If it’s your first baby, you are probably taking tons of photos. (Don’t worry, you’re normal.) But as you look over your recent photos, how many of those photos have you in it? If you’re like most of us, there’s probably not too many. But this is not good. Yes, your baby is new and special and the most glorious thing in your world, but YOU are part of your baby’s world, and it is important to capture the memories you share. By taking selfies (or selfie pictures) regularly, you are creating beautiful (and complete) memories to look back on over the years.
Here are some practical tips for taking beautiful selfies with your baby.
Use Burst Mode or Live Photos
Babies aren’t always great models. They wiggle and get distracted, often looking everywhere but the camera. When taking a photo with a baby, it’s best to use burst mode or live photos. These functions allow you to take several pictures at once without having to reset each time. Afterward, you can scan through and select the key moment when your baby is smiling and has their eyes open.
The live photo setting also lets you capture short video clips of you and your baby together. You can put these together in social media videos to create interactive glimpses of those precious moments.
Find Good Lighting
Lighting is everything when capturing selfie pictures with your baby—the better the lighting, the better the photo.
A setting with natural, forward-facing lighting is optimal for taking selfies. Try to avoid facing the sun or using the flash when taking selfies with your baby. Both are bad for your baby’s eyes and make it more likely to get closed eyes or squinting selfie pictures. Facing the sun also increases the risk of the “selfie shadow” from your phone.
If finding the right light is a struggle, try a light attachment for your phone, or easier yet – adjust your photo brightness and contrast with an app like Facetune.
Choose the Right Timing
Try to plan your selfie sessions for optimal times in your baby’s schedule. Consider when your baby is the happiest and most cooperative, like shortly after eating or a nap, perhaps. If your baby is due for a nap or a feeding, he or she is less likely to go along with your selfie plans.
Try a Tripod
While holding a newborn for a photo is relatively straightforward, it can be challenging to balance your baby while trying to find the right angle, lighting, and stability for a high-quality image. Consider getting a small tripod to hold the phone so you can get great selfie pictures with your baby. You can find phone tripods with bendable legs that wrap around posts and fixed points so you can capture a great selfie wherever you are. Lots of tripods also come with a lighting attachment, so you’ll always have great lighting and free hands to play and pose with your baby.
Try Mirror Selfies
One of the common challenges when taking a selfie with a baby is getting them to look into the camera. Babies will often ignore the phone or try to grab it (and put it in their mouths if they’re teething). If your baby is over the selfie experience, try taking a mirror selfie instead. Babies love mirrors! Mirrors are fascinating because babies love seeing their reflections. A mirror selfie is a great way to snap some candid photos with your baby while keeping them engaged. It is almost guaranteed to work, especially if you’re doing something entertaining.
Forget Perfection in Selfie Pictures
The golden rule of taking the perfect selfie with your baby is to let go of perfection. Before you start, choose to enjoy yourself and the process. Don’t worry about capturing a professional-looking photo—your goal is to capture beautiful memories and document this amazing time with your baby. It’s better to be in a few photos with messy hair, tired eyes, and a genuine smile than to worry about looking your best or creating content.
With these practical tips, you can capture amazing selfies with your baby. Cherish this time, document the experience, and have fun with the process.
