Baby and Me

Taking pictures of babies is one of my favorite things to do. Ever. And I know many of you feel the same way. And nothing is sweeter than including their mommies in these shots. But, many mothers feel that they don't look good enough (haven't lost the baby weight, need to get the roots done, or have no make-up on) to be in a photo. In my years of portrait photography, I've heard all the excuses. None the less, I coherce even the most reluctant mothers to get in a least a few. And no matter what these mother's hesitations were, they always thank me for "making" them get in them. Of course, it works to my advantage as well because it's one of my tried and true method for getting my tiny clients to look their best. Using mom (or dad for that matter) as a prop is the perfect way to make the newest of newborns look, well, a lot less floppy. I know I've mentioned this "trick" a time or two and it does work like a charm. Even if there is only a mothers arms wrapped around a snoozy newborn, it's just enough to show that magical, mystical connection of mother and child. I am always thrilled to capture moments like this for other people. But what about for me? How can I get these kinds of shots with my own children. Well, although it seems close to impossible, I've got mad skills.

Here's me with my youngest when she was about 3 or 4 months old. Hello adorable. Who cares if you can't really see me...as in my face. But, I know it's me. And I'm holding my girl, with my hands, in my favorite sweater and jeans, in my living room. Yes, it's another in the mirror shot. I took the mirror off the wall, balanced it against some furniture under the window, sat across from it and shot away. Because she was watching me in the mirror it worked well. It took some patience, persistence, and planning but was it worth it? Without a doubt. I just might show more from the same day (they get better) in another post if you ladies share some of yours with me!

Do you have any fab photo that YOU took of YOU and your kids? Christy sure does. I'd love to see what you've got. Please share your links and ideas. I would really love to continue on this topic because I don't think there is anything as important as photos of us with our babies.

Comments

[mrscrumley]

Wow. I actually have one I want to share! One of the things I love about my camera is the flip out LCD screen. If I turn it towards us, Fuller loves to look at himself on the screen.

Here is my entry: http://crumleydotorg.chattablogs.com/archives/045430.html

[Pam]

I am never in the pictures. Occasionally I start to get upset with my husband, because I feel like he should want to include me in pictures so they will have them, God Forbid. But then I have to remind myself it is not just me he doesn't take pictures of . . . he doesn't take pictures of ANYTHING at all. :)

Here are some "self-portraits" with my babies:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/38515259@N00/397654124/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/38515259@N00/397654121/in/photostream/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/38515259@N00/397656845/

[Pam]

I am never in the pictures. Occasionally I start to get upset with my husband, because I feel like he should want to include me in pictures so they will have them, God Forbid. But then I have to remind myself it is not just me he doesn't take pictures of . . . he doesn't take pictures of ANYTHING at all. :)

Here are some "self-portraits" with my babies:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/38515259@N00/397654124/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/38515259@N00/397654121/in/photostream/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/38515259@N00/397656845/

[Mary]

I posted a few of my favorite mommy and baby pictures that I have taken. I seem to get the best pictures when we lay down on the bed and hold the camera above us.

http://austinmama.blogspot.com/2007/02/self-portraits.html

[Alissa]

Balanced the camera on a rock:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/alissaspics/118208694/in/set-72157594543107072/

Balanced the camera on a lawn chair:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/alissaspics/92631849/in/set-72157594543107072/

[Leah]

This one was so hard to get but I LOVE it.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/lakeline/249922042/

[ktjrdn]

I don't comment as often as I'd like, because sometimes the computer won't let me at work (where I read).

Here's a picture that my 2.75 year old daughter took of me and the baby. I set the camera on a tripod and let her push the button as many times as she wanted. She loves to play photographer.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ktjrdn/397771667/

And these, I used the auto-timer and propped the camera up on the edge of our sandbox.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ktjrdn/397771794/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ktjrdn/397771694/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ktjrdn/397771766

[Christy]

Tracey, I'll have to try the whole mirror thing b/c when my husband does take pictures there are usually no people in them--just fish, mountains, moose, bear etc. Nice pictures but not family.

The pictures you linked to I took with the camera on my mac, so kind of cheating, but like Mary I've also been successful lying on the bed. And its funny b/c I usually hate the pictures of myself when i first look at them but when I turn my critic off and appreciate the captured moment I realize it doesn't matter if I look tired or my hair is in my face or i'm not wearing make-up etc.

Thanks for this entry.

[Jaki Berggren]

Here is one of my absolutely favorite pictures of me with my son!

What a great idea for a post!

http://jjberggren.blogspot.com/2006/11/prize-mother-son-picture.html

[Chistina]

Long time reader, first time commenter! I really enjoy your blog and thought I'd get in on the fun!

A few self portraits of my and my daughter:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/christinator/390882611/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/christinator/357732421/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/christinator/321837396/

And altho this picture has no faces, it's my all-time favorite picture of us together. The first time my girl brought me "flowers."
http://www.flickr.com/photos/christinator/353527902/

[Island jen]

At first I thought I had none... But I remembered a few I've taken. One day I set up the tripod on the living room floor and snuggled with my boy using the timer.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/islandartist/304579864/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/islandartist/304579864/
at the park when he was really little:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/islandartist/112962423/

[Stacy]

LOVE that idea, Tracey!

The timer is a mommy's friend and I have used it many times. Now I have a remote and I love that even more!

This one is pretty recent using my remote:

http://the-kraft-family.com/WordPress/?p=317

This one is a pretty old one using my timer on my p&s:

http://the-kraft-family.com/v-web/gallery/Anya/ChristmasMattson_019

[Mommy Jen]

Here's one of my favorites with my son, taken by me one afternoon on our front porch:

http://picasaweb.google.com/mommyjenn/FavoritePhotos

[Jamie]

Here is a picture I took of my daughter and I a few weeks ago. She is looking at me like I am crazy.

http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h38/jamiecarman/100_4300.jpg

[RookieMom Heather]

We took this one using the timer mode and it took a couple tries but its one of our best: http://www.rookiemoms.com/jump-in-the-pic/

[sarah jane rhee]

I'm another one of those moms with a million photos of her baby and her partner and a handful at most of herself WITH the baby.

This is one of my favorites taken when Cadence was 7.5 months old:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sierraromeo/12906816/ My left arm was aching after I finally got a shot I liked.

Oh, and here's another oldie. This was when she was just a few weeks old:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sierraromeo/6956271

And since Leah posted that awesome one of her nursing little D. here's one of the few nursing shots I got (you can see my shirt and my thumb):
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sierraromeo/6956394/

And here's a more recent one:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sierraromeo/337016634/

Fun post, Tracey! Thanks for letting us share!