5 DIY Beach Photography Ideas For New Moms

Beach Photo Ideas For Babies

Summer is here and most of us will be going to a beach at some point during the summer.  Whether, it's a repeat trip to the beach with your baby or first time taking your toddler the beach is an amazing setting for some do-it-yourself baby photography.  I'm sure you've seen your own beach pictures when you were a toddler and thought, that's awful.  Of course our parents did their best with the primitive tools they had.  And some of you might not even know where to begin or what shots to take.  Well, I'm here to tell you it's not hard!!  All you need is a camera, the beach, a few props and your baby.  Further down you can see some prop ideas but for now here are five posses you can try.

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View of Back with Beach Background

Baby Beach Photography Ideas--Back View

Portrait photos are not the only types of photographs that can be made at the beach.  Some of the best photos can be while your baby or toddler are not evening looking at the camera.  I simply positioned myself behind my baby girl, knelt down, focused and waited for her to do anything interested.  In this photograph she is simply looking out on the water  with the wind blowing through her hair while  with her right hand running her fingers through the sand.

TIP: Knee down to their level.

Closeup Portrait Face

You really can't go wrong with a baby face portrait!  Although , you  want to make sure it's as perfect as it can be. The best time to do any photography, especially portraits is in the morning before 10 am  and after 3 pm.  That has always been my general rule but you know that when there is a baby added to a timeline that  photography rules can be broken.  The best thing you can do in the case of a closeup portrait is to have the sun on your baby's back  so at least there is a bit of a shadow.  See photo above.  The other tip is to focus on the eyes.  I used a prime 50mm lens, 1.8 aperture which basically means it is a 50mm lens that can't be zoomed in and out.  The large 1.8 aperture allows the camera to focus on one spot, say the eyes, while the rest begins to blur out. 

TIP:  Have their back towards the sun.

Favorite Camera Lens: Canon 50MM 1.8 lens

Crawling on the Sand

Not all photos need to be when your child is looking into the camera.  I'm a firm believer that the best photographs are the that are unexpected and spontaneous.  So relax and let your beautiful baby play in the sand, crawl or run and snap away.  

TIP:  Relax and get down to there level.

Feet in the Sand

Beach Props: Starfish, Shells, Sand Buckets

There are many props that you can use when doing beach photography of your baby.  Besides having a summery, straw hat I had her play with a large seashell, starfish and sand bucket.  These can easily be bought at the local beach or online.  These photos were not posed or anything.  I just let her play on her own and kept a watch for the perfect moment and clicked away.  

You can't go wrong with this one!  This is an easy photo to take.  You can take closeup photos while they are sitting or standing on the sand.  Or even get your husband or friend to hold your child with their sandy feet up in the air with a lot of white space around.  Also, not all photos need to be focused in the center.  

Starfish / Shells / Sand Buckets / Straw Hats

 

You really don't need anything expensive as far as props for your baby beach photography.  The starfish, seashells and buckets can be bought at your local craft store (cheaper) or even online.  The five poses I mentioned are not the only ones either.  Be spontaneous and have fun with your shoot.  

Have fun and don't forget the sunscreen!!

Comment below and share your beach photos and share this post!