Me Ra Koh's Tips for Creating Your Family's Photo Story

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Me Ra Koh's Tips for Creating Your Family's Photo Story

Photographer Me Ra Koh gives you tips on documenting all the stages of your baby's life from her new book, "Your Baby In Pictures."

Your Baby in Pictures by Me Ra Koh
Celebrated photographer and regular guest expert, Me Ra Koh, has a bestselling book for everyone who loves capturing babies! Whether you are a new mom, shopping for the perfect Baby Shower gift, or turning your photography passion into a paycheck, you will love Your Baby in Pictures! It’s full of tips for finding great light, easy camera settings that will change your photos overnight and common mistakes to avoid. But that’s not all! There are FORTY of Me Ra’s favorite Photo-Recipes for your baby’s first year! Me Ra highlights ten Photo-Recipes for our readers to enjoy today!
0 Month Shot
The first thirty minutes of a baby being born is chaotic and amazing all at once. Be prepared for a tough lighting situation. Whether it’s day or night, the curtains will probably be drawn. When the nurses lay baby down to be measured and weighed, they turn on a heat lamp to keep baby warm—which fortunately also provides good light for photos. Whoever is taking the photos should squeeze their way in as Daddy and the nurses huddle around baby being measured. When you can’t squeeze in any longer, make sure to have a chair behind you so you can stand up high and shoot down.
1 Month Shot
You can take bath photos anytime, but in the first few weeks of life, babies tend to be super quiet in their movement and focus on you. If your bathroom is like mine, you’ve got tough lighting to deal with. For this image, I turned off the bathroom lights and let the skylight be the only illumination. If you don’t have that option, I suggest turning on all the lights. Consider making the image black and white because it highlights emotion much more, and also does away with horrible bathroom lighting (or distracting outdated wallpaper!).
2 Month Shot
One of my favorite newborn details is the fleeting hair swirl. As with many of the newborn details, the hair swirl will be gone in the blink of an eye. Before it disappears, try to capture this part of their sweet story. Position your subject near a window, holding your baby as shown. Lean against the window or a wall to make your body still and stable, like a tripod. To emphasize the hair swirl, I got in closer to the baby so I could fill my frame. If your camera won’t let you get in close, use your zoom feature.
3 Month Shot
You can recognize the sound in any setting: the unmistakable, tiny cry of a newborn. They can be so upset and surprisingly loud. But the cry is unique to the newborn because it’s fragile and furious at the same time. Without sounding cruel, you must capture your newborn’s cry. If it’s any consolation, they won’t remember you doing this, but they will love the photos when they are older! What if you have a happy baby? Newborns will often cry if they get cold, so try undressing your little one (without the heat turned up), and see what happens. I feel so mean saying that but it does work.
4 Month Shot
Babies love little surprises. At three to four months, the peekaboo game comes alive. For this shot, have Dad prop up baby high enough on his chest so baby’s face is looking over his shoulder. Bend down behind Dad and play peekaboo with your baby. Do it the old-fashioned way by covering your face and popping out with a big smile, or bounce up and kiss your baby and then squat back down. Do whatever you can to get your baby engaged in looking over Dad’s shoulder to find you. When baby is totally enthralled, squat down and shoot up into baby’s face.
5 Month Shot

A five-month-old baby, propped up against Mom, has the opportunity to look all around and see a view that was never available from his bouncer seat. But the view they still love most is Mom herself. Take some time to capture a few shots of this precious pre-sitting stage. Before you know it, your baby will be sitting up all by herself. The best time to take this type of image should be when your baby is most relaxed. Look around your house for a “simple” setting. You are looking for a space where Mom can comfortably lay down on her side. You also want the space to convey a sense of quiet to help enhance the intimacy of this milestone moment. To help achieve this look and feel, make sure your setting has simple surroundings: The less clutter in your image, the more peaceful it will be.
6 Month Shot
With all the flashing, noise making, baby toys available, it is always exciting for me to see what baby chooses as their “favorite” toy. Nine out of ten times, it’s a regular household item found in the Tupperware drawer. Or what about that remote control?! Capturing the unexpected favorite toy will be the detail that will make everyone smile for years to come. Be mindful of being an observer, and let your baby get wrapped up in exploring the toy. Capture an image that shows your baby playing with the toy rather than looking at the camera and smiling. Instead of focusing on baby, focus on the toy.
9 Month Shot
What wouldn’t you give to have those chunky baby legs never disappear, especially those thighs. As your baby approaches her first birthday, you’ll be amazed at how she starts to slim down. So capture those big, kissable, squeezable baby legs as soon as you can! Find a table or countertop with great window light. Have Mom wear a black dress and hold up baby from behind (no need for fancy backdrops! Feel free to keep it simple.) Notice how I framed the image at the top so it doesn’t cut baby off at the shoulders or neckline. It’s important not to frame your subject so her joints are cut off. Focus on baby’s legs, diaper, or her belly button—all three will work great!
12 Month Shot
Your baby has gone from being held up by you, to holding onto the nearest couch or coffee table, and is now standing on her own! Do you have any sweet baby shoes? This is a great time to get them into the photo! Try this photo outside on a firm surface. Stay away from grass or sand—not only does it make it tougher for baby to balance, but it will also hide those sweet shoes! A vertical photo also accentuates how little your baby still is and how tall she’s trying to stand. When thinking through your composition, make sure the background adds to the story you are trying to tell. If it doesn’t, blur it out or get closer to frame in tight.