Congratulations! You're expecting a baby!

And at some point (maybe before or maybe not until after the baby is born) it occurs to you that you may want to look into hiring a professional photographer to capture portraits of the newest lovable and adorable member of your family.

Or maybe you're still not sold on the idea of investing in professional portraits...after all, Aunt Sally did just get a really nice new camera, so why bother paying someone else hundreds or possibly thousands of dollars to take your baby's portraits?? But maybe you'd better look into it...just in case.

So you start researching "newborn photographers near me," and Holy Cow! There's like a bajillion of them, and they all have really cute pictures of babies on their websites so how can you possibly choose one of these photographers--who are all complete strangers, by the way--to trust to capture portraits of your newborn baby that you will be able to treasure for decades to come??

Your first instinct may be to make a decision based on price. Price is important, don't get me wrong! [sort of--more on this to come] But there are other more important factors to consider that you may not have thought of.

As a parent, these are the 5 things I would recommend you look for, ask about, and compare when choosing a newborn photographer. You are trusting this person with your week-old baby! This is a big deal!

1. Style

While I would never say that "style" is the most important factor in choosing a photographer, it is certainly the easiest way to narrow down a long list of newborn photographers in your area, especially if you lean strongly one way or the other.

Newborn Photography, for the most part, comes in two basic styles: Lifestyle or Posed.

Lifestyle

Lifestyle images almost always take place in the comfort of your own home. These images have more of a documentary style to them, capturing everyday moments of you and your spouse cuddling or cooing over your little one. Photographers generally don't bring any equipment other than their camera and use the elements of your home or the baby's nursery to create pleasing compositions.

My friend and fellow Pittsburgh photographer, Mary Beth of Mary Beth Miller Photography, only offers lifestyle newborn sessions. She is phenomenal at capturing parent connection in light and bright images featuring their home as a backdrop. She gave me permission to share a few of her images to show examples of lifestyle newborn imagery.

Posed

Posed newborn imagery can either take place at a photographer's studio or in your home if the photographer is willing to bring all of their props and equipment. These sessions typically require some sort of beanbag poser, on which the photographer drapes different blanket backdrops. These may also include images that require putting the baby in or on other props such as baskets, bowls, buckets, beds etc. Some posed newborn photographers like a lot of extra props while others keep the accessories to a minimum. If you liked posed images, think about whether you prefer lots of props or minimal props.

Here's an example of Posed newborn imagery.

Most people have a strong preference for one style over the other, and once you know the difference, you can tell which style a photographer uses with one quick glance through their portfolio.

2. Safety Practices

Now that you've narrowed down the list to photographers who fit the style you prefer, the most important factor to consider is a photographer's safety practices!

Questions you may want to ask pertaining to safety:

1. Is the photographer up to date on all of the vaccines required for working with a pregnant or newborn population?

2. Do they work with an assistant or provide spotters at newborn photo sessions? If not, will you be permitted to spot your baby?

3. What happens in the case of illness, the photographer's or otherwise?

4. Has the photographer taken a course or received any training in newborn safety?

5. Will your newborn be supported in all upright poses as well as suspension poses? Many parents don't realize that certain poses, like the "froggy" pose below, are achieved with post-processing software and are not actually safe for your newborn the way the image appears. (Click the link under the image for examples of other potentially unsafe poses.)

3. Experience

You want to be sure that you are entrusting your infant to an experienced newborn photographer. There is no certification or test requirement to call yourself a newborn photographer. Ask them

1. How many years have they been photographing newborns? Be specific! Photographing weddings for 15 years may make them an expert Wedding Photographer but has zero to do with their ability to photograph newborns.

2. Approximately how many babies have they photographed? Is it 2? or 20? or 200? The more babies they have worked with, the more situations they have experienced, the better prepared they will be when it comes to photographing your baby.

3. Have they received any newborn-specific posing training and with whom did they train? Look that person up and see if it's a credible educator in the field of newborn photography!

4. Location

If you are interested in Posed Newborn Photography, this may or may not be a deciding factor for you, but you should think about whether or not you have a preference prior to speaking to a photographer. 

