You are pregnant, you are excited and you have questions! I get you! Here are my Newborn Photography FAQs that I've received over the years.
Newborn Photography FAQs
What types of props do you bring to the session?
Yipes! This one is a real red flag for me. Please please, take a look at the portfolio of the photographer you are hiring before you call and enquire. We all have our own style and you need to make sure that you love the work of whomever you are hiring. I do not pose or prop babies! So the answer is - no props. If you come to the studio I have a very casual wicker basket type thing but posing and propping a baby is really it's own field of photography with a very separate set of education. I do not do this style of photography.
When you come to our house, how do you set up the background?
Another red flag! See above. No backgrounds.
I've read I need to do my shoot within 14 days. How does this work?
The 14 day rule is in general for sessions where a baby is posed and propped. What exactly do I mean by this? When a newborn photographer poses your baby, they will wait until they are asleep and then put them in different positions. I do not do this. I photograph your baby whether they awake or asleep and allow them to go into their own positions.
Why do I do this? There's a couple reasons. First off, aesthetically I just prefer the more natural and emotional style of lifestyle photography. I love to see what positions a baby chooses. Sometimes they imitate how they were in the room, stretch out a hand, or sleep in the adorable surrender pose. To me, it's much more fascinating then anything I could come up with.
Secondly, posed sessions can be very very long because we need to wait until baby is asleep enough to be posed. That's just not my bag. I was a newborn mom once and if I had to do a photo session that was multiple hours long I'd lose it. Especially if someone was in my own home.
So how I do it is that we always book on your due date and then keep in touch and move it from there. I want you to feel good about me being in your space whether it's your home or your personal space at the studio. When you look at your photos I want your immediate emotions to be joy - not how it was a pain in the bum.
Do you do outdoor newborn shoots?
I don't get this one too often anymore but the short of it is no. If we are in your own home we can try some images outdoors but 99% of the time new parents are too exhausted to even try. Why don't I do outdoor photos? First off, I do outdoor photos at golden hour and usually evenings are not great for babies. In addition the weather can be hot or cold making which could make your baby uncomfortable. Many people want to do outdoor newborn sessions with the leaves, but your newborn will be so bundled up you will hardly see them.
In-home or studio just offers so much more flexibility including changing areas, seating, multiple outfits and a temperature controlled room.
Should I do my session at home or in the studio?
Ah - that's really for you to decide. Many parents are now choosing this last minute to see how they feel. It's really up to you. Both are beautiful. My studio session tends to have a more minimal vibe whereas an in-home session tends to feel more intimate and emotional.
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