Guide to hiring the right photographer for newborn photos

Those precious moments with your newborn go so quickly. Photographer, Aimee Glucina shares why it's worth hiring a professional to capture them.

I had my first child a little over 12 years ago. By the time we settled in for our postnatal stay at Birthcare, we’d already taken a dozen photos of our freshly minted new arrival. And in the days that followed, I continued to push every last megapixel of my iPhone4 to capture our mini milestones and sleep-deprived moments of joy.

Those photos are a parent’s rite of passage. Your baby has been a long, uncomfortable (sometimes heartbreakingly difficult) time coming. Now they’re here and your life is irreversibly altered. You’re intoxicated by newfound love along with a heady brew of sleep deprivation and postpartum hormones. It’s incredible. It’s beautiful. At times it’s completely overwhelming. For this reason, I believe it’s really worth capturing this season with professional photography. When you’re enveloped in the cocoon of those early weeks it can be hard to imagine that you’ll eventually come out of it, but your impossibly small baby will grow, and believe me – you’ll want to look back on those tiny peeling feet and wonder at the wisps of downy hair that you remember smelt so good.

Newborn photography allows you to freeze those memories in the most beautiful and complete way, to cherish for years to come. Professional newborn photographers know exactly how to capture the tiny details, unique features and family connections in a way that a family member who’s handy with their iPhone just won’t be able to imitate. But how do you find the right kind of photographer for your family? When should you book them? And what happens once you do?

How to choose the right newborn photographer for your family

The photographer you choose is going to see you at an emotionally vulnerable time of your life, which makes it an incredibly personal experience. You want to feel comfortable with the person, confident in their abilities and attracted to their specific style of photography.

Start by looking at the style of photography they offer. Are you more drawn to studio-style photography where your baby is artfully posed or is something relaxed and organic more your thing? Do you appreciate a minimalist aesthetic or crave something more intimate and personal?

Scroll through the photographer’s portfolio and make sure that you love the way they shoot, style, edit and pose before reaching out. Don’t make the mistake of assuming that every photographer can replicate a photo you’ve found online. Instead, choose a photographer based on their own work.

The photographer’s experience is especially important to consider if you book a posed session because they will spend a considerable amount of time handling and positioning your newborn. It’s vital that they know how to handle a newborn safely.

Once you’ve narrowed it to a couple of photographers whose work you love, look around their websites to get a feel for who they are and what it might be like to work with them. Do they feel like a good fit for you? Can you read glowing testimonials on their website? You’ll be spending a few hours together so it’s really important that you feel comfortable, especially if you’re planning to have an in-home shoot.

When to book a photographer

Book your newborn photo session while you’re pregnant, don’t leave it until your baby arrives. Newborn photographers limit how many clients they work with each month so that they can adjust for the unpredictability of arrivals. The more notice you can give them, the more likely the one you want will be able to fit you in.

Most newborn photographers will tell you that the ideal age for photos is 5 to 14 days after birth. This is typically when your baby will be at their sleepiest, most poseable, and least likely to have hormone spots and disruptive wind. However, lifestyle photography, which relies less on posing, is really popular and most lifestyle photographers are comfortable to work with older newborns too. Just be aware that older newborns are more likely to be wakeful so you’ll probably get more photos with gorgeous, alert little faces in them rather than the sleepy ones.

It’s also good to note that babies and children (and let’s face it, tired parents) are almost universally at their best in the morning which is why most newborn photographers will schedule your session early in the day. This timing is especially important if you hire a natural light photographer. You can expect your session to take anywhere between 90 minutes and 3 hours depending on the type of images you want and how settled your baby is. So block out a half day in everyone’s diary.

Is an in-home session right for you?

Where you have your newborn photo shoot is one of the most personal decisions you’ll make during this process. A studio session can be appealing if you want to leave your home and have your baby photographed without personal distractions. If perfectly posed sleepy newborn photos interest you, you’ll find that many of those photographers work in a studio.

