Memories are best kept through photographs. This is especially true if the memories we want to capture are fleeting and temporary. Our precious babies are on top of the list of the memories that we want to preserve. We knew how fleeting they can be because they grow up so fast. One day we enjoy the sight of them crawling in their bed, but time passes so quickly that we cannot even imagine how they have grown so fast.
Since time flies urgently, we want to take advantage of every single minute while they are still so tiny and cuddly. All parents agree that witnessing every milestone they reach is indeed worth to be captured. Thus, photography nowadays becomes so essential. We can’t even let go of our phones every time we are with our babies since we want to be always ready with our camera to snap every single special memory of them.
At times though, candid and informal shots we usually make through our camera phones may not be sufficient enough for us parents. We may think about the quality of pictures that our camera phones make does not give justice to the cuteness of our bundle of joy. And so we want to have professional-looking photography that’s more formal with costume, background, and themes. But, budget is another thing to consider.
Many parents, especially moms who usually take care of budgeting would not even consider having a photography session of their babies, thinking they can’t afford to pay or hire a professional photographer. This is a sad reality. Photographers are a bit expensive and only a few parents could spare some budget for this.
Good thing many freelance photographers are sprouting nowadays whose charges are quite cheaper than having photography in studios. But did you know that you can even be a professional photographer just in the comfort of your home? Yes! You can have your DIY baby photoshoot at your home that’s more convenient and economical.
Professional photography may have an advantage because of its studios which have various built-in backgrounds to choose from. This may be a challenge for DIY photography but it doesn’t mean it’s unachievable. It is very doable even with busy moms like us. You just have to take advantage of basic things you may have at home. Here are 7 outstanding backgrounds that you can try at home for your first-ever photoshoot for your baby.
1. Curtain Background
Whose house doesn’t have curtains? Of course no one. All of us have curtains at home and we even own more than one set of them. This basic accessory at home can be a great material for the background you want to have. Depending on the available colors of your curtains, you can match the theme of your photography and the outfit of your baby to the selected curtain for good color coordination in the photograph. The best color for curtains as your background are those with pastel colors or floral-themed curtains. The playful yet innocent personality of your baby will exude in the picture with this kind of background.
2. Colorful Balloons
Balloons always manifest a festivity mood. It’s an all-around accessory and would always showcase bliss and ecstatic feelings. Thus, you can never go wrong with having these as background for your baby’s photoshoot. All parties cannot be complete without a balloon arrangement. So it will always be a blast every time balloons are in use. You may need to purchase these, except if you have extras at home from parties, but the cost is very minimal, and yet you will have awesome captures of your cute baby. You can freely style and design the balloons as an accessory to your background. You can watch a tutorial on shaping your balloons on different objects. It will surely make your baby show their warm smiles while you enjoy capturing every beam of their face.
3. Natural Outdoor
Nothing beats the natural light that the outdoor scene offers. No need to go somewhere else. You may take advantage of your backyard or a free park in your neighborhood to have that natural light that makes it perfect in every capture. Though you may need to take note of the time of the day when the best lighting appears. They say the best lighting appears 1-2 hours after sunrise and 2-3 hours before sunset. Try catching these times of the day. Even if your babies are asleep during this time, you can still have a great capture of them while sleeping soundly. The outdoor background is always refreshing and inviting so having a photoshoot outdoor doesn’t limit you as to the style and theme that you want.
4. Plain White Tulle with Fairy bulb lights
A magical and fairy-like theme for this background makes an enchanting capture. All parents may agree that we felt a magical and indescribable feeling after that first glance we have with our well-loved baby. So this theme perfectly describes such an unforgettable moment we have with them. Though this set-up may be applied to your baby boys, this best fits your baby girls who will surely manifest a heavenly aura. If you don’t have any tulle and fairy bulb lights at home, this will not cost you much. You can even recycle these items for your next photo shoot session or lend them to other moms who also want to have a photoshoot like you. You may also accentuate it with flowers if your baby is a girl. This will show the soft and feminine side of your photography.
5. Lacey fabric
Mothers do love laces. I’m sure you may have hidden some lace fabrics inside your drawer or a lacey dress that you once wore at a special event. Grab those hidden laces and lay them down with your babies for a majestic outcome. Lace never goes out of style so it is ideal to be used as background, especially for our babies. Though, caution must be observed as you use lacey fabric. Some of these are rough-textured and may irritate your baby’s sensitive skin. If you will not take note of this, this will sooner turn a good mood into a bad one and your photoshoot session might be canceled. But if lace fabric is soft, it will no doubt convey sophistication and elegance which makes a great picture. It is also said that lace symbolizes purity and innocence thus perfectly fits the innocent look of your babies. Lace fabric may be expensive so I don’t recommend you buy one. You may ask around your friends and I’m sure someone out there will lend you one.
6. Floral Background
Go vibrant and eye-catching with this floral background. You need not buy fresh flowers or even dried ones because both are expensive. You can take advantage of your own garden’s blooming flowers or if you don’t grow your flower-bearing plant, you can always make use of your plastic flower display at home. After all, it doesn’t make it visible in the picture if you use fake or real ones. They all look good in the camera and add natural beauty, especially with your adorable babies with it. To set this up, you can have any plain colored background and randomly attach and scatter each bunch of flowers in the fabric that you will be using. Make sure the tape you use to attach these flowers will not be visible in the camera so it won’t spoil your background.
7. Colorful Cut-out Crepe Paper
You can have an instant striped background with this very cheap material. Crepe papers come in different colors and they are long enough to cover one strip of the background. Cutting out these papers length-wise will give you multiple colored and long strips of paper that you can hang on a curtain rod or any wood as it freely flows downwards. Just like balloons, it creates a festive look because of its vibrant colors. You can cut out as many strips as you want depending on the kind of background you try to achieve. Your babies will be captivated by the colors of it while it hangs and swings gracefully as the air strikes. Who knows, your baby will grin excitedly as she looks at those backgrounds which will allow you to capture the authenticity of your baby’s facial expression. Just be alert in capturing those fleeting expressions.
These are just but a few easy ways to DIY your background. There are still many styles that you can choose from. You can even combine the different backgrounds and experiment with them. Be free in styling and be creative. After all, above anyone, you knew well your baby and what fits them. So better plan ahead and prepare. Be ready for your plan B in case plan A won’t push through. Remember, your baby may only stand the photoshoot for a few hours. They are also sensitive and delicate so we should be in a double hurry in carrying out photography with our babies before they get into a bad mood or sleepy. So, to all mommies out there, enjoy your photoshoot bonding with your baby and loved ones.
