Have a look at the image below. Do you see anything obviously different about the two baby pictures side by side?
Maybe it's not that obvious to you due to the downgrade of image quality for the web.
But the answer is, the photo on the left was taken by a professional or at least someone with some kind of experience in photography.
The photo on right was taken by a mom. In fact, that very photo was entered in a baby photo competition and won $50,000 cash prize.
You just need to know the little secrets about winning these baby photo competitions.
Recommended Reading: Photo Contests for Babies: The Winning Secrets
Before we start getting into all these reasons why moms have advantages over the professional baby photographers when it comes to baby photo contests.
Understand this.
When we use the term "baby photography" it is normal for us to implied automatically to those professional photographers with experiences, knowledge, skills and abilities in taking professional looking baby photos.
Generally we look for these professionals for tips and tricks on how to take great baby pictures with props and so on. Maybe we even want to hire them to do some glamour shots for our babies.
What do we meant by glamour shots?
Just think about all of those cute baby photos with amazing setting and props that made wonder... How did they do that? How did they get the babies to cooperate?
These photos are sometimes worthy to be in a magazine. Those are the glamour shot type of photos we're talking about.
If you want a career in photography or maybe even specialized in baby photography then that's great for that purpose.
You will be learning about professional tips on cameras, lighting, backdrops, use of props, how to get babies to cooperate, photoshop, and many more. Which are also good tips and ideas that can help you win the cutest baby contests.
If that's not your goal, and you only have baby photo competitions in mind as your goal because your career title is "mom" then all that can be a downside for you.
It is time consuming and overwhelming with all of the information overload, especially when all you want is just a good baby photo to enter a baby competition.
It should be fun, not discouraging.
If you want glamour shots, special effects and touch-ups with photoshop then those are great tips. Again, mainly for the professionals. It's their job. It's a J-O-B. They need to know the job.
You are not interested in fabricated pictures but how unique and charming your baby can communicate through a picture. This my friend is where the rubber meets the road.
Having too many special effects, well to tell you the truth... may effect your chances of winning these photo contests because most baby contests are meant for the everyday moms and dads, the average consumer.
Companies like Gap, Johnson's Baby, Huggies, Gerber, Disney Baby, and many more that are participating in these types of baby contests are more drawn if not completely geared towards authentic shots.
In fact Gerber baby contest clearly stated in their official rules "Participant acknowledges and agrees that professional photographs (ie, photographs taken by a photographer who was paid to take such photographs) are not eligible...".
You might also be interested in finding out about the Gerber baby contest.
If you think about it then, it does make a lot of sense.
They always looking for fresh new faces that represent their products, services and companies. Usually these babies have the face of your average everyday baby. They want that look in order to depict the typical baby.
The typical baby can relate to the consumers much better than a celebrity baby. What's important? The baby is healthy, cheerful, unique and able to represents the company's values.
If your baby have those characteristics then your child is half-way in the door to win the baby contest.
A company like Gerber that has the ability to produce superior photos and have baby models from all over the world if that's really what they wanted.
So drop the idea that you must be like a professional with all the high-tech equipment and fancy props. What you really need is a healthy happy baby with a perfect capture of him or her being themselves.
So to conclude this part about baby photo contest... "Let's leave the baby photography to the professionals and the baby photo contest to the moms and dads."
Continue Reading: Baby Photo Contests Might Be a Better Choice Than Baby Modeling