Thru My Photos

Surprise friends and family with an online album of your best shots. From an album on KODAK EASYSHARE Gallery for example, they can even order prints of their favorite pictures and have them sent to their homes.

You may be surprised to learn that cloudy, overcast days provide the best lighting for pictures of people. Bright sun makes people squint, and it throws harsh shadows on their faces. On overcast days, the soft light flatters faces. Indoors, try turning off the flash and use the light coming in from a window to give your subject a soft, almost glowing appearance.

Capture others with the baby—Big Sister feeding the baby, Grandpa dancing with his baby granddaughter. Or introduce two babies to each other and catch that instant bonding in their eyes.

An uncluttered background focuses attention on the subject, resulting in a stronger picture. Place your subject against a plain, non-distracting background. Alternatively, sometimes just moving yourself (and the camera) a few feet one way or the other can eliminate distractions from view.

Start by shooting at the baby’s eye level. Prop the baby on someone’s shoulder. Or line up several wee ones on the sofa. Then try something different—stand on a (sturdy!) chair and shoot down at the baby in the crib.

Fill the camera’s viewfinder or LCD display with your subject to create pictures with greater impact. Step in close or use your camera’s zoom to emphasize what is important and exclude the rest. Check the manual for your camera’s closest focusing distance.

A smirk, a frown, a wail—capture all the emotions, not just the pretty smiles. Babies are uninhibited and uncensored. Show it in your pictures.

Catch each step of baby’s development—the first smile, the first bath, the first tooth, the first step. Babies change so rapidly, make sure you capture all the milestones before they become history. Or show a day in the life of baby. From the morning’s waking stretch to the evening’s yawns, track your child for one full day. You’ll have a series you’ll cherish for years to come.