The Ultimate Guide to Choosing the Right Newborn Photographer for You
You are on a lookout for a Newborn Photographer for the little human in your life.
Google search has overwhelmed you with so many options and you do not know what to do with all those choices and how to pick the photographer that will work well for your little family.
Well, I understand this dilemma way too well! Have been there so many times when I was trying to find a photographer for my family or a hair stylist for my baby’s first ever haircut or a preschool for my children.
Sure there are reviews on the Google Business Listings, that gives a lot of assurance but how do you know if this will work for you too?
What I have realized is, anytime I am booking a service for my family, I like talking to the service provider, whether it's the preschool director or my child’s hair stylist. And it's within the first few minutes that I find out whether or not this will be our person.
To know which Newborn photographer will be the best choice for your family, ask them the following questions and see if they vibe with you, if they offer what you are looking for and then go from there.
What if my baby is cranky or won’t sleep?
Newborns are unpredictable and this is the one question every mom worries about.
What if my baby won’t cooperate during the session? I worried about that too when I was trying to book a photoshoot for my newborn.
So ask your photographer what they do when things go haywire. Do they have a plan B? What can you/they do to calm the baby?
The good news is, if you are talking to a Lifestyle(Candid) photographer, the chances are they do not mind a cranky baby. They in fact expect babies to get hungry, need a diaper change or a soothing break during the photosession. The baby stays in your arms for the most part of the session and soothing and feeding the baby makes for beautiful photographs that you would love to look at in a few years.
You are after all planning to document this beautiful newborn stage and it is filled with contrasting emotions. Isn’t it?
Do you do posed or natural portraits?
There are two different kinds of Newborn photography styles, Posed and Lifestyle.
Imagine a baby wrapped in a lace wrap with her hands and feet sticking out placed on a basket, that's posed newborn photography for you. Usually a lot of props and backdrops are used and babies are posed into sitting positions or propped up on their hand or curled up on their stomach. The baby should be sleeping through the session, hence these sessions take place in the first 2-4 weeks of a newborn baby.
Lifestyle photography captures this beautiful newborn stage in the most candid way! Babies stay in the parent’s arms, where they belong. The entire session is centered around the safety and comfort of the baby. Babies get as many feeding or changing breaks during their session as they want..
The baby could be sleeping or awake, happy or cranky. A lifestyle photographer goes with the flow and creates real images from your real life.
So make sure to check with your photographer what kind of photography they offer.
What precautions do you take to keep the baby safe and comfortable?
Comfort and safety of your baby is your top priority. It should be the top priority of your photographer too! So make sure to talk to your photographer in length about what kind of photography they do and how they ensure the safety and comfort of your baby.
I am a true believer of everything organic, from my food to your baby’s poses, everything is very organic. I do not force newborns into in-organic poses and push them in tight wraps. Babies are fragile and do not like to be propped up on their hands or stuffed into a flower pot or a tiny basket.
I keep babies where they belong, in their parents arms.
Babies are the most comfortable and their happiest self when they are with their parents.
Do I take portraits of babies? Yes of course! I take their portraits against beautiful simple backdrops and I let them do baby things. Newborn scrunch and the jitters are part of a newborn’s life and we are here to celebrate that.
What should be the age of the baby for Newborn Photoshoot?
A lot of photographers prefer babies to be under 8 weeks to be eligible for a Newborn Photoshoot. There are a lot of reasons for that, primary being after 8 weeks their cheeks get fuller and they don’t like newborn anymore and they don’t sleep as much.
As for me, I don’t like guilting moms into a Newborn Photo session, primarily because I shoot Lifestyle sessions where you and your baby go about your usual routine, just against a beautiful backdrop and in a pretty light. I don’t need my babies to be sleeping the entire time.
And most of all, I know I needed so much time to recover and feel like myself again after I had my babies. Recovery can not be rushed. So I assure my new moms that waiting until 3 or 4 months is actually not a bad idea at all! Please take all the time you need!
Do you provide props?
Newborn Photography can either be very simple or be prop heavy. Depending upon your vision of this photoshoot, discuss with your photographer all the props you think you will need or want for this photoshoot.
Set clear expectations around who is going to be getting those props. The last thing you want, on the day of a photoshoot, to be missing some props and feeling sad about it.
Do you include parents, grandparents or siblings in the Newborn Photoshoot?
If you ask just one question to your photographer about a Newborn Photoshoot, let it be this!
There is nothing more disappointing than findout, at the very last minute, that you cannot include your older child or a grandparent at your newborn’s photoshoot.
A lot of photographers follow very specific workflows and usually charge an extra fee to include other family members.
You don’t want this to be a point of contention on the day of the photoshoot.
For me, I know how important a new child is to the older sibling and to grandparents and to the pets! I always encourage my new parents to include their close family members into their Newborn Photoshoot. All the love for this little human deserves to be captured!
How long does the session last?
Typically newborn photo sessions last anywhere between 45 minutes to 3 hours. It is very much dependent on your photographer, the style of photography and the number of family members in the photoshoot.
The newborn life is so unpredictable so prepare for feeding and changing breaks. I am yet to meet a newborn that did not need a break during a newborn photo session.
Are you available?
Most photographers get booked a few months in advance. So if you are looking for a Newborn Photoshoot reach out well in advance.
Finalize dates that work both for you and your photographer. Most photographers have their calendars available so you can check the availability.
How much does the Newborn Session cost?
The style of photography and the photographer will determine the cost of your Newborn Session. Like everything else in life, you get what you pay for. You might be able to find a photographer as cheap as $100 and as expensive as $15k.
So reach out to your photographer to get details about various pricing and packages and choose what works the best for you.
With me, you book your Newborn Photoshoot with a sitting fee of $300. The session fee includes all the post and pre consultation and the actual photoshoot. After the photoshoot preview, you get to purchase from one of the collections that I offer. Check out my investment page for more info.
Do you offer prints and wall art?
The last thing you want is your Newborn’s photos collecting dust in a pendrive in your kitchen drawer. You want to create heirlooms you will treasure for life!
So check with your photographer if they provide any Prints or Wall Art.
It is very important for me that you walk away from our time together with something meaningful to hold on to! All my collections come with Print Credits that you can use at my store to print your images or create heirlooms that you will pass on to next generations!
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