Choosing a Newborn photographer | Ocean Grove & Geelong Newborn Photographer

CHOOSING A NEWBORN PHOTOGRAPHER

Although I consider myself a ‘family photographer’ and love all types of family related sessions, there is something about newborn photography that makes it special.

Much of a newborn session is about patience. Waiting through feeds, waiting for baby to sleep, and waiting for baby to settle. I love being able to spend time talking to the parents and  I love how all of us mums so freely talk about those first few weeks, how long the birth was and how strange it is to suddenly be a parent or to become a parent of more than one or two. And of course, the lack of sleep!

It *is* an honour to be able to capture such a fleeting, special time - and any one who is a parent knows just how quickly this time disappears. Even when a slightly older baby comes in, just 6 weeks old, they no longer fit into their mother’s arms in the same curly way that a brand new baby does. They grow and grow in a blink of an eye.

With a first baby, the sessions are usually so calm and quiet, all three of us focused on baby. It’s nice to work in the stillness, with new parents whose entire lives have changed forever in one day.

For me, newborn photography is one of the most important sessions you can book, as just like a wedding, this time only happens once. No do-overs here.

So here are my three biggest tips in what to consider when booking a newborn photographer for your baby’s images.

Style

There are a few different types of newborn photography but the most common are ‘posed’ versus ‘lifestyle'. Posed usually involves getting bubs asleep, and posing them on blankets or using props. These are the typical ‘newborn’ photos you have seen.

Lifestyle newborn is more of a ‘candid’ session, taking place in your own home, with mums and dads cuddling baby on the couch, giving baby a bath and other activities.

Style also means the look and feel of the images. Some photographers use bright colours and flowers. Others are light and airy. Choose a style that you can imagine on your wall.

For me? Nothing beats the simplicity of creams and neutrals, with just a splash of colour. I love to focus up close on baby.

 Experience

Newborn photography is hard. There is no easy way to say it, it is! You need to get their skin tone right, be able to edit baby acne and redness, have them posed nicely so they don’t look disproportioned or have their little ‘baby bits’ showing. You need to be able to settle them and have super human wrapping skills and trust me, getting Mr Two or Miss Three to cuddle their new baby sibling without having a tantrum is not always easy!

All in a 2-4 hour session.

Just remember, your baby is never going to be this small again. The newborn phase is precious and magical. I say this with love - have a budget, but no one great at this IS going to be ‘cheap’.

Safety

Safety is a big one. Some poses that you may have seen in your pinterest travels are what we call ‘composites’. They are two photos merged into one via photoshop.

Some inexperienced photographers trying out poses do not know this, and have put babies in dangerous situations, not realising that the professional images have edited out a hand that has been supporting baby’s head.

Please make sure that whatever newborn photographer you choose has the experience to handle your baby safely!

 Personality

I strongly recommend chatting to your newborn photographer in person or on the phone or online before you book to make sure you are a good fit.

The reality is, you will be spending up to three hours together during the session together,  so  it is really important you feel comfortable!  Babies do pick up on mum's moods and tension, which is why it's imperative that mum feel relaxed with the photographer.

If you are someone who wants to bring a lot of props to the session, check that that's all good with your photographer.    If you are someone who wants to leave it all up to the photographer's choices, then choose someone experienced with a definitive style.

I hope these tips have helped!

My natural light studio perfect for newborn photography is in Ocean Grove and I service Geelong, Torquay, and the Bellarine.

Email hello@nataliem.com.au to book!