Negative space.

Negative space & atypical framing are some of my favorite composition techniques when working with children and babies.  It give a fantastic hint of their small-ness and vulnerability but also requires a good eye and technical skill to execute properly.

There are some points to note when using negative space, particularly when shooting with children.  Colour is an important factor.  In this I converted to black + white because there were two other colours in the shot that did not compliment each other.  I also chose a high contrast conversion as the last the the interest focus of the shot should be is greyscale.  It should provide a stark image against the space around it.  If you're staying in colour be careful to choose colours which are light and do not darken the shot too much and do not detract from your main subject.

There is more information on negative space and other aspects of composition through the title link.