Wait a minute, you say. Why am I reading an article about how to take baby pictures? Uh, don’t you just get your phone or a camera and start snapping away when you see your newborn do a pose or make a face you like?

To an extent, but that basic approach can go only so far. Babies, like animals, are notoriously hard to photograph because, for one thing, they don’t understand English or any other language yet.

For another thing, babies do a lot throughout the day, and if you want to capture the most special of those moments, you pretty much have to be on the lookout at all times.

You can always do a professional photo shoot with a newborn photographer if you’re going for that professional, polished look. The pros always seem to know the tricks for getting just the right reactions out of babies.

So, what tips can you take from them? Here are some tips for taking the world’s cutest pictures of your baby.

Capture Progress

Babies do a lot, it’s true. One thing they do well? Grow up.

If you’re making a scrapbook of sorts or just capturing these newborn moments as they come, documenting your baby’s growth through pictures is a great idea.

Space out your photos at certain intervals, say once a week or month, whatever feels right for what you want to do.

You can go as long as you want, for years even, but if you keep up your progress, you will eventually have the cutest set of baby pictures to show your family for years to come.

Ensure Your Baby Is Relaxed

No matter what kinds of pictures you’re taking of your baby, one major tip for doing so the right way is to ensure your baby is feeling completely relaxed.

Babies cry a lot. They get upset about things that don’t matter to adults. It can be hard to photograph a baby that’s screaming its head off due to cold or hunger or a loud sound.

If you want your baby to be serene during this photo shoot of yours, or even to smile or laugh, make sure the setting is just right and that you won’t have any interruptions or distractions.

This is the best way to set your baby up for photographic success!

Interact with Your Baby

Babies and children of all ages learn how to be from us, the adults in the room.

Therefore, if you want your baby to do a certain something during your little photo shoot, look at you or touch your hand or reach for something, do your best to do what you would normally do during playtime.

You can even appear with your baby in the shoot so your little one feels even more comfortable. You can get some nice shots of you two together, including perhaps some surprise moments that no one was expecting! Cute baby pictures aren’t hard to get on your own, since babies are cute anyway. But if you want to do things just right, keep these tips in mind next time you pull out that camera!