top of page
Writer's pictureMichelle Glenn-Dunn

How to choose the newborn photographer for you

Your expecting. Yay! Congratulations. You are making a list...checking it 50 billion times. What do you need for baby?

Besides a wonderful birth team and excellent doula for your birth,(inserting self promotion here) ;) ALL the baby clothes, (because face it, we all have too many clothes)and the essentials what do you really need for baby? Well.....a Newborn photography session!! Yup, it really IS a must have. And.....It it's actually a lot easier than you think to find a GOOD photographer. This is an investment! One that you will never regret. Unless...........You don't hire the right newborn photographer for your growing family.

"How do I choose the right one for me?" Well I'm here to help you with just a few tips to find the right photographer for you. For your budget. And for your style!


Arms of Mother and Father holding baby in studio
Studio Newborn Photography

What's your style? Do you love those super posed and squishy newborn photos where baby looks absolutely perfect? Or do you enjoy those lifestyle newborn sessions where you are all cozy and comfy and just taking in the new moments of your bundle of joy? Or, do you enjoy a combo of each? This is where your decision matters THE MOST! You need to know what your photographers style is like? Do you enjoy their portfolio and their style or do you tend to say, cute not really digging it.


Do you want to travel to your photographer or does your photographer come to you? Many photographers will pack it all up and travel to you. This is sometimes more costly and timely for the photographer. But hey...you get to stay home!


Do you want digitals and option to print for a certain package amount or do you want a flat sitting rate and then option for packages? Many photographers will still give x amount of digitals for a flat fee. While many are actually moving back to how it used to be when you paid a sitting fee and then you select the images and the wall art, and prints that you want to hang on your walls! After all, what are you going to do with 25 digitals that you wont print? Sure they are great for social media. But getting these milestone documented means you should be printing at least a copy of each image!


Mother and father holding newborn baby for photos
Lifestyle Newborn Photography

How much experience does your photographer have? Have they invested in newborn safety classes, and take precautions so that your baby is always safe. Do they keep their space clean and at a comfortable warm temperature for baby. Most important, is your photographer patient? How will you know if your photographer has done these things? You simply ask! Ask them what kind of training do they have. How will you know if they are patient? Look at their work. Does it look sloppy, thrown together, lighting not correct, editing off?


How many digital or images should you be getting. Well let me tell you, if you are getting 40 or more digitals from your session, your photographer is either badass and can really rock the session! Or....your photographer is taking the same image over and over in different angles. Yes, sometimes this will work for a few images.But ultimately they need to keep moving. As long as baby is comfortable and sleepy they should have some work flow to keep getting the best images of your little one in the amount of time specified


Speaking of time, how long should your newborn session be? Well it's different for every photographer. But the standard newborn session should not be longer than 3 hours. If it's longer than three hours, everybody is going to be getting cranky. You photographer should know within an hour or so if baby is going to be "having it" that day. It's ok......newborn photographers know when to call it and have you reschedule at no additional cost. It happens. And it's OK.


Your newborn photographer should have good communication and clear expectations of you, your family and any siblings. Having a newborn guide to tell you how to prepare for your session is best. If you have questions ALWAYS ask!

Baby girl posed during newborn session
Newborn Posed Photography


How much should I invest. Well again, that is totally up to you. However, I can tell you honestly, if you are not investing at least $600 to $3000 on your newborn session, you probably have a super super busy photographer that is great over works, and exhausted or a super inexperienced photographer that is just trying to make some quick cash to support their hobby.


Many photographers will require a deposit to book a session as they should. Can you imagine planning for half a day of work and then a no show happens? That is lost time and lost money. Often you can do payments on a newborn session. A legit deposit that they are paying taxes on. Yup, I'll bring that one up. If you want a legit photographer they will have systems in place to be able to handle contracts, client information, and billing.They will have liability insurance on their business! They want to keep you safe, and themselves safe!


This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for your baby. They wont stay little long.


And there you have it! Just some super important tips for you to consider. When searching for a newborn photographer.







Comentarios


bottom of page