In this episode, I cover picture ideas for a 6 month baby photoshoot at home. It’s my favourite age to photograph in the studio as they are very expressive, but at home, you have a great opportunity to capture moments more frequently.
Have fun, and experiment with different angles. As ever print the ones you love.
Listen to the Podcast:
Read the podcast transcript:
Hello, and welcome to the photographs in the shoebox podcast with me, Sue Kennedy. Today I wanted to chat about the photos to capture of your 6 month baby. I’m coming at this from the perspective of you photographing your own baby at home, rather than what would be your experience in the studio.
At home, you’ve got a little bit more flexibility about when you do the photoshoot. You can do, more frequent shoots, to capture those key moments.
But before, I dive into that, let me just remind you about my fun and free quiz. So if you are thinking about your baby’s first pictures and having some professional photographs taken, then please do head over to the quiz and discover their picture personality. It’ll take less than 90 seconds, and I will send you my top tips for preparing for a portrait session.
head to my website – suekennedy.co.uk/quiz-baby/ to get started and answer the questions that pop up. I promise you will know all the answers because it’s about your baby!
Today I wanted to chat through the photo ideas to mark the six month old milestone of your baby. It’s likely at this stage, they are doing two things.
- They are sitting unaided most likely or they’re certainly well on their way.
- And they have mastered expressions.
There’s gonna be heaps of personality coming through, and you are just starting to understand their little ways, which is, you know, a lovely moment. So let me walk you through the key moments I would suggest you capture at your 6 month baby photoshoot.
- Sitting up and if you chat to them, you’ll just see their expressions change. If you clap your hands, sing their favourite song, or do a silly dance that all helps too. I even had one mother who, when she sneezed her baby giggled, very random. I know, but whatever works. Their expressions change by the second, or it feels like. So, capture that.
- Lying on their backs and, and grabbing their toes. I mean, to be that flexible again, that would be lovely, but anyway, those days are gone, but for babies, that’s exactly what they do. And I think it’s a real feature of this phase.
- Bring in their favourite toys. If they’re starting to look at board books or they’re interacting with their Teddy bear, it often turns into more of a wrestle than a play, or it’s a throw across the room scenario, but they’re interacting with it.
- Yoghurt pot & spoon. If you’re feeling really brave and the weather is on your side, then you can maybe do this outside, give them a pot of yoghurt and the spoon and just record the results. It may get messy, but if you’re in your own home, you can decide what’s acceptable and what’s not.
- Crawling or rolling. They may be starting to crawl. Or rolling onto their tummy and trying to work it out. And they actually do work it out quite quickly. Um, so it’s a great photo to, to capture actually because they transition fairly swiftly. Um, it doesn’t take them long to work it out.
- Looking up at you and if you shoot from overhead and they’re looking down at maybe a book or something, capture that, cause then you’ll get all the eyelashes and the little details. It’s just viewing them from a different angle. You’ll be used to that angle as a parent, but in years to come, you’ll forget. And it’s nice to have some photographs to acknowledge that phase really.
- Their Signature Pose – they may also have a signature pose that they do. A particular way that they sit. Capture that because it may not last, they may go on to something else that is their thing to do.
- Fun shots to do are to sit them back to back with their Teddy bear. It gives a sense of scale.
- Interacting with their siblings or with other members of the family.
- Pinterest is a great source of ideas, but the only thing I would say there is just, don’t be intimidated by, the props and things like that. Use, use what you have. I always think photoshoots should represent you and your family and your style, not necessarily, outfits or accessories that you wouldn’t naturally have at home.
That’s why it’s fun to bring their little toys in. So if they’ve got a, a dinosaur that has gone everywhere with them include it because they may, you know, they may lose interest in a year or two’s time. I think above all, remember that they will do them 🙂
They are babies at the end of the day. So don’t stress about capturing any of these poses, you know, just work with what they give you. Anything you see suggested here or online is, really can only be a guide.
And if it doesn’t work the first time, you can always try it again. That is the fabulous thing about photographing your baby at home.
You can capture the range, you can capture it at any time. So times like when they snuggle, you know, when they’re starting to get ready for a nap, capture those moments when they’ve made a mess, eating new foods, capture that when they see a flower for the first time, or they discover a daisy in the grass. Hopefully, they won’t eat it, but, you know, just capture that moment where they are holding that daisy, that can be super cute.
I would try different angles too. Just have fun with it. You can always delete the ones that you don’t like, but you know that you can print the ones that you love.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on photographing your own 6 month baby photoshoot. I suspect it’s gonna be very different to what I experienced in the studio. It certainly was when I was photographing my daughter at this age, because obviously, I could do the best of both worlds, so to speak. But, I think it’s so important to have everyday memories as well. It is my favourite age to photograph. Particularly if they haven’t discovered crawling because they stay where you leave them. And they’re also incredibly expressive at this age.
Even if you’ve photographed them as a newborn, it’s a great age for the next photoshoot. I mean, you know, me, I’d photograph them all the way through, but life is busy for everybody. So if suddenly they were newborn and next time you look, they’re six months old, you know, try and get some photographs don’t miss out on this phase.
Anyway, that’s all for this episode. Bye for now.
About Your Podcast Host – Sue Kennedy of Sue Kennedy Photography
Sue is a professional portrait photographer based in Harlow, Essex and she specialises in baby, child and family portraiture. Being a parent, she understands just how special your child is to you and her aim is to produce a collection of images that are natural and meaningful to your family. No two moments are ever the same and she wants to perfectly capture those early precious memories and the natural character of your child.
For more information please call 01279 433392, or visit the Sue Kennedy Photography website.
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