to forever remind you of the work that SHE did on that day, not you.

So what are the ways to increase the likelihood of actually getting that perfect picture and not spending a whole day on it?

That's where the advice of photographer, author and educator Erin Manning comes in, as she can provide all sorts of information and tips for capturing better baby photos. Just take a look at her top three tips that are sure to help all of us, whether our children are still babies or not!



In case you missed them, Erin's tips include:

• Set the scene: Shoot near a window using natural light and keep the background simple to avoid distractions. Use solid colored blankets and pillows or even a rug if you don't have bedding that works.

• Get close: The Macro setting on your camera allows you to get in close and capture even the small details.

• Be ready: Keep you camera handy with the battery charged so that you never miss a photographic opportunity. Using a high quality memory card such as the SanDisk Ultra SDHC card can actually help you take better pictures and never miss a shot.

While I found all of these important to keep in mind for photographing babies, I realized that I need to be sure to remember them for documenting my big kids as well! It seems like far too often that I realize that there is a messy or distracting background behind my girls, that I'm too far away for the picture to be all that interesting or that I don't know where the camera is when I need it.

Instead, thanks to Erin and SanDisk Memory cards, I'm going to aim to be much more prepared to snap, store and save with ease. What about you? What do you do to ensure that you take the best pictures possible?

I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for SanDisk. I received a product sample to thank me for participating.