I’ve been wanting to write a little something on "why choose a professional newborn photographer" for some time now, so here goes!
I had already been a professional photographer for over 8 years before I decided I wanted to
become a newborn photographer. I already had good knowledge about lighting, my camera
and post production and thought ‘how hard can it be to photograph cute newborn babies’ -
how wrong could I have been.
It’s taken me years of practice, learning how to calm your baby, tricks on how to get your
baby into a deep sleep, how to pose your baby safely, and paying attention to the little
details as it is the little details that make all the difference.
There is so much more to newborn photography that meets the eye. Any photographer that
has tried newborn photography will know exactly what I mean. You may be tempted to take
up the offer of a friend who thinks they are an experienced photographer with a super duper
camera but have no knowledge of newborn shoots. Yes, they may be cheaper or even free
but once they realise how specialised and difficult this type of photography is there is no
second chance to book an experienced photographer as by then the newborn stage has
passed.
If you have your heart set on this style of newborn photography do your research and
choose a photographer whose images you absolutely LOVE, after all these images will be
on your walls for years to come, passed down through generations. You will not regret
paying that little extra to afford the photographer you really want.
Once you have found your photographer I advise you to book early, if possible don’t wait until
your baby is born as there is a good chance your chosen photographer will be fully booked.
If you call when your baby is already seven days old this means we only have seven days to
try and fit you in. I will always try and accommodate you but on occasions it may not be
possible.
Think about the photographer’s props, colours, backdrops etc and if their style is right for
you. I’ve seen a lot of newborn photographs out there where the baby’s hat is bigger than
the baby’s head! If this style is for you then great, but for me personally I want the babies I
photograph to be the main focus and not some oversized hat!
Of course cost is a big factor when choosing your newborn photographer, but like anything
in life you pay for what you get and newborn photography is no different, especially when
you are putting your trust and newborn into the hands of your photographer. You want to
feel confident when you hand you baby over and feel relaxed and at ease throughout your
baby’s shoot. The confidence of the photographer will shine through in the pictures as well.
You may also be swayed by a photographer offering all images on disc for the same price as
another photographer who only offers 10-20 images. Usually these images will be unedited
and in my opinion it is far better to receive 10-20 amazing professional retouched images
than to receive 100 unedited ok images.
I hope the above is some help to you. And just remember it is important to choose a
photographer who you feel comfortable and confident with and who creates the type of
images you want.
Your baby will only be a newborn once and like wedding photography can never be
captured again.
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