Oh Baby! Photography we can’t resist…

We ventured into baby photography after surprising success with maternity photography. Our monochromatic photography style seemed as natural a fit to document little babes, as it was for bellies.

Here are a few thoughts we’ve learned on our path to being seasons baby photographers.

• Baby pictures remind us how precious new life is and how important it is to start.
• What’s the difference between baby pictures and baby portraits? We tend to imagine that baby pictures are equivalent to the cherished snapshots every parent takes of their child. A portrait is most often composed, thought-out and more polished than a picture.
• Getting baby portraits taken is an experience to savor. Baby photography is as delicate as babies are tender; we try to set a natural pace and you’ll hold this session as a fond memory.
• What can be difficult for a new parent is to get a striking image of themselves or the whole family with Baby when one of the parents is the photographer. For this reason many families recognize the importance of hiring a professional photographer to create imagery that will hang on their wall like art for generations.
• Baby photography can be tiring (for the baby)! We recommend minimizing stimulation prior to a photo session and scheduling appointments early in the day.
• Frankly, life is unpredictable. Sometimes you just get peed on. We advise parents to simply steer a peeing baby away from the body, to protect thy self (it’s much easier to wipe up the floor than change clothes) Funny thing is many parents get a kick out of hanging a peeing baby picture over the toilet.

One of the best compliments we get is that we take baby portraits that look like how a parent sees their child: the wonderful facial curves, plump lips, and sparkly eyes — all captured with our unique lighting and approach.

Baby Photography: The First Year Collection

There are so many wonderful moments in the first year that shouldn’t be missed of your baby. Photography of developmental milestones is one way to capture the amazing changes while building a professional photography heirloom for your child. The Campbell Salgado Baby's First Year Collection has packages based on the number of photo sessions you’d like during the first year, up to five. Choose the number of milestones you want to document from pregnancy—photography which you may not have considered—through baby’s first year. Package choices include books to framed art pieces and include birth announcements, DVD slide shows, social media imagery and more.

As an FYC member, you will also enjoy a print credit that you may use at your order appointment after each session. We offer monthly payment plans starting at $99 to make this investment easier on your wallet. But wait, there’s more! Below, you’ll learn what our resident baby photographers consider key times to have your baby photographs taken.

Choosing Milestones for Baby Portraits (Our Favorites):

• The Belly Session There is something so tender and memorable about maternity photography. We’ll capture the excitement of your pregnancy, the beauty of your body, and the love for your unborn child.
• The Itty Bitty Baby Session Any time from birth to one month old you’ll find the beauty and innocence of this time unmatched in infant portraits. Your baby’s eyes will never be filled with more wonder.
• The Tummy-Time Session From two to four months, your child’s little body will be growing. The smiles have arrived. Often, babies are able to support their head during tummy time.
• The Big Sit Session Between six and seven months your child may sit upright. Your child exhibits signs of the quintessential baby. With a gummy smile and an easy laugh, in terms of adorable baby photography this is not a time to miss.
• The First Birthday Session By now Baby is pulling up on furniture and tentatively exploring first steps—hallmarks of this age. There will never be another birthday quite like this one; don’t miss the baby pictures to document it.

Baby Photographers Capture Sweet Sibling Relationships in Baby Portraits

A new baby is as much a joy and challenge for your first-born children as it is for you. Some embrace the arrival of the littlest family member, and others are uncertain how to react. At Campbell Salgado we seek to capture the most tender, enchanting and funny moments in beautiful baby portraits.

Are they comfortable together? Adoring of each other? Still figuring each other out?

Knowing about this dynamic gives us insight we can use to photograph your baby, and is an amazing way to create baby portraits that will form bonds that show in family photography.

The Magic of Multiples in Baby Photography

Over the years we’ve been tickled pink and blue to take multiples portraits. From twins to triplets we have experience like none other to handle more than one baby. There is an art to multiples photography as we capture each child’s unique personality and expressions.

Tips for Better Baby Photography

We’ve been photographing babies for over a dozen years and thought it would be fun to share some tips for creating great baby pictures at home.

1. Be prepared. Have your camera ready; inspirational moments happen unexpectedly. In seconds, Baby could wipe that spaghetti grin into a spaghetti frown. Keep your camera near the play room, and stow it in the diaper bag on your way out.
2. Use natural lighting. Place your child close to a window and turn off the flash in your camera.
3. Compose a scene. It’s okay to arrange things without the camera in hand. Put the focus on Baby. Photograph the environment with distractions out of view, or at least after an impromptu cleaning.
4. Keep clothing simple. Solid colors or simple patterns keep the image about baby’s expressions. You can even forgo clothing altogether; naked baby photos are cute, and make us smile!
5. Get close, then far away. Fill at least one third of the viewfinder with your baby. This eliminates distractions when there isn’t time to remove them from the frame. Use your camera’s macro function and get close-ups of feet, belly buttons, hands. Then, put Baby on a couch or bed photograph them from across the room. This illustrates the size of your baby in greater perspective to the environment.

For more tips read our full blog post