Every parent of a newborn wants to take TONS of photos of their precious new bundle of joy and let’s face it, sometimes the photos that the hospital takes don’t turn out the best. If having professional newborn photos isn’t your cup of tea, you always have the option to take your own hospital photos. To ensure you take better hospital photos, I’ve compiled a list of tips and tricks.

Use window light (natural light is always best!).

Hospitals can be dark and natural light is the best form of lighting so open those curtains and let that light shine through!

When snapping photos, it’s usually best to stand closer to the window. This also allows you to not use a flash so that shadows aren’t popping up in the pictures.

Shoot from above.

This will allow for an angle that’s flattering for baby, without tons of distractions in the background. No matter how cute babies are, bad angles can still ruin a photo. So, two things to remember: shoot from above and leave out all the distractions that might be around your little one.

Don’t worry about posing baby.

Newborns won’t like being moved around a lot. They are still adjusting to this big world so keeping them wrapped up in a swaddle or blanket will work wonders. If baby isn’t content laying down, mom or dad can pick them for comfort. In the meantime, snap photos of it. You won’t want to miss it!

You may also want photos of those real, raw moments of your newborn. It’s ok if your little one isn’t smiling in every single picture. Capture baby crying or swaddled and content. You’ll never regret taking too many pictures of this special time!

Don’t move baby around, move yourself around. Angles are everything.

Once you have baby all settled and happy, adjust yourself for that perfect photo. Make sure to get plenty of shots with different angles, some close up and some further away. As long as baby is content, take as many photos as you want! You won’t get these moments back, momma!

Take your time.

These photos will be all you have to look back on for your time in the hospital. Don’t rush them. Take your time. You will be happy you did. Who knows, you might just capture that brief moment that baby is grinning. You won’t want to miss that.

Lose the pacifier (if your baby uses one).

A pacifier might be good for soothing baby but it doesn’t photograph well in pictures. Not to mention, some pacifiers can hide a lot of baby’s face. Use the pacifier to soothe baby and once they are settled, slowly remove the pacifier. A lot of new parents are afraid it will unsettle baby but you will be glad to have those photos without the paci.

Don’t forget about mommy and daddy!

You will never get these moments back. Make sure to include both mommy and daddy in the photos.