Your baby’s first tooth, a tiny milestone in their journey, deserves a special place in your photo album. It’s a milestone that you’ll want to hold onto, but time flies, and the only way to memorialise this milestone is with a first tooth photoshoot.
Babies can start teething as early as when they are 4 months old. The first tooth typically peeks through when your baby is about 6 months old. It’s usually one of the 2 bottom front teeth. Before you know it, other teeth will start coming in, so make sure you capture a photograph of those inaugural pearly whites.
While every baby photograph is heartwarming, staging a photoshoot at home can take it to the next level. You don’t need a professional studio; you can get creative right at home. Here are a few first tooth photoshoot ideas to make your baby’s photographs even more adorable.
1. Against a Banner
A banner is a versatile prop for a first tooth baby photoshoot. You can buy one or create your own. If you’re feeling crafty, cut out triangular flags from coloured paper and spell out ‘MY FIRST TOOTH’ on them. Finally, string them together on a colourful ribbon and hang them up behind your baby while he/she is lying down or sitting up.
2. In a Custom Outfit
Your baby’s outfit can be what makes your photoshoot special. Get a special romper or a T-shirt to mark the occasion. Look for rompers that say, “I got my first tooth.” If you don’t like the designs available in the market, you could customise a design. Try different fonts or upload a scanned version of your handwritten text. Along with the text, add an illustrated tooth or a toothy smile emoji. Many online platforms allow you to create or upload custom designs and have them printed on baby-sized outfits.
3. With a Toothbrush Prop
To keep your baby’s smile beautiful, you will soon have to start brushing your baby’s little teeth. This makes a toothbrush a popular prop for first tooth photoshoot ideas. But, the toothbrush you use to keep your baby’s teeth clean may be too small to make an impact in a photograph. You need a bigger prop, and luckily, making a toothbrush prop isn’t difficult.
A simple idea would be to cut out the shape of a toothbrush from cardboard and paint it in vibrant colours. For a more realistic prop, stick a clothes brush or a piece of foam onto a narrow rectangular cardboard panel as the toothbrush head.
4. With Speech Bubbles
Even if your baby hasn’t started speaking yet, you can make-believe with speech bubbles. Write fun messages like ‘I got my first tooth’ or ‘I’m ready to bite’ on paper cutouts of speech bubbles. These speech bubbles can be hung up on a wall behind your baby or attached to sticks. Let your baby hold them up as flags.
You can even make this a mommy and baby photoshoot. Mommy’s speech bubble could say ‘My baby’s growing up’ to complement the baby’s speech bubble.
5. A Close-Up
Your first tooth baby photoshoot at home doesn’t have to be elaborate. Dress your baby up in a pretty outfit and set up a corner in the room as your backdrop. Your backdrop could be as simple as a bunch of helium balloons attached to the baby’s crib or baby chair. Or set up a big basket that your baby could into.
In the case of a first tooth photoshoot, you don’t need to worry so much about the backdrop since you want a closeup of your baby’s smile. Now seat your baby down, make them laugh and start clicking. You want to focus on your baby’s smile and even blur the background.
6. Tooth Cushion
Cushions and plushies are popular toys and great props for your baby’s “my first tooth photoshoot.” Sew a tooth-shaped patch on a contrasting colour cushion or paint a tooth image on a regular 12 x 12 cushion. You can even find tooth-shaped plush cushions, plain or embellished with googly eyes and a grin. Let your baby hold the cushion while you capture those happy memories.
7. Vanity Counter Styling
Today, anyone can get professional-looking photographs. All you need is the right photo editing app on your phone. Here’s an idea – Make your baby sit on the bathroom vanity countertop with a toothbrush. Chances are, they will put the toothbrush in their mouth since they’re teething. Make sure your baby is supported and safe. For a little more fun, steam up the bathroom mirror and write ‘my first tooth’ with a Q-tip or your finger on the steamed mirror.
Once the photograph is taken, you could edit it to black and white or sepia mode with just the toothbrush in colour.
Tips on Capturing Beautiful Baby Photographs at Home
You can get great photographs of your baby with the camera on your phone. When it comes to photographing babies, you need to catch your baby in the right mood. Here are a few tips to keep in mind when planning your first tooth photoshoot.
- Use natural lighting.
- Plan the photoshoot after a feed. Make sure your baby isn’t hungry.
- The morning is usually the best time of the day to photograph babies.
- Ensure the room is warm, as cold babies can be cranky.
- Experiment with different perspectives and angles.
- Make funny faces and funny sounds from behind the camera to make your baby smile.
Even with your best efforts to mimic an aeroplane, taking off may not make your baby laugh. You must be patient. Remember, if it doesn’t happen today, you can always try again on another day.
Summing it up
Your baby’s first tooth will quickly be followed by a second and a third. By the time your baby is a year old, you should be seeing all 4 central incisors. A smile has never been cuter! Make sure you capture every moment of your baby’s journey. In addition to the beautiful pictures you capture at home, maybe you could also plan a professional photoshoot before your baby’s first birthday. If you do decide on a professional photoshoot to capture more precious moments like these, don’t hesitate to contact us. We specialize in creating beautiful memories and would love to be a part of your baby’s journey.