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Newborn Photography isn't easy. There's lots of photos online showing Pinterest fails when parents try to recreate professional photos with their baby on their own. The reason those photos don't come out the way they want them to, is because there's A LOT that goes into creating a newborn portrait. It's not as simple as laying they baby down and snapping the photo. If you want professional photos, you need a photographer with experience that can create newborn portraits with safety, composition, and consistency in mind. Here are a few reasons you should invest in a professional to capture this very short time in your baby's life.
#1-Saftey
At the very top of this list is safety. The safety of your baby should be of utmost importance when choosing a newborn photographer. It takes very specific training and practice to achieve newborn portraits. There are poses that can only be safety achieved by compositing two photos together into one. The baby should never be left unsupported, or out of arms reach of the photographer or spotter.
I have spent years learning my craft by investing in newborn photography classes. This is a very large expense. As anyone can tell you, quality education is not cheap. But this is the most important investment of my career.
Having the knowledge and experience of how to safely pose your baby in a way that also keeps him or her calm and comfortable should be the #1 determining factor when choosing a newborn photographer.
#2-Education
Safety training is just the beginning. All photography is not the same. A wedding photographer has a very different set of skills than a newborn photographer, and vice versa. Learning all the different aspects of newborn photography takes a whole lot of training and experience to master. Lighting, posing, soothing, angles, and composition are just some of the things I have had to learn and master. When hiring a newborn photographer, you want your photos to look like the others in that photographer's portfolio. (Otherwise, you wouldn't have chosen them!) Consistency can only happen when the photographer has mastered and sweated out all the details of their craft.
#3-Professional Equipment, Props, Wraps, Outfits, and Accessories
Being a professional photographer means I have all of the tools I need to provide professional photographs. It takes not just a camera, but lenses, lighting, light modifiers, and camera triggers. Also, specific to newborn photography, there are the newborn posing bags, supportive posing tools, buckets, bowls, and baskets made just the right size to fit a newborn baby, backdrops, outfits, wraps, hairbands and hats. When you hire a professional, it means you do not have to worry about any of this. I have a huge collection of props and accessories my clients can choose from to provide high quality, professional photos. All you have to bring to the session is the baby!
#4-Professional Editing
Most of my time at my job is not spent holding babies. It's spent at my computer, editing. There are lots of challenges that come with editing newborn babies. I call them the BIG FOUR.
#1-Flaking skin
#2-Baby Acne
#3-Redness of skin
#4-Jaundice
Most babies have at least one of these skin issues, or any combination of the four, and parents want their baby photos to be as perfect as possible. I have the tools and experience needed to know how to correct these issues. I have spent up to 6 hours editing a single session. I have also had sessions that required only an hour or so. This is almost entirely dependent on how much time I will spend editing the baby's skin. I have spent years learning how to edit specifically for newborns. I love a good before and after! Knowing how to properly edit is what creates a beautiful and consistent gallery for my clients, every time!
#5-A Knowledge and Ease of Handling Newborns
Holding and caring for someone else's baby is not for everyone, especially when that baby is a tiny newborn. It can make some people nervous, and for good reason. It's one thing when the baby is sound asleep, but what about when the baby is wide awake and wiggly? A good newborn photographer is completely at ease with a newborn, no matter the situation. I love soothing babies. It's probably my favorite part of the job. The last thing I want my clients to worry about is if their baby is safe in my arms. I am happy to help you care for your new baby while you are in my studio! I will happily change diapers, help with feeding, or simply rock your little one to sleep while you are here. I want my clients to be able to use their time here to get a little bit of a break, if they feel they need one!
Hiring a newborn photographer is an investment that should not be taken lightly. Take your time and find the perfect photographer that will capture this very precious moment in your life! I hope I have helped you think of important qualities you should look for in a newborn photographer. If you think I would be a good fit for you, I would love to talk to you about a newborn session! I LOVE my job, and it is one of the greatest honors of my life to be trusted with my clients' babies day after day.
With love,
Tiffany