Taking Great Newborn Baby Photos – Top 8 Picture Taking Mistakes And How to Avoid Them
Of course, you’re taking tons of photos of your newborn baby. It doesn’t matter whether your snapshots are blurry, overexposed or grainy to you because each picture captures a moment in your precious little one’s life. But whether you’re choosing to send photo birth announcements, present the grandparents with a framed portrait, or give someone a personalized gift containing the image of your little angel, there comes a time when you want your photographs to be great.
What stands in your way of taking wonderful photos of your newborn baby? Here are the top eight mistakes and what you can do to avoid them.
Mistake 1 – Using flash. Not only can a bright flash hurt your newborn’s delicate eyes, it can also startle your angel and make him cranky.
Instead – turn the flash off. Find a room where there is lots of natural light. But don’t pose the baby directly in front of a window, because the background will be very bright, but his face will be dark. Check to make sure that his face is not covered with shadows. He should seem bathed in soft light.
Mistake 2 – Choosing the wrong background. Grandma’s bright patchwork quilt may be a family heirloom, but it’s too busy for a newborn portrait.
Instead – Think soft. A rumpled, pastel solid color blanket is an ideal backdrop on which to place your baby. Position it so that it takes up the entire background in your camera’s viewfinder. As an alternative, you can have someone hold your child upright, with the pastel blanket draped over part of them as a background.
Mistake 3 – Dressing your newborn in a distracting outfit. Bright patterns, stripes, checks, plaid, and dark colors can overwhelm the photo and take the attention off your baby.
Instead – Choose comfortable clothes with plain, simple, soft colors. This way, your little angel will be the focus of the photo, and not what he’s wearing.
Mistake 4 – Picking the wrong time to take photographs. If you’re baby is fussy, cranky, tired or hungry, you will not get a good picture, no matter how hard you try.
Instead – Wait until after he has napped and been fed. A rested, happy infant is much more cooperative. As an alternative, try taking photos when your baby is sleeping. There is nothing more peaceful or adorable than a newborn who is sound asleep. A sleeping child makes a very cute picture and he’s very easy to photograph.
Mistake 5 – Not doing a last minute model check. Stray bits of food (and worse) can easily end up on your baby’s face, spoiling the perfect picture.
Instead – Carefully look over your little one right before you start clicking away, armed with a baby wipe, to make sure he’s camera ready.
Mistake 6 – Taking a photo with big brother or sister holding the baby in his or her arms. An older, larger child can overpower a tiny infant in the picture, making your little one practically disappear.
Instead – Try taking pictures with the older sibling’s face close to the baby’s face. The older child could rest next to your newborn, both propped up by pillows. Or he could turn away from the camera to look at the little one or place a kiss on his cheek. This makes for a more balanced photo.
Mistake 7 – Rushing to get the perfect photo during the first few days after your baby is born. If you have decided to send photo birth announcements, for example, you may feel pressured to get them out right away. But even the most beautiful babies have temporary imperfections right after birth.
Instead – Wait for a week or two. Your child’s appearance will improve dramatically, and his personality will start to show through his face.
Mistake 8 – Assuming you just captured the perfect shot, because it looked so good on the LCD screen in playback mode on your digital camera. It’s hard to adequately determine clarity and brightness of your photo while it is still in your camera, even if you zoom in to see the details.
Instead – Upload your memory card to the computer and examine the pictures on your monitor. Or have them printed as 4×6 snapshots. Before you order a poster sized prints, check them for sharpness and exposure. Make sure you take lots of snapshots, so if this particular one doesn’t live up to your expectations, you’ll have other options.
Taking great baby photos, suitable for more than framing, is within everyone’s grasp. You don’t have to take your newborn to a professional studio to get outstanding results. Just avoid these common mistakes, use a steady hand, and take plenty of pictures. And soon you’ll be hearing those oohs and ahhs over the wonderful photographs you’ve taken of your beautiful new child.
Linda Kling, as the owner of Photo Party Favors, has offered ideas to people celebrating special occasions since 1992. She recommends these photo birth announcements as a great way to show off pictures of your newborn baby. Visit her website for free printables, quotes about babies, party recipes, more.
