You are going to have your hands full during the birth and will probably not be able to stop to take pictures. Even if you do find a spare moment or two, sticking a camera in your partner's face and telling her to “Smile!” while she is in the midst of a contraction will probably not be met with a warm reception.

After the birth, though, it's a different story. Grab your camera (or camera-phone) out of your overnight bag and hand it to a nurse. Let her take a picture of your new family—Mom, Dad, baby—posed together on the hospital bed in the hour after the birth.

Dad is the main photographer especially in the hospital when Mom cannot get out of bed and is frequently holding the baby. There's nothing wrong with this; just remember to hand the camera to someone else now and then and get yourself into a picture or two. In many ways, the shots you take in the hospital will be among the most memorable you will ever have of your child. Those are the first hours and days of his life.

With the world going digital, it is sometimes easy to forget to have your baby and family pictures printed on photographic paper the old-fashioned way. Although you can surely store photos in your computer or on CDs, it is also wise to print the best ones on paper too. Computer operating systems can go out of date, but a baby album can last for generations.

Other people will bring cameras to take pictures—the more the merrier. You can upload pictures to a photo sharing site or your Facebook page or send them around via e-mail, allowing friends, coworkers, and distant relatives a chance to see the new arrival right away.