Babies grow up so fast, don’t they? They’re born, and then it feels like a blink, and that baby has grown up. As such, it’s only natural that we want to keep those memories as fresh as possible – but how? Baby milestone photoshoots can be a fun and effective way to capture those memories into a concrete image to look back on over the years. If you’re looking for ideas to get your creativity started, look no further!

 Themes

Basing your photoshoot around a theme is ideal, and because this is a milestone photoshoot you’re capturing, the theme is 90% taken care of for you! Things like commemorating their first smile might be a bit more difficult since you’ll need to wait around for them to replicate it – or go with the ironic option of picking a time they have a grumpy face while everyone around them is smiling! Of course, you aren’t restricted to having to match milestones with themes. You might want to tie it to the season. For example, a milestone that occurs during winter might be accompanied by a photo that plays up to that – in the snow or in wet weather gear, depending on how winter looks in your part of the world. Another idea is, depending on your child’s age, matching the theme to their likes – favourite book characters, for example. And it’s amazing how early they do start developing preferences, so make sure to keep an eye out for them!

 Outdoor Settings

In line with choosing a theme, picking your setting might be important to you – and that means you don’t have to just stick to your living room. Head out to your local park, head down to the beach or, if you’re lucky enough to have them in your town, something like a botanic garden. Depending on the type of day it is, the natural light can make for a gorgeous photo. As for matching up setting and theme? That’s entirely up to you, but you could try spreading a cute, clean blanket in a park to capture your baby rolling over, or standing near flowers or trees to show that they’ve learned to recognise your face or have begun smiling as you hold them up. Maybe they’ve taken their first steps – a warm day at the beach, taking steps across the sand could be something you might like to do.

 Props

Using a few props can help really set off your photo. Grab a stacker to put beside your child who is now sitting up – or choose your favourite Fresh Food Feeder colour and style to capture their journey through trying new foods! Using things such as the Feeder has the added bonus of keeping your wee one occupied just long enough to take the photo you want, which is especially great since sometimes you might end up having to cancel your photo ideas if bubs isn’t into it. In fact, the props don’t even need to match the theme. If it makes your child happy to have something with them, that can only be a good thing, right?

Include the Family

If setting things up in themes with props just isn’t your cup of tea, you most certainly are not alone. That doesn’t mean you can’t snapshot unforgettable memories anyway, though! Include yourselves as parents, siblings, pets – any family member you want to include! Some of the photos that get taken that end up lasting the longest are the less staged ones. A quick candid photo showing everyone’s emotions in the moment will bring back those feelings every time you look at them.

Ultimately, what works for one family won’t work for another, and that’s perfectly ok. Likewise, it’s also absolutely fine if photoshoots just aren’t your thing at all, and instead prefer going the 100% candid path. But for those who like to set up something a little fancier once in a while, there are so many ideas out there you can try – and those photos can then make great gifts – whether digital or physical.