Nothing is more precious than your little one smiling beautifully for the camera, but sometimes, these “darling moments” require a little extra effort. See below for tips to cultivate that picture perfect photo.

Plan ahead

Choose the time of day when your baby tends to be the happiest (for example, after a nap). Do all the things you know will eliminate fussiness, like feeding, burping, changing, and napping. Also, have your props and other necessities prepared ahead of time. If you are a sleep deprived mama like so many of us, it might help to make a list of what you’ll need, as well as the photos you'd really like to get.

Keep your baby interested

If you are using props in your photo, it often helps to wait until the last moment to bring the prop into the picture, this will help keep your baby interested and happy.

Get some help

If possible, it's nice to have two or three people to help facilitate the shoot . 

Person 1 is in charge of leaping around making silly faces and funny sounds.

Person 2 snaps the photo

Person 3 runs around adjusting the lighting, grabbing props, etc.

If you have friends with babies, you can even make a party out of it and take turns snapping pics.

Considerations for newborns

The best window to get those sleepy sweet newborn photos is before they are 8 days old. Newborns will let you move them around into all sorts of adorable poses—but as they get older, they become more aware and less malleable.

Take a break

Your baby isn’t used to the 9-5 work day, so feel free to take frequent breaks. When everyone is getting fussy—including you—just take a break and come back to it. Sometimes baby photo shoots go as planned, and sometimes they don't, but don't get discouraged. Taking breaks to recalibrate is often necessary.

Most important, don't forget to HAVE FUN and enjoy these darling moments with your little one.