Intro: Photo tips for family, babies, and pets

Add interest and energy to family photos by tilting your camera to an unconventional angle.

Get comfortable. Family photos are all about capturing the personality of your family.

• Allow everyone to relax before you start shooting.
• Position people naturally; forego contrived arrangements.
• Encouraging family members to talk or tell a story can also put everyone more at ease.

Try extreme angles. Take family photos from interesting vantage points to create surprising images:

• Try shooting from up above looking down.
• Reverse your camera angle and use the sky for a neutral background by shooting up.

Get more tips for taking great family portraits and photos.

You know best how to get your baby to smile or make a silly face. Just be ready to take the shot when it happens.

Backgrounds for baby. Try positioning your baby against a solid-colored background. That way, nothing will detract from the focus of your photos: your child!

Coo and coax. Whether playing peek-a-boo or making silly noises, do whatever it takes to make your little one smile.

Teamwork works. Having a partner to work with may make things easier. Set up the shot while your assistant generates the giggle.

Zooming in close brings focus to your subject and eliminates distractions.

Pet project. Take photos of your pet in her preferred surroundings while she enjoys her favorite pastime, whether that's playing fetch on the beach or climbing to high places.

Zoom in close. Capture the detail of your pet's whiskers or the texture of her fur with a great close-up shot. You can use your camera's zoom feature to get close even if your pet is sleeping. Or, you can always crop in closer later using photo editing software.

Make an inexpensive photo wall with photos and some removable, restickable tape.

Turn your best family photos into stylish, meaningful displays.

You don't have to frame a photo to enjoy it. You can create a rotating photo display on your refrigerator or a bulletin board. You can even create a quick photo display with nothing but photos and tape.

Get tips for creating family photo displays, including how to choose the perfect spot for your pictures, create a balanced, attractive arrangement, select the right frame, and much more!

See how quick and easy it is to print photos right from your digital camera’s memory card. No computer necessary!

Print high-quality photos in less than a minute.

Improve your photo using photo-editing software or the editing tools built-in to some HP Photosmart printers.

See how to edit your photos in your HP Photosmart printer.