Professional Photographers Ottawa | Smiling Babies. One of the biggest stressors leading up to photo sessions is often “how will my baby react?”. There is traditionally a lot of focus on smiling and looking at the camera for photos. Thankfully in recent years, it’s becoming the norm to take both candid and posed photos at sessions. We spend a lot of time preparing parents for photo sessions so they know what to expect from their baby on the big day.
While it’s beautiful to capture smiles, adults don’t smile all the time and babies certainly don’t either! The 12 month milestone is a time of exploration, wonder, and anxiety for many babies, which is why it’s important to embrace all the beautiful facial expressions they make on the day of their session.
They’re Still Learning the Ropes
Smiling for a photo is a skill that takes time to develop. At this stage, babies are busy taking in all the new sights, sounds, and textures. It’s natural that babies are in more of a ‘serious observer’ mode than ‘cheeky grin’ mode at their first birthday session. When we give them an activity to do during the session, we get a lot more beautiful photos because they are focused on exploring and “doing” and tend to react with more enthusiasm and wonder.
Feelings, Feelings Everywhere!
Babies experience a whirlwind of emotions, and they wear them on their sleeves, or rather, on their sweet little faces. From curiosity to contemplation, from wonder to just plain ‘ole tiredness, every expression is a window into their developing personality. Embracing these candid moments allows you to capture the reality of what it’s like living with your baby as they start to transition to toddlerhood. As parents we remember the happy moments but we also remember the other emotions our babies express. One day you’ll look back and laugh about how angry they would get at having bare feet or how big their eyes got when they were in a new situation.
As a parent with teens and a tween, I can tell you that when I look back at their baby photos I am grateful for all the expressions and emotions we captured. Some of my favourite photos are the ones taken during intense moments of curiosity, sadness, and irritation because they transport me back to what my child’s personality was like during that stage of their life.
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