If you’re an expecting mama, you’re probably in the midst of planning all the things for your new baby! From researching baby monitors to decorating the nursery and choosing a name, there’s a LOT that needs to get done to welcome such a tiny person into your family.
One of the things you’re probably thinking about is when to have your maternity and newborn photos taken? I’m here to answer those questions and provide you with insight into why.
When Should You Schedule Maternity Photo Shoot
So, when is the best time to schedule your maternity photoshoot? I recommend having your photos taken between 31-35 weeks of pregnancy. This way, your bump is perfect for photographing, but you aren’t quite at the over-it stage of pregnancy! Of course, please let me know if you have a special circumstance such as multiples or any other situation. I totally understand and am happy to work with you! Your photos will still be gorgeous.
The answer to when to actually contact a photographer and schedule your maternity photo shoot is as soon as possible! This way, you can be on my calendar well before you reach 35 weeks, and we don’t have to worry about fitting you in! For tips on how to have your best maternity session, look here.
My best piece of advice is not to wait until your baby is born. To be able to provide a full-service newborn session experience for clients and ensure my availability around their due date, I can only take on a certain number of newborn sessions. If you contact me after your baby is born, I might not have availability.
I highly recommend scheduling your newborn session as soon as you can, and, preferably, you can schedule your maternity and newborn sessions at the same time. This way, you’re all ready to go and don’t have to worry about finding a photographer while you’re navigating life with a newborn.
Special Circumstances in Newborn Photography
Just like with maternity photos, there are special circumstances that I want to address. If you need more time to recover from birth or your baby had to spend time in the NICU, it’s okay to take newborn photos later. Please reach out and let me know how I can help you.
Your Hampton Falls, NH Newborn Photographer
I don’t think it’s a secret that I love babies! I cherish that I get to meet and photograph your beautiful newborn baby. You can read my other blog post if you want to learn more about why you should trust a trained professional newborn photographer here. As a Certified Professional Photographer, you can rest easy knowing that I’m highly trained and constantly learning new techniques. If you’re interested in scheduling a time to chat, I would love to meet you! Send me a message here.
Let me start by saying I love a good DIY. There is a time and place for that; however, your newborn portraits are not that time! Your sweet newborn is only this small for such a short period of time. It’s a short window to capture these precious moments before they’re gone.
If you DIY or hire someone “with a camera” you will not end up with the images that you want. There’s so much more to taking a photo than the camera. It’s about the experience, style, technique, and passion that the photographer brings to her work.
I also believe every photographer needs her start, however, this isn’t the session to trust a newbie. Newborn photography is a specialization in the industry. Newborn photographers undergo special training so that they can safely capture your newborn portraits. Please allow me to share more about why you should work with a trained and experienced newborn photographer.
Newborn Photography Training
Newborn photography training is not one-and-done. There are new techniques being introduced all the time. Techniques that result in better, safer portraits that your family will be able to cherish forever. When hiring a newborn photographer you can ask about any specialized training to know that they are committed to newborn photography. Over the years, I have studied under some world-renowned newborn and birth photographers such as Kelly Brown, Monet Nicole, and most recently Danielle Hobbs. Danielle’s Simple & Pure Workshop in Florida this past fall was a game changer for me and I am excited to offer more baby-led posed sessions in my studio.
Why Trust a Newborn Photographer
There are three main reasons why you should trust a newborn photographer to capture your child’s first official portraits.
Safety
Number one is safety. As a newborn photographer, I never force your baby to pose or put the baby in an unsafe condition. We are very much baby-led during our newborn portrait sessions. We head into the session knowing that we’ll have to adapt to what baby is okay with. Trained newborn photographers know and love this as it results in beautiful portraits. In some cases, if mom has a certain pose in mind (such as older siblings holding your newborn), we can use PhotoShop magic to make it happen.
Experience
Again, every photographer needs her start, but you generally get one shot at newborn portraits, so this is when you need to work with an experienced photographer whose work you love. (Don’t worry about new photographers, they can gain experience as associates.) You want a newborn photographer with a portfolio of newborn images that you love and know you can trust.
