3-Month-Old Photo Ideas to Hold Precious Moments

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3-month babies are undeniably cute but they are also fragile. Besides, at this period their traits start to develop. No wonder, parents want to document such precious moments and marvel at these in the future. The most touching 3-month-old photo ideas you can try are capturing the baby’s tiny hands in the mother’s palms, the first attempts to hold a head, genuine smiles, and the most heartwarming emotions.

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1. Photograph a 3-Month-Old Baby with a Favorite Toy

3 month old photo idea with toy

Even if a baby doesn’t have a favorite toy, the house is likely to abound with various playthings, so choose something that can perfectly complement the composition. It is better to opt for something soft like a teddy bear or a blankie. In fact, you can take yarn and “write” a kid’s name with it.

3 month baby photoshoot ideas at home with toy

A really sweet 1 to 12 month baby photo idea is to photograph a baby next to a favorite stuffed animal on the same background. Do it every month to get a pack of images that depict your child’s growing up. Undoubtedly, these images will bring tears to your eyes over the years. If you have a baby-friendly pet, you can photograph him/her instead of a toy.

2. Save Details

3 month old photo idea with details

Babies grow whoppingly quickly, so make sure to take 3-month milestone pictures that allow tracing nice details, interested gazes, and cutie smiles. You can get very winsome images even without changing angles and orientations all the time.

  • Close up headshot – focus on changing expressions
  • Full-body
  • Half-body top
  • Half-body bottom
  • Feet and hands, fingers and hands

3 month milestone picture with details

If you plan to create a collage from your pictures, you should stick to identical lighting settings and editing parameters. It is better you use Adobe Express, Canva, and inPixio Photo Studio Pro for making collages.

3. Take a Photo of a 3-Month-Old Baby in a Bassinet

3 month old photo idea in the bassinet

Photographing a baby in a bassinet has many advantages. First off, you can make a back pose more interesting. Besides, you can relocate a cradle with ease and incorporate different settings into the background. If you photograph straight from above, choose a wide aperture, e.g., f/1.8. Thus, you will end up with an eye-pleasing shallow depth of field.

3 month baby photoshoot ideas at home in the bassinet

You can purchase a brand-new bassinet on Amazon or Etsy, or look for a used one on the local BSS Facebook page. If none of the variants suit you due to a limited budget, you can just place a thick quilt on the floor and experiment with a perspective.

4. Cover a 3-Month-Old Baby with a One-Color Blanket or Towel

3 month old photo idea with blanket

If you are on the lookout for 3-month baby photoshoot ideas at home, this one will work perfectly. First of all, you need to find a place with even lighting, arrange the scene, take several task shots, and make tweaks if needed. Then, put a baby on his/her tummy and wait for several seconds. For a nice depth of field, widen an aperture to f/2.

At the moment baby looks in your direction, focus on the eye that is closer to you, and snap a shot. If you can’t manage to do that quickly enough, adjust an aperture so that you will get good focus even if it falls on the other part of a kid’s face. The best variant, in this case, is f/4.5.

As for shutter speed, I recommend sticking to numbers around 1/200. Besides, you can turn on a high-speed burst mode and continuous focus. With these settings, your chances to end up with a crisp image are higher.

Don’t get upset if your child doesn’t raise a head. You can help him/her by putting the head on arms. This is a commonly used trick in newborn photography.

5. Turn a 3-Month-Old Baby into a Fairy Tale or Cartoon Character

fairy tale hero for 3 month old photo idea

This newborn photo idea is truly gorgeous and is suitable for photographing kids of different ages. To bring it to life, you need to prepare a thematic outfit, toys, and a box. It is better to take images from your own height. If you want to increase the distance, you should use a chair. To ensure your baby is absolutely safe, you must attach a camera to a strap and hang it around your neck.

cartoon character for 3 month milestone picture

Pro tip: Experiment with shooting angles. Start with shooting from the low position. You can locate a camera at the baby’s head end but slightly to the side. Say something so that a child turns his/her head and you can capture emotions. Next, locate a camera parallel to a tiny model, take a step back and photograph from the side. Take both wide and close-up images. You may also draw his/her attention by speaking.

6. Come Up with Your Own Story

story for 3 month old photo idea

To implement such 3-month baby pictures ideas, you should focus on your family’s hobbies and interests. For instance, if you are loyal football fans, you can add a ball to the scene and some other thematic props. In case you are fond of computer games, place your baby in the custom-made setup. Take images from above.

story for 3 month milestone picture

I recommend choosing a one-color newborn photography backdrop, and complementing it with drawn details – trees, a road, or even a football field. Or you can choose a pre-made fairy tale background. Sometimes, even a regular rug with defined textures can serve as a wonderful background. If you lack a suitable option, select a blanket with repeating lines or patterns.

