Want to shoot like a pro? You can take great-looking photos at home with a do-it-yourself photo shoot that consists of lighting, a nice backdrop and your baby. Here’s how it’s done.

Hang a backdrop Use a large piece of fabric (a solid light-colored bed sheet works well). Hang the fabric from the wall and down to the floor so it fills the entire camera frame. Keep your baby a good distance from the backdrop so that the sheet’s creases are out of focus.

Light the shoot Light is one of the most important elements in a good photo, and natural light reduces the need to use your camera’s harsh flash. Find a room that receives a lot of natural light. If that light isn’t sufficient, supplement it with non-florescent lighting such as high-wattage reading lamps.

The light source should be in front of, not behind where you plan on setting up. For a more dramatic effect, shoot with light flooding your baby’s face from one side.

Getting ready Choose an appropriate time to shoot; babies tend to be in better moods after a feeding or nap. Get set up in advance and make sure your baby’s comfortable. Find something soft for her to lie on and keep the room warm.

Place your camera on a flat, steady surface and take dozens of shots. That’ll guarantee you’ll get at least a few great photos. Photograph more than just your baby’s face; shoot close-ups of her feet and hands.

Work quickly, especially if your baby can crawl. If she can’t sit on her own, pose her so she’s in a supported position. Don’t hide behind your camera—make sure your baby sees and hears you singing and making faces. If she’s fussy, stop the shoot and try again later when she’s in a better mood.

Capture the wonderful shots in a calendar for baby’s grandparents.

Make a baby calendar

In these times of hyper-documentation, parents often end up with thousands of photos, most of which remain on their computer. Here
are a few ideas for turning everyday baby photos into a collection you
can enjoy.

Get creative You’ll be amazed at how even the blurriest and most ordinary photos can look intentional and artistic in photo books. Strewn toys, mashed carrots and that row of pacifiers drying on the kitchen counter, they all make great moments in your baby’s photo book.

Get inspired Babies are like a blank canvas – so full of possibility and potential. And parents daydream about the wonderful things their little ones will achieve. So why not create a “When I Grow Up” photo book for your kids?

Make a baby photo book

As a parent, you take hundreds of photos every week and share them daily with friends and family. It can be exhausting—especially in those first few weeks while you’re still getting used to your new schedule. Here are three easy photo sharing tips.

Download Set up a digital filing system to stay organized. iPhoto does this for you. PC users can download their pictures into folders by year with sub-folders for month and event.

Upload There are several ways to upload photos from your computer to Shutterfly. The key is to maintain the naming conventions you started on your computer. Numerical dates like YYYY, MM (year, month) are useful for staying chronologically organized.

Share Our free private websites let you easily share photos and videos of baby so family and friends won’t miss a thing. Plus, you can access and manage your Baby Share site on the go with our Shutterfly Share sites iPhone app.

Create a Baby Share site

Photo books have many uses. Try out these ideas:

1. Create a fun storybook using your child’s favorite stuffed friend. This just might be the book that gets read every night.

2. Create a book about body parts, numbers or colors using photos of objects from baby’s life. It’s a great way to teach your child about the world.

3. Make the baby book you never had. Or recreate your old baby scrapbook with Shutterfly. It’s never too late to make one.

4. Introduce your little one to the most important people in his life by creating a photo book of close family and friends. Dedicate each page to a family member and write his or her name in the caption. You can even include pages for pets and favorite dolls.

Make a baby photo book

Taking care of a baby can be exhausting, leaving you little time to stay in touch with far-flung friends and family. Why not create a Family Share site?

Family Share sites are free private websites that let you easily share photos and videos. Plus, you can access and manage your Family Share site on the go with our Shutterfly Share sites iPhone app.

Tips for setting up your Share site:

1. Set up the website well before the due date. That way, you’ll have more time to choose a design, add features and invite members before baby is here. Plus, you can add photos from your baby shower and create links to your baby registry.

2. Set the permission levels on your site so that only the people you want to see the photos can have access. Ensure privacy by limiting access to members only or creating an optional password for all visitors.

3. Invite loved ones who have seen (and taken snapshots of) your baby to become members of your family website, and then give them contributor privileges so they can upload their photos. The more photographers, the more photos!

4. You can create a separate album or site page for each milestone or take regularly scheduled photos of your baby with the same backdrop, so everyone can see your child growing.

Create a Family Share site

At week one, you’ve already started accumulating meaningful stuff. Like the hospital bracelet. And the card from the hospital with that cute little footprint. Add to that all of the congratulations cards and emails and you’re already on your way to creating a full feature documentary about your baby. It can be overwhelming.

Enter: baby photo books. Capture all of baby’s moments big and small. Then scan some of the things you collected or keep them safe in a Memorabilia Pocket. Or you can also leave a blank space on one page with the caption “first haircut” and attach a little cellophane pouch with a lock of hair.

Make a baby photo book

Frequently Asked Questions

We proudly announced the birth of our child via email to our friends and family. My mother thinks it is proper etiquette to mail a formal birth announcement. Is this really necessary? Your friends and family would love to receive a beautiful birth announcement of your new baby. Hanging an email printout on the fridge just isn't the same.

What exactly do I put on the birth announcement? You’ll want to include the baby’s first name and middle name, the birth date, and baby’s weight and length. Finally, include the parent’s names and any sibling’s names.

Who should I send birth announcements to? Mail an announcement to everyone who would be thrilled to know you’ve had a baby. This would include your relatives, close friends and close friends of your parents and in-laws.

When should I mail the birth announcements? You’ll want to choose a design early. So when baby arrives, you’ll just need to fill in the details and order the announcements. Mail your card as soon as you can, but if it takes six months, don’t sweat it. People will understand.

If someone has already sent a baby gift do I need to send them a birth announcement? Someone who managed to send you a gift even before you sent out announcements is especially deserving of a birth announcement. You might also want to consider sending a baby thank you card.

I’d love to have my friends and family celebrate my second born, but I’ve heard it’s not proper to have a baby shower for a second child? What’s a mom to do? Why not have a Sip n’ See, a lovely Southern tradition. After your baby’s born, invite close friends and family over and serve something for them to “sip” while they “see” the new baby.

Make a birth announcement or thank you card