A huge thanks to my wonderfully talented father-in-law, the photographer Don House.  Most of the information in this article came from a conversation with him.  Thanks Papou!

Cuteness. It's what you want for christmas!

We all want gorgeous photos of our newborns, especially during the holidays, when we want to share photos of our precious bundles with those near and dear.  How to get these photos, though, without the use of a professional studio and photographer, can be a mystery.  With just a little bit of planning, you can take gorgeous newborn christmas photos.

The Composition

Look behind, around, and in front of your baby through your camera’s viewfinder.  What do you see?  Is there something included in the photo frame that would take away from the main focus: your baby?  Does it look like there is a lamp that is mysteriously sprouting out of the babies head? Clear out the clutter so that there is not a lot of “stuff” to take away attention from your little one.  One or two holiday items in the photo are enough to let people know it is a christmas photo without cluttering up the photo.

The Lighting

Lighting can turn a wonderfully composed and planned photo into a washed out snapshot with harsh shadows.  There are a couple of things you can do to avoid this.

A photo that is washed out from a too bright flash.

The same photo, but taken without a flash using the natural light.

Use the natural light from a big window.  Natural light from a window casts a soft glow across your baby that is beautiful.  Set up your photo area right next to the largest window in your house.

Hang a thin white sheet in front of a lamp to diffuse the light.  Use thumbtacks to hang the sheet from the ceiling or have someone hold it for you.

The Mood

A sepia toned image has a soft and warm feel.

Consider if you want black and white or color (or sepia, which almost all computers will do for you).  Black and white photos have the magical ability to focus the attention of the viewer on only the image, in this case your baby.  Bright or contrasting colors can often distract attention.  However, if part of your composition includes the use of a bright color (like a red santa hat), then color may be a good choice.  Just remember to look at ALL the colors in your composition to make sure you do not have too much of a good thing.

Remember, you love your child like no one else, and that love will come through in your photos.

Capturing the love between a baby and momma is magical, no matter what the season.