Style
What newborn session style are you dreaming of? The two main newborn session styles are posed and lifestyle. You might want your newborn photos taken at home or in the studio. Knowing which one you want is important in finding the right photographer!
Hampton Newborn Photographer
My final piece of advice is to work with a trained newborn photographer that you like and can trust. You should feel comfortable asking any questions about the session and feel supported throughout the process. Being able to work with brand new babies is a gift that I truly treasure and never take for granted. Each newborn photography session is a special experience for me. If you’re interested in learning more or scheduling a session, let’s set up a time to chat here!
Finally, I also invite you to join my online community The Village for Seacoast Moms to get the resources, encouragement, and support that you need.
Lifestyle newborn sessions are so precious and sweet. I can’t get enough of meeting my newest clients and seeing their beautiful little faces. And trust me when I say that I can’t wait to see the proud mamas too! I typically get to photograph both the maternity and newborn portraits, so I’m genuinely excited to see mom again and meet her new baby!
So, you’ve done your research about a studio session vs. a lifestyle session, and you’ve chosen an at-home lifestyle session. Good choice! Now you might be wondering what to expect during a lifestyle session. You might have questions like – Do I just show up a few days after the baby is born? Do you need to do anything special to prepare? What happens if your baby (or other children) aren’t having it?
I’ll answer all those questions and more!
Lifestyle Newborn Session Process
First, I highly recommend booking your newborn photographer as soon as possible. This is important because I only take on a limited number of sessions per week to ensure that I’m available for my families and offer the best experience. I know that babies don’t usually come on their due dates – they come when they’re ready! So, I plan out my newborn sessions accordingly.
As I mentioned before, I often photograph maternity sessions for newborn clients (but not always!). This is wonderful to capture this precious time for mom as well as get to know each other before the newborn session.
Whether or not you had maternity portraits taken, a few months before your due date, we’ll connect to chat about the session. I’ll offer wardrobe guidance, see if you have any special requests, and share an outline of the session.
Truth be told, we can do as much planning as possible, but your baby will run the show! I plan out my sessions to allow lots of time so that we aren’t in a rush or stressed. You can read my entire blog post on how to prepare for your newborn session here. In a nutshell, try to feed baby a half hour before the start of the session so that she is full and sleepy. If we need to pause for a feeding break, that is totally fine!
Of course, we’ll want to include your other children in some of the photos as well as capture a family portrait. You don’t have to worry about this part of the process at all. First of all, I am positive that your older children will be so excited to show off their new sibling that we’ll have so much fun capturing the love they have. I have many tricks up my sleeve to get everyone smiling and looking at the camera, so you can trust me to make it happen!
After the session, we’ll set up a time for you to view your beautiful images and choose which ones you want to print in an album or framed portrait. All you have to do is choose what you want, and I take care of the rest. I even hand-deliver your printed artwork to you and help you hang it up. It’s that important to me that you can display your newborn portraits without lifting a finger.
Portsmouth Newborn Photographer
There is something so special about capturing newborns and their amazing families. Whenever I walk into a client’s home for the newborn session, you can just feel the love and excitement. I hope reading through this post helps you understand the newborn photography process! I don’t ever want a client stressing out over the details. I take care of all that. You made the baby, so let me handle the rest. If you want to set up a time to chat, please click here for my contact form. If you’re an expecting mama, be sure to join my online community The Village for Seacoast Moms to connect with other local moms and resources.
Photographing your precious newborn means the world to me. Your baby is your whole entire world and I get the honor of capturing those first sweet moments. Trust me when I say, it’s a privilege to be there with you during those first newborn days.
Addie’s lifestyle newborn photography was an absolute dream! Meeting this sweet girl and seeing her amazing parents was so so special! For this session, I went to the family’s home to capture newborn lifestyle poses. I think many newborn parents are nervous about having their home “ready” for me to come and take photos. There’s really nothing to worry about since I barely notice anything except your beautiful baby!
