Happy Friday! T-minus just a few days until we are officially moved into our new place in Monroe and are looking forward to finally be settled in. Thinking about meeting our new friends and clients here I thought I’d take a minute to talk about the newborn photography process and some tips for finding the perfect photographer for you.
First and foremost is really finding a photographer who’s style and personality fit your own. Make sure your photographer’s portfolio on social media and their website fit what you are looking for in photos. If your photographer has an all-white, organic portfolio and you love rustic wood and dark backdrops, it may not be the right fit. If you’re looking for more posed photos where baby is strategically positioned in beautiful poses, make sure your photographers portfolio reflects that vs being filled with those natural, baby-led poses. While both are beautiful, all parents generally have a preference and these two styles are vastly different to a photographer that has chosen to specialize in just one.
Once you’ve found your photographer, what should you expect next? Most licensed and insured photographers take some form of deposit, have you sign a portrait agreement, and then begin discussing all the little details of your photography session. For Connecticut newborn photography sessions with me, we will talk about everything from colors, to props, to even favorite poses and backdrops you’d love for me to incorporate into your newborn session. I plan every little detail of your custom newborn experience with your preferences in mind and make sure to have plenty of backup options on-hand during the session if needed. Though we may have a perfect plan for baby’s portraits, baby truly leads the session. Baby may not like certain poses or props so we are always as flexible as possible to make sure you have a beautiful gallery of images to choose from once we’re done.
Once the initial planning is over, the waiting begins! We schedule our newborn portraits once baby has arrived or induction has been scheduled. I’m often one of the first people to find out that baby has been born. We always try to schedule portraits within the first 14 days of life if at all possible. At this point baby is still sleepy and curly from being in the womb and it’s much easier (and safer!) to get those truly posed newborn photos.
I hope the above helps you understand a little more about the newborn photography process. The most critical part truly is finding the right photographer to capture your little one. Here are a few questions that may help you narrow down the field and find that perfect photographer.
- How long have you been photographing newborns? We think it’s always nice to know how long the person handling your new baby has been doing this job.
- Do you have any newborn-specific posing or safety training? Posing newborns can take a long time to master. While everyone starts somewhere and must learn at their own pace, its nice to know what to expect as far as skill level and knowledge with regards to posing and handling your new baby. For example, here in Connecticut we are certified in Newborn Photography Safety by the American Association of Newborn Photography Safety, have taken numerous other newborn-specific posing and safety courses and keep up to date on critical vaccines like TDAPP and influenza.
- Where are your newborn sessions held? Some photographers have storefront commercial studios, others have residential studio spaces within their own homes and others travel almost exclusively to you. Here in Connecticut we have a residential studio space and also offer concierge service in the comfort of your own home.
- What is included in my newborn session? It’s important to know what’s included with your newborn session. Most photographers provide props, backdrops, wraps and other accessories or outfits for your newborn to use during their session. If you’re planning to bring something special to have your newborn photographed in or with, you’ll want to mention this during the planning phase.
- Are you a legal business? Do you have insurance? Like any business, newborn photographers should be licensed and insured. This is an indicator that you are dealing with a professional that is serious about their business and you as clients.
- Who is present during the newborn session? Often a newborn photographer works alone and utilizes a parent for poses requiring a spotter. Some photographers have business partners or paid assistants on hand to assist with newborns – if that’s the case you’ll want to ask about their experience as well.
- Are family and sibling poses included in our package? Newborn-only mini sessions have become more popular recently as a way to ensure all families have access to beautiful portraits of their newborns. It’s important to know up front if your package includes images with parents & siblings so there are no surprises during the photoshoot.
- What are your fees? Prices for newborn photography sessions can vary widely based on a photographers own cost of doing business, training, experience, quality of work and products included with your package. Some photographers offer one set fee for all digital images from your session while others offer tiered packages including a certain set number of digital images, products or other items. It’s important to know these costs up front so there are no surprises after you’ve seen the images of your new little one. The last thing you want is to see beautiful images of your baby and be surprised by the cost to obtain them. That said, custom photography is an investment. Many photographers offer payment plans and tailored packages to suit your needs.
I hope this information and questions are helpful to you in choosing and booking your newborn photographer. If you’re looking in Connecticut, feel free to drop us a line so we can chat about what an experience with Aly Inspired Photography is like!
~Aly
