This week we have a guest blogger, Megan! She is one of our lovely brand reps and wanted to give us some beginner photographer tips to kick off Cloth Shot A Day 2018. If you'd like to see more gorgeous photos by Megan check out her Instagram.
Hi! I'm Megan, I love reusable nappies and taking photos of my daughter, Brielle. She has the funniest little character and I love trying to capture it. When I am photographing her, especially her cute little butt in modern cloth nappies, there are a few guidelines I try to follow to get the best results. And I wanted to share them with you just in time for October, or as we in the nappy world call it "Cloth Shot a Day" month.
1. Natural light
I always aim to use natural light to its full potential. It is warm and generally pretty soft so you don't get much glare or harsh shadows in your photo. When you are taking photos outside you want to try and avoid the middle of the day, you are probably thinking "Why? It's when there is the most light!". You are right however the light is sitting right above you not providing any natural shadows and depth for your photos, just glare and awkward lens flares (the little spots of light that radiate across your photos or put little spots on them). The best times to take photos outside are within the first hours after sunrise and the last couple of hours before sunset. These are known as the "golden hours". The golden hours provide a warm natural glow on your subject which is what you are ultimately looking for.
When taking them indoors you can kind of manipulate the lighting with your curtains or blinds, however, if you don’t have enough light on your subject you will get that grainy fuzzy look to your photos.
2. Keep it clean
Avoid busy areas! They make your photo look messy and distract from the subject. That gorgeous cloth butt is what you want the viewer to focus on. I generally do a big arm sweep and push everything out of the way. If I am taking them in her toy area, I make sure to take photos after a nap or when she wakes up in the morning as it will already be nice and clean. Also take advantage of the simple things in life like chilling on the couch or a little snuggle with Daddy, even nap time! These moments are also so precious and generally pretty clutter free.
3. Wait till bub is in a good mood
This one is so important, make sure they are in a good mood! A grouchy baby or toddler isn’t going to get you the beautiful photos you are after. I am pretty lucky I can distract my little one with food or her favourite toys to get a quick happy snap. If I am truly desperate I’ll pull out the big guns: chocolate. Generally, I get the best photos just after a meal… aren't we all happier with a full tummy?
4. Positions
Now, let's talk about baby and toddler positioning. If you want that awesome OTB (on the bum) get baby to bend over, lean in or reach for a toy. if you have a toddler that follows instructions (wishful thinking, I know) get them to go pick things up for you, put out a puzzle or something that requires them to crouch like a train set or cars that they can be pushing around, books are great too. Immobile babies can be great because you can set up what you want for a photo and just plop them down at the last moment to get your photo.
5. Have fun!
The most important tip I can give you is to have fun!! They are your babies, not models make it fun for them and it'll be fun (and fruitful) for you.
Hopefully, this will help you take some great photos during October for Cloth Shot a Day and every day of the year.