I’m thrilled to show you Addie’s gorgeous portraits!
Lifestyle Newborn Portraits
Your newborn portrait session allows you a moment to slow down and just enjoy your sweet baby! Lifestyle newborn portraits are just that – hitting pause and capturing your life at this very moment. Your baby is only a newborn once and it goes so quickly.
This family was so sweet and I could immediately feel the love as I entered their home. Baby Kayla was ready for her closeup, but then again, she’s just a beautiful baby! Capturing her portraits was a delight. She was perfect and snuggly for her portraits that mom and dad will look back on and treasure forever.
Are Lifestyle Newborn Portraits Right for Me?
If you’re an expecting parent, you might be wondering how to choose what type of newborn photos you want. First, you’ll want to think about how you want to display these portraits. Why start there? Because knowing where your photos are going to be displayed can help us decide the style we want for the session. Then, you’ll want to consider if you prefer a studio session or an in-home newborn session. The beauty is that we actually can take lifestyle or posed portraits in either location, however, deciding which location you prefer will help decide the style. After you choose which location, we figure out any wardrobe and prop needs. As a full-service newborn photographer, I’m happy to guide my clients through this entire process with ease!
Tewksbury, MA Newborn, and Family Photographer
My name is Jennie Bishop of White Wave Photography and I’m honored to capture Tewksbury, MA’s families, newborns, and high school senior portraits! I offer full-service photography to my families and you’ll soon learn why many return to work with me again and again! You see, I guide you through the entire portrait process and my job isn’t done until your beautiful photos are lovingly displayed in your home!
If you’re interested in booking a session with me, please reach out and contact me here. Not ready to book? No problem at all! I would love to have you on my email list to stay up-to-date with what’s going on at the studio. Finally, if you’re looking for a community, please join my Facebook Group “The Village for Seacoast Moms” to be part of our tribe!
Throughout your pregnancy journey, you dream of the day you meet your new baby. The newborn stage is such a precious and short time. When you look back, this time feels like a beautiful blur of adjusting to your new family dynamic and getting to know your little one.
Reflecting on the newborn period for my kids feels like a distant memory, with certain moments standing out more than others. Capturing your newborn portraits helps you treasure this time for the rest of your life. You’ll always be able to look back at these photos and remember this time while also watching how much your child has grown!
Knowing how important photographing your newborn is and how much of a blur those first few weeks are, I created a stress-free newborn portrait experience for you and your family. Part of this is offering your newborn session at home or in the studio.
Today, I walk through the different newborn photography options of taking them at the studio or in your home to help you see which one you may prefer! The end goal is to capture photos for you to love on and display in your home. Let’s dig in!
Newborn Photography Experience in the Studio
There are a lot of reasons why you might prefer taking your newborn’s photos at the studio. The studio offers the perfect, all-white, simple, and pure space ready to capture dreamy newborn portraits. Studio newborn sessions are neutral and baby-focused and I will supply wraps, hats, and coordinating blankets for your session.
If you’re looking for a simple baby-led posed newborn session, the studio is a great option because everything we need is readily available at the studio and within reach. Lifestyle newborn portraits are still an option that we can do in the studio.
This will be an opportunity to get out of the house, Mama! A day out might be just what you need to get out and about with your family. Your other kiddos are welcome to come too. I love having little helpers!
Newborn Photography Experience at Home
Some clients prefer to have their newborn’s photo taken at home. They might prefer to stay home because this is where they feel the most comfortable having them done. Home tends to be a popular choice because of this reason which is totally fine.
Home is great for lifestyle newborn photography as we can set up anywhere in your home with your family. We can still take adorable simple baby portraits at home; I just need to bring everything I need to you.
Finding Your Newborn Photographer
Finding the right newborn photographer for your family is so important! You need to find someone you trust and who has the experience to capture your precious new baby perfectly no matter where your session takes place. I would love to see if we’re a good fit by having a quick chat!
