Your precious little one is looking ultra-adorable and you’ve got the iPhone out – primed to snap the cutest pic ever! But the second that you tap the photo button, they look away. Picture failed.
If getting your baby to look straight at the camera means shaking your hands and waving your arms around like a crazy person, the Baby Focus will change all that!
Launched as a Kickstarter campaign in late August, the creative mind behind this genius product (inventor and dad Dave Canavan) notes that the detachable device helps parents to keep baby’s focus long enough to take a few photos with a mobile phone camera. The removable spinning rattle fits snuggly on just about every make and model of cell that you could have. This includes the iPhone 4 through 6+, the Samsung S3, S4, S5, S6 and S6 Edge, the Windows range and the HTC range.’
The Baby Focus initial run will comprise of 5 different coloured rattles, colours subject to availability:
- Pretty in Pink
- Brilliant Blue
- Black Magic
- Verve Orange
- Purple Haze
So, now you’re wondering how this little gadget really works and why you need one. After all, you already have about a zillion baby rattles hanging around your home. Why not pick one up and toss it around to amuse your baby? The easy answer is because holding the rattle right in front of the camera’s lens and snapping a picture that is free from some sort of odd-looking shaky effect isn’t really possible – unless you happen to be extra graceful and have mastered all things that require extreme dexterity.
The Baby Focus adjusts to fit around the backside of your phone (i.e., the part that doesn’t have a potentially cracking screen), just under the camera’s eye. It’s ‘arms’ have protective grabbers that help it stay put all while keeping the sides of your phone safe from scratches and chips. After attaching to your phone, all you need to do is spin the rattle. Your baby’s eye is immediately drawn to the rattle, as well as the camera.
The result?
It looks like he’s staring right into the lens (but, he’s really just checking out those tiny spinning beads) so instead of snapping your fingers, making silly noises and otherwise acting like a playful clown to get your baby’s attention, all you need to do is set the rattle spinning. Not only does this keep you from looking somewhat silly (especially in very public places) as you photograph your child, but it also helps you to avoid taking picture after picture after picture to get one shot that works.
But before you run out to the closest store that sells baby gear, keep in mind that this product is still not yet available to the public.
So, why bother telling you about a totally helpful items that you can’t actually buy?
Well, technically you can get one – you just can’t ‘buy’ it yet. Unless you’ve got a big-name baby backer behind you, putting something new into production costs more than the average mum and dad have stashed away.
That’s where Canavan’s Kickstarter campaign comes into play.
They’ve set a goal to raise $60,000 AUD by September 21, 2015. If that seems like a lot for a teeny little camera rattle, it really isn’t. The campaign will fund tooling, production, packaging and marketing. Donating to it won’t just give you that warm and fuzzy feeling you get when you help someone out. It also gets you the product itself (for any donation of $20 or more).
That said, it’s an all or nothing campaign. What does that mean? Exactly as it sounds. If the campaign doesn’t raise the full amount, the production can’t go into place. In other words, you (and rest of the parenting world) will miss out on this smart invention.
If you happen to have a toddler or older child who isn’t exactly dazzled by the sights and sounds of a spinning ball-filled wheel, you can still use the Baby Focus. That is, if you also happen to be a pet parent. Not only does your tiny tyke respond to the whirling colours, but Fido and Fluffy will too. Spin the rattle and your pup looks up, letting you get the perfect pooch picture to post on Facebook, Instagram or wherever.
If you’re really into taking frame after frame, waiting for your distracted little guy or girl to finally look at the lens , then go ahead with your plain old boring camera. But, if you want an easy hands-free distraction, this gizmo might just do the trick.
Just remember though, without full funding through Kickstarter you won’t get the chance to try!
To celebrate such a cool and clever invention, we’ve got 10 of the Baby Focus up for grabs!
so get your entries in below and be sure to spread the word to your friends and family. After all, no Kickstarter target reached, no Baby Focus!
65 Comments
Not having the camera on my phone ready & missing the best or funniest moments because I’m too slow!
Getting them to sit still long enough for me to get the camera ready!
Being distracted by something other then me with the camera. 😛
To make them look happy and to take the picture in time, before they turn away.
It’s so hard to get my son to look at the camera and smile.
She wants the device. I try take a full length shot and she gets closer so she can grab the iPad or camera 🙁
My wife in the background in her undies. Can’t upload that to facebook. 🙁
lil one never poses for the pic and always tries to grab the device
My phone isn’t a high end device so it lags a lot… and there’s not enough memory to store a lot of pics…
capturing the pic, with both ears visible and the mouth closed on a clear background was a herculean task when tried taking pic for indian visa
Getting their attention and then getting my phone to focus right…..
