When Carter’s asked me to partner with them on a post about staging a great milestone photo, I was all in. Photography and documenting the growth of my children are two of my favorite things. It can be overwhelming trying to be creative these days, heck Pinterest alone can make any mama throw in the towel. The truth is you don’t have to be like anyone else and you can borrow ideas from others and not feel ashamed (because there really is nothing new under the sun and imitation is the highest form or flattery). I love it when people add their own flare or personal style to things so please don’t follow these instructions exactly because you have your own special touch. Here are my tips for staging a great milestone photo for your baby during his or her first year….and although this is a sponsored post for Carters, all thoughts and words are my own.
- First when taking any photo indoors you want to make sure that you are snapping by a window, open door or area that is letting in natural light. Before snapping your milestone photo make sure that there is enough natural light and turn off all indoor lighting.
- Choose a meaningful or clean area with little distraction as your designated milestone spot and stick with it for the next 12 months. The key here is consistency. You want your growing child to be the subject and not other miscellaneous objects. I like to use our bed because it has all white pillows and sheets but I’ve also see cute chairs, baskets, and or cribs be used for milestone photos.
- Use something to designate the month your child is turning, like the Carter’s monthly cards or a blanket with numbers or a chalkboard that you can write on.
- Add something special to your monthly photo… such as writing what you baby is doing that month that is different than the last and or add an object that they like in particular for that milestone. I chose to add a lemon to Zeke’s 9 month milestone photo because they were in season and we picked them from his grandmother’s garden.
- When editing your photo try not to “over edit”- meaning don’t add too many filters or make things look too perfect. You will want to remember things as there were, not how you perfect you think they should look. I use the VSCO cam editing app and my favorite filters for keeping things real are A4 an A6.
- Lastly, keep your baby looking clean and simple. I know it’s fun to dress your baby up in fancy clothes but save that for other photos. I believe the best milestone photos are taken when your child is looking clean and comfy like in a Carter’s basic playsuit or a plain diaper. Basic clothing like this accentuates your baby’s growing body rolls and all and that’s the best part!
Carter’s basics are true, soft, comfortable and so sweet. I’ve been using them since my first son was born and I have the best memories shopping at Carter’s with my mom and sis (that was pregnant at the same time with her first boy). Carter’s can also be found here…. Little baby basics or to find a store near you, click here.
Here is a special coupon for you to use. Hope you enjoyed and happy snapping!
XOXO,