7. Choose an Adult Profession for a 3-Month-Old Baby

3 month old photo idea profession

You can arrange a composition, pretending your sweet bub is performing a particular task. However, since such small kids can neither sit nor stand, the list of professions won’t be very long. A good idea is to put a thick blanket or carpet on the floor and place a baby on it. Next, you can put a chef hat on the child’s head and take images.

8. Put on Some Oversized Clothes

3 month old photo idea with adult clothing

Depending on the gender of a baby, you can put on him/her some mom’s or dad’s clothes. The best place to take such “transformative” images is on the bed or a cozy sofa. Or, you can capture emotions from a short distance.

9. Photograph a 3-Month-Old Baby with a Book

3 month old photo idea with book

If you are lucky to have a personal library in your house/flat, you should definitely realize some 3-month-old photo ideas there. You can place a baby on a pillow and arrange some books nearby. You can complement an image of a smarty with small glasses.

10. Take Pictures in the Bathroom

3 month old photo idea in the bath

Using a milk bath is a wonderful concept. You need to fill the tub to the proper height so that your child feels absolutely comfortable and add 2 gallons of whole milk. Make sure the water is pleasantly warm. If you want more colors in the frame, add some powdered milk but that isn’t obligatory. It is very important to maintain the focus on a baby rather than the surroundings.

You can go even further with decorations and add seasonal flowers, leaves, or dried flowers to the tub. Remember about safety in the first place. Silk flowers will be of no use as they will drown.

11. Place a 3-Month-Old Baby in a Suitcase

3 month old photo idea with suitcase

Take a vintage suitcase, fill it with warm and soft clothes or fabric, and put a baby there. You should photograph from above if a tot lies on the back or from the side if chose the on-tummy pose.

3 month milestone picture with suitcase

You can also place a baby on a suitcase. It is better to choose natural newborn photography poses or just go with your gut and watch your cutie doing what he/she wants. Children learn new tricks very promptly and you may capture some very special moments.

12. Have Fun with a Whole Family

creative 3 month old photo idea

Don’t limit yourselves to standard 3-month baby pictures ideas. Think about what you like doing together. You can photograph mommy, daddy, and a small kid having fun on the bed or reading together, or even involve pets in the frame and get very dynamic images.

creative 3 month milestone picture

If you don’t achieve the desired result during a shooting, you can always apply tweaks in Photoshop. For example, you can add or remove objects, replace the background, correct colors, enhance the sky, etc.

13. Capture Caring Mommy

3 month old photo idea with mom

Little kids can be capricious or even throw a tantrum. At this highly emotional moment, they desperately need a person to care for them. Every mom knows how to calm a child down and while she is doing so, it is possible to take very sincere and touching photos. Hands that hold little fingers, eyes gazing at a cherubic face, tender kisses – make sure to capture these fleeting seconds.

14. Snap a 3-Month-Old Baby with Siblings

3 month old photo idea with older kids

It is a fantastic idea to show a bond between a baby and his/her elder brothers and sisters. You can photograph in different rooms and even outdoors, just make sure everybody is comfortable. Besides, prefer places with even soft light.

Older kids can hold some props, e.g., toys, books, etc. Besides, all children can interact – hold hands, hug, or pretend to read a book to the youngest family member.

3 month baby photoshoot idea at home with older kids

Pro Tip: Things can get a bit intricate with lighting, especially if you shoot indoors. It is better to avoid large windows in the background, otherwise, the light hitting your kids will cause harsh shadows.

15. Touching Moments with a Daddy

3 month old photo idea with dad

Even if you have prepared a list of 3-month-old photo ideas, don’t get too carried away with implementing all of them. Sometimes the best photo is the one taken unexpectedly. This works particularly great for a dad “communicating” with a child. For example, the moment when a father checks on a child or tucks him/her in.

3 month milestone picture with dad

Pro tip: It happens parents ordering a baby photoshoot, want a photographer to fully concentrate on a little model. Thus, they don’t feel like partaking in the process. However, you should advise them to wear something appropriate for a shooting in case they change their mind.

16. Family Photo of Feet

family feet 3 month old photo idea

One of the easiest yet staggeringly cute family photography ideas is to take a picture of feet stretching from under a blanket. To take such a photo, place a camera at the level of a bed or slightly higher, and set a timer. Or ask one of the relatives to help you out.

3 month milestone picture with family feet

Pro tip: Make sure there are no distractions in the frame. It is better to photograph just feet, a blanket, and a wall. You can blur the background to focus on the feet. To do this, it is necessary to use macro settings or aperture priority mode.

Tools for 3-Month-Old Photos Improving

tools for 3 month old photos

If you want to embellish your photos of a 3-month-old baby with pastel, soft tones, you should use these free tools for Lightroom. Some of them make skin tones creamy, while others are fitting for creative edits. You can use the filters in Lightroom 4-6, CC, and Mobile versions.

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