Posed Newborn Photography can be achieved both in a photography studio or at your home with the necessary equipment. There are Pro's and Con's to Both location options (future blog post to come!), but the main thing is to decide how important location is to you. Some photographers will only photograph in their studios, some only travel to clients' homes, and others offer to accommodate either option depending on your preference. 

So do you have a preference? This could potentially narrow down your list.

5. Value

Finally! Here's where price comes in. Except if you'll notice, I didn't call it "price"; I called it "value". So let me explain the difference.

Let's say you've considered all of the other factors and narrowed your list down to two final options. Photographer A's newborn package is $450 while Photographer B's newborn package is $1000. Clearly, everything else being the same, you should go with Photographer A, right??

Well, just wait a minute. Let's consider exactly what products are included and what the experience might look like with each photographer.

Photographer A

• You sign her contract online and pay her $450 invoice, but you don't actually meet her until the day of the photo shoot.

• She brings to your house an assortment of props and backdrops, but uses whichever ones she thinks looks best. She is the expert after all.

• A few weeks later she sends you 80 digital files of your precious little peanut.

• You now have 80 digital files on your hard drive, half of which you love and half of which you hate. But you can't wait to use the ones you do love to create your own photo books, print copies for all of the relatives, and of course create photo gifts for Christmas presents!

Photographer B

• She sets up a meeting before the photo session where she asks for your input in designing your newborn session, taking notes on colors, poses, and props that you like and goes over the most important parts of the contract, giving you ample time to ask any questions.

• She asks you to send her a quick text when the baby arrives, and when you get back home from the hospital you find a gift basket waiting for you.

• She comes to your home the day of the photo session with only props and colors you have already picked out at the planning meeting.

• She brings clothing for both parents to wear as well as a hair and make-up artist especially for mom so she can look her absolute best, even with little to no sleep the night before.

• She comes to your home a few weeks later to reveal your portraits in a slideshow set to music that makes all the postpartum hormones go crazy because your little baby is just so perfect but also so much bigger now.

• She helps you select your favorite 1-3 images you want displayed on your walls and recommends sizes based on the space available as well as mounting options.

• She designs an album including your favorite 30 images from the session.

• She delivers your ready-to-hang wall portraits and impeccably designed and printed photo album to your home a few weeks later, after which you invite your family over the very next day so they can ooh and aah over the sweetest portraits of the perfect little human you made.

• You then receive a thank you note as well as a survey because she wants to know how you would rate your experience and what she can do better.

Now please do not misunderstand what I'm trying to say! By no means is this indicative of all $450 photographers or all  $1000 photographers.

My point is that you may find more value in Photographer B's package than in Photographer A's package. Is the experience that Photographer B provides worth an additional $550 to you? Is the fact that she delivers ready to hang wall-portraits and a printed album worth the extra investment because now you don't have to worry about finding the time to design them and order them yourself? Maybe it is. Or maybe Photographer A sounds exactly like what you're looking for! You don't have the flexibility to schedule two additional meetings, and besides you like the creativity of designing your own photo book!

The point is make sure to ask before you book. Say, "Hey, can you walk me through what a newborn session with you looks like from beginning to end?" Your investment includes so much more than just the final products. Know exactly what you're paying for before you pay for it. Professional photography is as much an experience as a day at the spa. Would you rather run in for a quick and inexpensive facial? Or do you want the full-day ultimate pampering package? Neither answer is right or wrong. Every client wants a different experience. Think about the experience you want!

...

So there you have it. How to narrow down and select the perfect newborn photographer for you and your family.

1. Choose your style and eliminate photographers who don't fit with your style.

2. Ask them about their safety practices. Make sure to find someone who plans ahead to make sure your baby will be safe.

3. Ask them how much experience they have photographing newborns. This isn't rude; it's research. If you were having someone build your house, you would want someone who'd built 50 houses before not just 1.

4. If it's important to you, find out the location where the newborn session would take place.

5. Ask them to walk through both the services and products included with their package to determine the value of what they're offering.

Hopefully you found this to be a helpful resource! I'd love to hear your thoughts. Comment below if you found this beneficial, if I mentioned something you hadn't thought of, or if you plan to use this process in selecting your newborn photographer, either in the near or distant future!

Love, love, love!

Emily

My personal style is posed newborn photography. Check out my newborn images here or get more information about newborn packages. 

Contact me to book your newborn session!