We can't help it! Babies are such beautiful creatures that you want to capture every new movement and every fleeting smile that comes along. (Even if that smile is attached to a smelly gas bubble!)

However problem many parents have is that their lack of good photography skills can translate into pictures that are too dark, too bright, blurry, out of focus, uncentered, and so on. Perhaps this describes you.

If so, don't sweat it. These problems are easily fixable. An album full of mishaps can quickly be transformed by following these 4 tips...

1) When taking pictures of babies lying on their backs, stand directly over them and shoot straight down.

I used to take a solid color baby blanket and place it on floor in a bright, sun filled room. When I was ready to take a picture I would put Layla on blanket, and adjust it around her, making sure not to put her directly in sunlight. Then I'd get on my knees right over her, aim straight down and snap away.

This technique will allow you to center camera properly and you'll get some great close-up shots. The natural sunlight will often give you just enough light so your picture isn't too dark or too bright.

2) Capture a range of emotions.

Smiling babies are cute. But so are crying babies and pouting babies and messy babies and sleeping babies.

Bedside tables held no alarm clocks or clock radios. While there was usually an abundance of decorative items, there were no tissue boxes or eyeglass cases. Dressers displayed beautifully arranged floral creations and perhaps a cut glass perfume bottle or two, with ornamental stoppers. No jewelry boxes, no lotion bottles, none of everyday stuff of life. I don't know about you but I want a telephone at side of my bed. And someplace handy for TV remote.

And bathrooms! Don't even get me started on bathrooms! Do users of these bathrooms ever need to replace toilet paper or hand soap? Do they have their hair done weekly (maybe daily?) at beauty- or barber-shops and thus have no need of shampoo and conditioner bottles? Toothbrushes, toothpaste and floss? The men don't have to shave and women have no need of makeup? Streamlining and organization can only take you so far. Sooner or later you need a place for feminine supplies, room deodorizers, and extra cotton balls and swabs that don't fit into pretty little designer containers. And I can't be only person who thinks that a plunger should be stored someplace handy to location of possible need.