20 monthly baby photo ideas (milestones from 1 to 12 months)

A monthly baby photo series works because it stays the same: same spot, same angle, same light, so the only thing that changes is the baby. Pick a simple set-up you can repeat in five minutes, shoot it on the same day every month, and add a small prop that shows the month.

Pick a consistent set-up

• One blanket or one chair you will still have in a year.
• The same window at the same time of day.
• The same angle: top-down for babies lying down, then side-on once they sit.
• A month marker: a wooden disc, a letter board, a number of balloons.
• A size reference: the same teddy bear every month shows how much they grow.

Classic series ideas

1. The big chair. Baby in the same armchair every month. They fill more of it each time.

2. Next to the teddy. The bear stays the same size; the baby does not.

3. The blanket with numbers. A milestone blanket with months printed around the edge.

4. The letter board. Month, weight and a favourite thing this month.

5. Daddy's shirt. The baby in (or on) the same shirt each month.

6. The crib. Same corner of the crib, from above.

Creative themes

7. Seasonal props. Pumpkins in October, a tree in December, flowers in spring.

8. Fruit sizes. A fruit or vegetable matching the old "baby is the size of" apps.

9. Book of the month. Their favourite board book next to them.

10. Blanket scenes. Arrange blankets and toys into a little scene: the moon, the sea, a garden.

11. Outfit themes. One colour per month.

Month by month

12. Month 1: curled up and sleepy; shoot from above.

13. Month 2: the first smiles; shoot when they wake happy.

14. Month 3: tummy time, head up.

15. Month 4: grabbing toys and feet.

16. Month 6: sitting with support; switch to a side-on angle.

17. Month 7–8: first foods; a messy face.

18. Month 9–10: crawling or pulling up; get low.

19. Month 11: standing at furniture.

20. Month 12: the cake smash.

How to shoot it on iPhone

• Top-down for months 1–5. Stand over the blanket with the phone flat. The One-Point Aerial guide keeps the baby in the same spot every time.
• Mark the spot. Put a small piece of tape on the floor where you stand.
• Same zoom every month. 1x for top-down from standing height.
• Window light, room lights off.
• Save each month to one album.

Frame every month the same

slay overlays composition guides on your live iPhone camera, so you can line up the same frame month after month.

Get slay on the App Store: https://apps.apple.com/app/id6807513456?utm_source=slaycamera&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=monthly-baby-photo-ideas