bathtime

It’s not easy to get great photos of your kids. They are constantly on the move, they haven’t quite perfected the art of smiling and your house is cluttered with so much crap, it seems like the mess in the background is always distracting from the subject.

What’s a mom to do?

I have a suggestion. Take some photos of your kids during bath time. They are contained, usually against a simple white background and if your kids are anything like mine, there are many smiles to be found.

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Baths are some of the most joyous and imaginative moments I have witnessed, especially when Mazzy and Harlow take a bath together. They splash around, play mermaid, beg for more bubbles, have tea parties on the ledge and love to pour water on each other’s heads.

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Last month, I attended a seminar given by JOHNSON’S® that showcased their new global campaign, SO MUCH MORE™, and how multi-sensory opportunities in your bath time ritual could aid in your baby’s development. I learned that bath time is about touch (infants who experience routine touch and massage are 50% more likely to make eye contact) and smell (familiar scents have been shown to improve mood and alertness). According to research, bath time activities, like playing with bubbles, can help with hand-eye coordination and show babies that items exist even when they can’t be seen.

I find bath time to be one of the more low stress parenting moments since the kids are totally occupied. I can play with them and use it as an opportunity for some great mommy-daughter time, or I can let them play together while I casually observe.

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Until the actual washing part— they both still need my help with that.

While they play in the water, I love snapping a few photos. They can’t run away, they’re in a bright clean environment and they are almost always doing something adorable.

Here are a few tricks for taking creative bath time photos, along with some of my favorite bath time photos on Instagram. Thank you to the people who let me use their photos— I encourage you all to follow and get inspired by these great photographers!

1) Shoot from down low

If you want to make sure your kids are decently covered in their bath time photos (so they don’t haunt them later), the best way to do this is to get down on the floor and shoot up. This obstructs your kids’ bodies with the side of the tub and puts the focus mainly on their little faces.

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Photo: @mommyshorts on Instagram

2) Leave a lot of white space

Bath time photos often look best when the bathroom is all white. Don’t be afraid to crop the photo so that you leave a lot of tiles above your children’s heads.

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Photo: @haleykjar on Instagram

3) All that white space is a great opportunity for some color

Don’t worry about removing bath toys and towels from the shot. Often, they make for great pops of color.

Bath Time Photo Tricks

Photo: @littlemissparty on Instagram

4) Try an aerial shot

Hold onto your camera extra tight for this one, but some of my favorite bath time photos have been when I am holding onto my smart phone precariously over the water. You can get some great angles of your little mermaids this way.

Creative Bath Time

Photo: @churchill_chris on Instagram

6) Just Add bubbles

Bubbles make kids smile, look great in photos and are another way to cover up.

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Photo: @samanthapierson on Instagram

Plus, they can make for some really fun framing.

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Photo: @mommyshorts on Instagram

7) Use the ledge

If your kids are anything like mine, they like to line up all their toys on the ledge of the tub. These often make for some really fun photos.

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Photo: @mommyshorts on Instagram

Try playing with perspective.

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Photo: @mommyshorts on Instagram

8) Go black and white

I don’t know why, but bath time photos often look great in black and white. If you don’t have a pop of color and everything is white and skin tones, try seeing what happens when you take out all the color altogether.

10 Tricks to Taking Creative Bath Time Photos

Photo: @ruffledsnob on Instagram

9) Stick as many kids in the tub as possible

Twins, siblings, cousins… more kids means more expressions, often bigger smiles and your best chance of getting a framer.

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Photo: @sylkang on Instagram

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Photo: @micharlivy on Instagram

10) Do some crazy hair stuff

The fun is just beginning when the shampoo makes an appearance. If you work the lather just right, you can create mohawks, pompadours, and unicorns.

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Photo: @popsicleblog on Instagram

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Photo: @bart_vrdrn on Instagram

I like to call this one the “Harlicorn”.

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Photo: @mommyshorts on Instagram

Today, I’m giving away a JOHNSON’S® prize pack with their signature Baby Shampoo & Conditioner, HEAD-TO-TOE® Wash, NO MORE TANGLES® detangling spray, Baby Bubble Bath, Baby Soothing Vapor Rub, Calming Lavender scented Baby Shampoo and JOHNSON’S® Baby Powder.

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JOHNSON’S® has the only baby shampoo with the NO MORE TEARS® formula, which is as gentle to your baby’s eyes as pure water. It leaves hair looking shiny, feeling soft and smelling fresh. In 2014, JOHNSON’S® transformed their products to remove formaldehyde-releasing preservatives and reduce traces of 1,4 dioxane. The newly reformulated JOHNSON’S® Baby Shampoo is also paraben-free. For more information about the brand and its product offerings, visit www.johnsonsbaby.com.

Just tell me your baby’s favorite part of the bath time ritual in the comments below.

I’ll pick a winner on Friday!

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UPDATE: Congrats to Alison Cupernall, whose girls pretend that they are making milkshakes in the tub, Janine, whose daughter likes to play “Naked Parade” on the way to the bathroom, and Jenny, whose kids like to play with the bubbles in the bath!  You have each won a JOHNSON’S® Prize Pack. Please contact abby@mommyshorts.com to claim your prize!

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This post was sponsored by Johnson’s Baby, but all thoughts and opinions are my own. To learn more about the SO MUCH MORE™ campaign and JOHNSON’S® Global Bath Time Report, follow #SoMuchMore and visit www.johnsonsbabycare.com/somuchmore.