To keep them still, everytime i try to get a good photo , one or the other moves, it happens every time. 🙂
keeping them still in one place and having them smile naturally lol without it looking like i am using sticky tape on them!
They’re fast… Boy are they fast! And mostly more interested in following what’s caught their eye rather than saying ‘cheese’ to a camera. What a fluke it is to get a shot of those lovely eyes.
Super simple but excellent idea!
Wish I’d thought of this!
The shutter speed is so annoying, and the fact kids are fast. I just have loads of blurred photos!
Getting there attention so hard expecially with twins
Keeping their eyes on tge camera is the hardest
I’m too late to take the shot of baby smiling beautifully, so when I try to make him smile again by dancing around and calling his name in funny ways, he ends up crying and wanting to be picked up!
She always smiles until I put the camera up, then she frowns. Or if daddy is there, only looks at him
Just simply getting their attention and then being able to hold it long enough to snap a good pic
The fact that they think it is hilarious to pull funny faces in family photos
The camera doesnt focus correctly and doesn’t take the picture straight away, there is a bit of a time lapse and by that stage bub has moved
getting your baby to look at you and not look away as you snap their picture!
So hard just getting them to sit still and not pull funny faces. Or if trying to catch them doing something funny or cute they immediately stop doing it
Them all looking straight at the camera at once!!! Especially tricky with 5
getting 3 kids of various ages, to all look at the camera, sit still and not be getting upset
Definitely them keeping still and the when they get older and they don’t want photos lol
Catching the moment, in the right light, is my biggest challenge!
The fact that they find pulling stupid faces SO hilarious
Getting them to keep looking at the camera while l take the perfect shot.
Trying to keep them still and look straight into the camera.
I find the most challenging thing is getting both my boys to look at me at the same time
It is so hard to keep their little bottoms still. I always end up getting a silly shot because I am not fast enough lol.
Getting them both to look beautiful at the same time, either eyes are closed or they are giggling
getting them to stop fidgetting
Getting and holding bub’s attention always very challenging, if I win this brilliant little gizmo I would become the baby photographer for my huge family, 11 preschoolers and 4 on the way plus many tweens and teens who need a good laugh.
My Little man wont sit still long enough for me to take the photo. I always end up with a blury pitcure of an arm or face
Getting them to stay still for ANY period of time
Keeping the kids still is definitely the biggest problem
I always seem to just miss the moment I am trying to capture!
My inability to take a selfie while holding my granddaughter
It is amazing prize for unforgettable moment. Thank you.
I always miss the moment…the either turn away or I’m not quick enough!
I’m hopeless with all and any kind of photo taking, but then I’m from a time that I would try to work out if the budget could afford to get a film developed this pay or next.
Children and pets will not stop still in the adorable pose that you set them in, invariably they move or turn, but patience and quickness on your part to click that shutter you will prevail.
Trying to keep them still and facing the camera is my challenge
Taking photos of kids is like taking photos of the pets….I miss the moment or they move just as I am about to snap the shot…..I have many blurred photos in my collection
My photos are always really bad, im the one in the background trying to make the kids smile, laugh, waving my hands like a lunatic. please help, this looks fantastic.
Great idea!
Getting them to all look at the same time!!!
My little one purposely won’t look, it’s like a game to her, and if I can get her looking she moves at the last second and even if its only slight the photo goes blurry! She also does this annoying thing when I ask her to stand still for the photo where she walks towards me so that she’s too close for me to take the pic!
Omg this is awesome would love to try it 🙂
Getting him to stay still & look at me I just keep pressing the button & hope to get at least one good shot
This is awesome. Distraction in disguise to get them to focus. Would certainly catch my girls attention.
Getting them to smile, stay still or hold a pose long enough to get a good picture is always a challenge!
TRYING TO GET THEM TO SIT AND POSE FOR PHOTO FOR 5 MINS IS A CHALLENGE ……OR THEY WANT TO GO TO TOILET AS YOU ARE READY TO TAKE PHOTO
Getting them to sit still is hard enough but then getting them to look at the camera is near impossible. My 2 year old refuses to look at the camera and will pull silly faces while running away ‘not take my photo Mummy’ and my 11 month old wants to see what is on the other side so I can only get blurry selfies of her. Frustrating to say the least. xx
what a great idea. takes me for ever playing peek a boo around my phone and always end up with them looking to one side.
It is a very cute idea for beautiful moment. Thank you
My son continually tries to take the camera when I’m trying to take photos of him!
My daughter is a bundle of energy so keeping her still is a big issue hahah
staying still, my son is never still!!!
getting the kids to sit still for more than five minutes, and to smile properly