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Taking Great Newborn Baby Photos – Top 8 Picture Taking Mistakes And How to Avoid Them
When is it OK to Touch Newborn Hamsters?
My female roborovski hamster, Hamoinee, gave birth to 6 beautiful babies on the 10th of March 2010. The babies were all so pink, cute and were squirming around the cage. At that point of time, I was so tempted to carry them because they were still so small and are not able to jump off my palm like how their mom does.
Luckily, I remembered reading some forum and they mentioned that touching newborn hamsters before a certain period will be fatal for the babies. So now, I am here to tell you When is it OK to Touch Newborn Hamsters and why you should not touch them before that period.
Allow me to define newborn hamsters to ensure that we are referring to the same thing. Newborn hamsters are fragile little pink things that squirm around their cage. Occasionally, they make sounds that are similar to those of birds chirping. This usually signifies that they are hungry or in need of attention from their mom.
After doing research on the forums and reading books related to hamsters, I gathered that it is OK to touch newborns after they are 3 to 4 weeks old. This is because, after 3 to 4 weeks, the hamsters will be able to eat and drink themselves and do not require their mom to feed them anymore. So once you see that your baby hamsters are wean, they are safe to be handled.
I hope you have learned when is it ok to touch newborn hamsters from my article and I want to mention that you should touch your baby hamsters, with a pair of gloves on, only if you need to do so. Wishing you and your hamster happiness!
Martin Sim is the co-creater of Hamster Cages. He has 8 roborovski hamsters and loves taking care of them.
Visit: http://Hamsters-Cages.blogspot.com to get your very own hamster cage now!
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When is it OK to Touch Newborn Hamsters?
Growth and Your Newborn
When there is a newborn in the home, family members can’t wait ‘til they’re big enough to crawl, walk and play with. But how fast does a newborn grow?
When babies are born, they come with some extra fluid. This is why it is perfectly normal for a newborn to lose a few ounces in the first few days of his or her life. A healthy newborn is expected to lose 7 to 10 percent of their birth weight, but should gain all that weight back about two weeks after birth.
During a newborn’s fist month, he or she continues to gain weight at a rate of about 5 ounces (141 grams) per week. Generally, a newborn baby grows in height about 1.5 inches (2.54 to 3.81 centimeters) during the first month. Many newborn babies go through a bit of a growth spurt when they are 7 to 10 days old, and again when they are 3 to 6 weeks old.
Cause for concern
Because a new born is so tiny, it is difficult to tell if he or she is gaining weight the way he or she should. Another cause for concern is if you baby has lost so much weight in the first few days or isn’t taking enough breast milk or formula. It is likely that your baby is perfectly healthy. But to ease your minds, have your baby checked by his or her pediatrician.
Growth and premature babies
Premature babies are often smaller and lighter than full-term babies. A premature baby’s weight will be largely affected by how early he or she was born. This is because the time an infant missed in the womb is time for growing, and he or she will make up for the lost time in the womb by growing outside of it.
Many premature babies are classified as having “love birth weight” or “very low birth weight.” In medical terms, “low birth weight” means weighing less than 5 pounds, 8 ounces (2,360 grams) at birth; while “very low birth weight” means weighing less than 3 pounds, 5 ounces (1,587 grams). In the United States, one in every 13 babies is classified as having “low birth weight.”
Premature babies are given special medical attention immediately after birth. A neonatologist – a pediatric specialist – may be needed in their care. Premature babies also spend time in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) where they receive medical care, including feeding and observation of growth.
What’s next?
Being born big or small does not determine a baby’s size during childhood or later on as an adult. Many small newborns grow up to become towering adults. Similarly, many big babies grow up to become cutesy adults.
By the time a baby reaches adulthood, he or she tends to resemble his or her parents in size. Genetics, as well as proper nutrition and your attention, will play a crucial role in determining how a baby grows in the future.
But whether your baby was born big or small, or somewhere in between, expect him or her to grow a lot in the next few months.
Deborah Williams is a child care expert consultant on a non-government organization promoting non toxic cleaning products and eco friendly cleaning.
BabyGanics is the manufacturer or non toxic cleaning products made with all-natural ingredients for effective and green cleaning.
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