The first rule to live by with infant picture making is that, as a matter of appearance, they ARE the boss of this shoot. The entire procedure has to be designed around that fragile mood of this baby. But there are a couple of tricks of the trade you can use, professional or novice to get the best shot of that sweet baby.
Baby's respond well when they are fed and rested, with folks they know and depend on and when they get all the attention. As a result right off the bat, you as mom and dad can see to it that the shoot happens when condition number one has been met. At this point, that is not always easy. If you have an session to take the child to the get his or her portrait made at the local photography studio, that mood may not be the way you care for it to be.
That is why, if at all possible we would discourage taking the photographs in a studio. If you can set up a shoot at the baby's home, where there is a comfortable surroundings and much that is familiar around, you have many more chances to get that smirk that will make the portrait of a lifetime there. Nowadays that calls for a "house call" by the photographer but if he or she is a photographer that wants only the most excellent shot of the child, they will work with what you be looking for.
Another benefit of scheduling the shoot at children's home is that you be on familiar terms with when the baby typically is at his or her finest so you can schedule it when that time of day is just right. In fact if the photographer can show up during nap time, there is a lot of time to stage the shot before the angel awakens. And by eliminating the car trip to the studio, you take away a huge chance of that fragile mood going south en route.
A second tip comes from the fact that children like people they recognize. So if the photographer has time to meet the baby, play with him or her and get a connection started, then they will be more open to playful direction to get the shot you want. You will have to be witty how you bring in the camera as it can either be an object of concern or looked upon as a toy and the baby will want to play with it.
As far as the camera goes, think about the kind of equipment you will use to get that picture perfect baby portrait. You would like it to be portable, so you can do those on locality shots that work so much better. It should be small, both for portability and to not panic the child. Digital is best for the reason that you can shoot lots of shots and in no way have to reload. But make certain it's a trustworthy quality piece of equipment that will shoot at a high resolution so when you obtain that prefect shot, it will transfer to a photograph printing nicely.
By setting up the room with the kind of backdrops that will produce a good portrait, you can then have the baby begin to play with her or her toys and work together with parents, siblings or the photographer in a cheerful way. Before long that announce of the digital camera clicking and even the flash will become relaxed and the baby won't pay it any mind.
The greatest shots are of the baby laughing. Make an effort to get on the same height with the child as he or she plays. Mom and dad know the games that always get a silly laugh so exploit their inside information extensively. The baby will take pleasure in getting to know you and hearing those customary games coming from you should do well at getting that sweet laugh or smile you want.
By learning the baby's personality and how to get in sync with the child, you can coax pictures from the shoot that might otherwise be unattainable to get. And that is what you want from a portrait of a baby that you want to last a lifetime.