The K.I.S.S. method for baby photography

Remember that saying about "The K.I.S.S. Method?" Keep It Simple, Sista!  If you've been following along, you've seen my monthly installments of Penny's development and mini-photo sessions.
 

Having worked in the photography industry and being a hobbyist photographer myself, I know a few tricks to get the light to work for you.  My number one tip? Don't use the flash. Ever.  It creates unnatural skin tone, shocks your little client, and makes for that undesirable shadow. 

Sure, it's not the best picture I've ever taken but doesn't her skin look so much natural? 

Do those numbers look like gooblygunk to you? No worries ;) You don't have to know exactly what ISO or F-stop means to get good pictures. Just play around with the settings on your camera. Watch a few youtube videos. Digital is free; taking hundreds of pictures won't cost you a thing :) You don't need to be a professional photographer in order to take "pin-worthy" shots! Some of my best pictures were taken really off the cuff, when I allowed it to get fun rather than really try to create and sculpt the perfect shot. You don't always need backdrops or lights to get really good shots. Knowing about picmonkey for quick, easy editing is my second tip!

Photographer, author and educator Erin Manning provides her top 3 tips for capturing better newborn photos. Erin gives you advice on setting the scene and getting close to the baby for those perfect images, as well as using a SanDisk Ultra SDHC card to make sure she never misses a shot.

What is your tip for taking better pictures?

I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for SanDisk.
I received a product sample to thank me for participating.