An in-home shoot is right for you if you like the convenience and comfort of having the photographer come to you. This might seem daunting at first (after all it requires tidying up a bit) but that is outweighed by the personalisation an in-home session offers.

In-home sessions can vary in style. They might involve a “portable studio” being brought to your home with lights and a posing bean bag. Or they can be completely unscripted sessions that incorporate your unique environment, personal treasures and pets. Personally I offer my clients a relaxed, lifestyle session with a combination of gently directed photos of the whole family along with organically positioned photos of the newborn on their own.

What to wear for a photo shoot

Wardrobe is a matter of personal preference. If you’re drawn to a dreamy portfolio showing mums in floaty gowns and toddlers in knit rompers, check whether that photographer offers a wardrobe service or whether you’ll need to buy those items to achieve the same look.

If you’re dressing yourself, I recommend a palette of 2-3 complimentary colours. My advice is to avoid the matchy-matchy look. I recommend that my clients layer organic textures (soft cashmere, linen, cotton and floaty fabrics) and stick to neutral colours or soft pastels.

Definitely avoid visible logos and graphics on tops, these date and draw attention away from your faces. Also avoid super bright tops, which will reflect their colour back on your face (it’s a nightmare for your photographer to edit). Another pro tip I give my clients is to remove watches and keep hair ties in your pocket, not on your wrist!

Whatever you choose to wear you want to feel as comfortable and confident as you can. If you’ve hired an experienced photographer they will no doubt provide you with detailed suggestions to help you narrow down your best look.

How to prepare your home

In-home sessions do require a little extra preparation, but not as much as you might think. Newborn photographers know that you’ve just had a baby, the last thing we want you to do is stress yourself out trying to spring clean the whole house for your shoot. Instead, just focus on decluttering in the master bedroom, lounge and kids' rooms/nursery.

Make the master bed with a fresh duvet and pillows. Many in-home photographers will want to take a family shot snuggled up on the bed and some will use it for your newborn’s solo shots too. Pro tip: just scoop up all your laundry, rogue dishes, pacifiers, tissues, cloth nappies, breast pads, water bottles, magazines etc into a big laundry basket and hide it in the bathroom for the shoot.

What about cost?

You no doubt have a budget in mind and it can be tempting to look for the cheapest option. But consider the fact that newborn photography is a lifetime investment. You will continue to look back on these images, and so will your kids, and probably their kids too. It might feel like a luxury indulgence now, but it’s the only splurge that will become more valuable with every passing day.

All photographers price their work differently. Some will be all inclusive, which means you pay one fee for both the session and the digital images, possibly with the option to buy prints or products separately. Others will charge a session fee to secure your shoot date and then after your shoot they will present a range of print and digital packages from which to choose.

I’ve seen newborn experiences that cost as little as $350 and others that cost $3500 or more - there is truly a photographer to suit every budget. Which means it’s impossible to compare on price alone.

Instead, look at the value that you will get. Take into consideration the time the photographer is offering (shooting, editing and admin), their talent, training and experience and how good they make you feel. As well as the tangible prints or digital files you’ll walk away with. Stretch for the most value-rich experience you can find within your budget.

I hope that this guide to finding and hiring the right photographer for your newborn photos has helped to take a little bit of the confusion out of this exciting time. At the end of the day, photos are an investment you’ll never regret and a cherished treasure that will last long after those tiny feet have learned to march to the beat of their own drum. 

PHOTOGRAPHY & WORDS: Aimee Glucina 

Aimee is a lifestyle photographer known for her ability to tell beautiful stories with authentic, creative images of family life & love. She lives in Auckland with her tall, bushy-bearded husband and their two delightfully loopy (mercifully unbearded) children. She's a fan of funny people, twisty crime novels, great wine and chocolate (not necessarily in that order). Check out her work at aimeeglucinaphotography.com or on Instagram @aimeeglucinaphotography.