Taking Monthly Photos of Your Baby | 4 Tips For Getting Consistent Images

Our littlest baby just turned one and, aside from feeling nostalgic about how quickly her first year passed, we celebrated her very first year!  As mamas do, birthdays always prompt me to look at pictures of my girls to see how much they have grown and reflect on their year.  It’s something that has me smiling and teary-eyed; photographs can be so very powerful.  One thing that I did for both of my girls was take monthly photos of them, with a monthly sticker, to document their monthly growth.  It is such a special photography project, as babies change so quickly within the first twelve months and seeing their monthly images side by side is a testament to that.  It’s so amazing to see what a difference 4-5 weeks between images is!  Today, I took the final 12 month image of my baby girl, as she woke up on her first birthday.  As I edited it and put it with the other eleven images, I found myself so proud of how beautiful this photography project turned out, both for her and for me.  If you’re thinking of taking monthly photos of your baby, DO IT!  And if you need a little help knowing how to do it wonderfully, here are 4 tips that helped ensure I was happy with my final images.  Plus, I will share what gear I used, stickers I chose and favorite bow shop if you have a little girl!

For a complete guide on how I photograph my baby girl’s first year, be sure to read The First Twelve.  And to learn how I document our everyday moments between milestones, be sure to read The Everyday Photograph.

This post contains some affiliate links, which means I get a commission for items purchased through the link.  Thank you in advance for supporting my blog so I can continue inspiring you with new content.

Taking Monthly Photos of Your Baby | 4 Tips For Getting Consistent Images

Taking Monthly Photos of Your Baby | 4 Tips For Getting Consistent Images | Bethadilly Photography | www.bethadilly.com

Before I get to the tips, it’s important that you know that used my DSLR and my favorite everyday lens to photograph these monthly portraits.  I used the same gear each month to ensure the images were consistent.

1. Photograph at the Same Time of Day

One of the most important things about photographs is the light.  You want to make sure you are getting the best light for your images, as light is what will take an image from good to great.  Once you have decided when the light is best in your home, make sure you photograph your monthly images at that same time, each month.  Of course, it may shift and hour or so either direction as the seasons change, but aim for taking monthly photos of your baby during the same time of day each month to ensure that your light is consistent.  For my home and daughter’s nursery, mid morning was a great time of day for natural light so we did our monthly photos at that time each month.

To learn more about how I print photos for my girls, be sure to read my post about our baby’s first year photo album.

2. Use the Same Backdrop

One of the easiest ways to ensure consistency is to place your baby on the same backdrop each month.  Whether you sit them in a chair or place them on a blanket, make sure you use the same backdrop each month so that your images flow and turn into a consistent collection.  While your backdrop will be consistent, your baby will beautifully change each month.  For even more fun, you can use monthly shirt stickers (here are similar ones to ours)to declare their age and, if you have a girl, this is our favorite bow shop!

3. Photograph In The Crib

This is something that I did with my second baby that worked so much better.  Photograph in the crib!  This makes everything so much easier!  First, you can just put a white crib sheet on the mattress and, because it is fitted, it pulls tight to make the perfect crisp backdrop.  Second, your baby is safe at all times because they are safely in their crib, allowing you to focus on photographing and making silly faces to get the perfect monthly photo!

For full disclosure, we have this crib and use these crib sheets (they are our all time favorite, so soft!).

4. Edit Images Side By Side

After you use the same backdrop and ensure that your lighting remains the same by photographing at the same time of day, continue ensuring consistency by editing your monthly images side by side to ensure that your white balance, exposure, contrast and tint are all visually the same.  While the sliders may all be different when editing, editing side by side will allow you to visually match your images so that they visually flow in your final collection.

To learn more about how I edit my images side by side, read Why You Should Be Using The Reference View in Lightroom.

Taking monthly photos of your baby is a photography project that you will cherish forever.  After the 12 month photo series is complete and your baby celebrates their first birthday, be sure to enjoy your photos by placing them in a collage photo frame.  This is the photo frame that I have for both of my girls, showcasing their monthly images in the small slots and using the bigger slot for their first birthday portrait.  Of all the photography projects that I do with my girls, I really enjoy how visually impactful taking monthly photos of your baby is.  There is so much to  be said about how much babies change within their first year of life and photographs tell such a wonderful story of their first year.  To learn more about how I photograph my baby’s first year, be sure to read The First Twelve: A Guide To Photographing Your Baby’s First Year.

To read more about our everyday and to inspire your photography, be sure to check out what posts are trending below!

Taking Monthly Photos of Your Baby | 4 Tips For Getting Consistent Images | Bethadilly Photography | www.bethadilly.com

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