How to Choose the Right Newborn Photographer

FIVE THINGS TO CONSIDER WHEN CHOOSING A NEWBORN PHOTOGRAPHER

CONGRATULATIONS!! If you are reading this blog post it might mean that you have just added a new member to your family! Whether you are expecting a new baby, have just welcomed a newborn or will be adopting a baby into your family soon, you are probably researching Newborn Photographers in your area to capture this special time for you. What should you be looking for when hiring a newborn photographer? What questions should you ask a photographer? Here are FIVE things to consider when searching for the right baby photographer for your newborn session!

1. Safety First ALWAYS! It is so important that you find and trust a reputable photographer that you can trust with your baby’s safety! A newborn baby is a fragile creature, You've literally spent months growing this tiny perfect human or waiting for its arrival. Your instinct is to keep it safe. So I think it’s so important that you hire and find someone who has the experience, knowledge and abilities to capture images of your baby SAFELY. Newborn Photography is not something that you can pick up in a few days. It takes lots of time, practice and patience. Comfortably and confidently handling newborns is an art in itself. How many years experience does your photographer have with newborn photography or with handling newborns in general? Has your photographer taken any safety and newborn courses and workshops? There are many popular newborn poses that put undue stress on an infants body. How does your photographer insure your baby's safety? Do they hire an assistant as a "spotter" or ask parents to help? Does your newborn photographer have liability insurance? Is your photographer trained in CPR or Newborn Resuscitaiton? These are all so important to know and find out when choosing the right photographer.

2. Photography Style What type of newborn session are you aiming for? Do you want a studio photographer where you can go to a studio and they will provide all the props, outfits and backdrops for you? Or, do you prefer a Lifestyle Session where someone can come to the comfort of your own home and take some natural photos of you and your family sitting in your living room or bedroom? Make sure to look at the photographers Website and see if their style is a fit for what you’re envisioning. Make sure their portfolio is consistent with what you’re looking for. Do you like posed shots or more natural shots of the baby? Ask yourself what you plan on doing with the images. Do you want to hang them on your walls in your living room/nursery? Do you want to have a keepsake album that you can look at and pass down to your child? Did you have a color scheme or theme you want to incorporate into the session? Did you want to include anything sentimental into the photos? Make sure your photographer understands your vision as well and can execute that vision for you. Is your photographer open to ideas from Pinterest or Instagram?

3. Ratings/Reviews It’s so important to make sure you check out the Newborn Photographer’s local ratings. You can search via Google Reviews, Yelp, and Facebook Reviews are just some examples of where you can find your local photographers ratings and reviews. You want your newborn photographer to handle your baby with care and safety, be professional, get your images to you in a timely manner, give you an amazing experience, and set the right expectations that they will deliver on. Reading reviews will give you an excellent idea of what other people’s experiences are with that photographer. Some people will go into detail of their entire experience in their reviews so you can get a feel for what the session might be like with that specific photographer.

4. Location and Type of Business What is important to you when finding the right newborn photographer? Location be important to some people as might not want to travel too far with your newborn. How far is the photographers studio from your home? Is it located in a safe area? Is the photographer’s studio located at their home or at a business center? Make sure you are comfortable where you are going. Is the location clean? Does the photographer clean and sanitize their studio? Do they have a restroom available in their studio? Do they launder all the blankets and outfits that they use for each session? Do they have or allow pets at their studio? Do they have a waiting area? Netflix? Wi-fi? Make sure to check out their website and see if they have photos or video of their studio. You can easily tell if their studio is cleaned and organized by the photos. What type of photography do they specialize in? Do they have a website with a portfolio or samples? Are you looking for help in creating the perfect announcement, albums, portraits to display in your home? Or, are you looking for a photographer that you can provide you with digital images that you can have and save and print on your own? Do you want both? How many newborn sessions to they do each day and how much time to they allow for each session? Are they licensed and registered business? These are important questions to ask as the more professional the business is the more you can trust them with your baby. Did your photographer contact you when you first inquired to get to learn more about you and what your envisioning? How long did it take for them to respond to your email or voicemail? I think these are all important factors to consider when choosing the right newborn for you.

5. Budget Budget is a huge factor when considering a newborn photographer. Does Price equal Talent? Surprisingly, not always! When you look at the cost of professional photography, it may also reflect many of the photographers "hidden" business expenses ,such as licenses, permits and insurance, the cost of props, outfits , high end equipment, lighting, rent, etc. Often, home-based photographers will charge less than those with a commercial studio simply because they have less cost to do business. Also, a more established photographers maybe priced higher than a photographer who is just starting her business. A talented professional "weekend" photographer may charge less than a full-time professional photographer. Know that there is a professional photographer for every budget. There are many very talented professional photographers who have just started their own small business and may be offering lower rates than well established photographers. Sometimes a photographer will offer a "model call" in order to test new props or backdrops in exchange for a free session. Prices also very across geographic areas. A newborn photographer in Laguna Beach or Santa Monica will probably be priced higher than a photographer in Murrieta or Temecula . For most working families though, Newborn Photography is often a big investment Ask if your photographer accepts payments. Many photographers will split up the total cost over 2 or 3 months if you book in advance Consider the investment in photography as an investment in generational memories. Most new parents will spend thousands in the right stroller, car seat, crib, pack n plays, etc. These are things that are important, but are also all things they will outgrow in a year or two.. Your photography investment will be passed on from generation to generation and will last a lifetime. These images will be bring back memories and joy every time you look at them. It is an important time in their life to capture and is investment that will last a lifetime!