Milestone Blankets & Professional Photography

Being a baby photographer, I routinely shoot milestone sessions. These sessions are typically scheduled at the 3-6-9-12 month mark or 4-8-12 month mark. When Intuition Backgrounds told me they were releasing a line of Milestone Blankets, I knew I had to get my hands on them. I mean, how fun to TRULY have a Grow-With-Me backdrop to document a precious baby’s milestones throughout his or her first year (even higher depending on these designs).

Because I’m a “list” kind of gal – I’m going to list what I really love about the new Milestone Blankets from Intuition Backgrounds:

• Material: The ones I use in my studio are FABRIC. Because I work in a fairly small space in terms of storage (approx. 400ft) fabric is a huge convenience for me. I can fold or roll the backdrops up and tuck them away somewhere. If there is spit up (which let’s be real – is a huge possibility) they’re easy to spot clean or wash.
• Size: These backdrops are 60 inches wide and 50 inches long, so they are large enough to use as floor drops or on the wall as a backdrop. If a baby is particular about how they want to be posed and your go-to floor routine isn’t working out, it’s easy to hang the blanket from your wall or backdrop stand to change it up.
• Style: Who wants a backdrop designed by the talented Heidi Hope? *RAISES HAND* All of the backdrops for the Milestone Blanket Line are designs by Heidi. Each backdrop is absolutely beautiful. They are all a bit whimsy, which fits my style. Naturally, I adore every single design.

As we all know, babies can be very fickle and particular about how they want to sit, land, lay etc. Often times once they learn to roll over they do NOT want to stay put on their back. They’re little busy bodies, so what’s the best way to shoot these to get maximum use throughout their milestones?

I recommend using the backdrop as a floor drop anytime from 0-12 months of age. 5 months and younger is a really great age to utilize the drop on the floor and get overhead photographs. You can do this with or without props, bowls etc. If you decide to pose the baby without a prop, you should always place something soft under the backdrop for protection. For sitters who don’t want to lay on their back, you can get a great shot by having them sit by the numbers and looking straight up at your camera. It really accentuates their eyes and documents their beautiful milestone of sitting unassisted. 

• TIPS: I put my fabric backdrops on my floor mats that I have from Intuition and clip them along one or two of the edges. The soft material of the mats help keep the fabric from any slipping or sliding. I also want to get as much of the design as possible so I shoot in “live” mode and hold my camera up and out so I don’t have to stand on a ladder or stool. (I do this often with larger floor sets and it really helps avoid an aching back after a session.) Another way to get a full view of the backdrop is to stand on the opposite side (from the top of the backdrop vs the bottom).

I recommend using the backdrop as a wall backdrop anytime from a sitter on. Many babies do not like to lay on their back, so it’s always a good option to have the backdrop on the wall. I love using a vintage highchair, the babe is secured and I still get to see the milestones behind them. I also love the look of having a sitter on a coordinating floor drop or flokati with the milestone blanket on the wall. It’s a great option for those little ones who are not on the move quite yet.

Lauren Kelly is a portrait photographer in Southeast Louisiana who specializes in motherhood, newborn, baby & child portraiture.