7 Top Reasons Why You Should Hire A Professional Newborn Photographer
- Kerry Paradis
- Aug 17, 2017
- 6 min read
Maybe I am a little biased, but I think it is very important to hire a professional photographer to take your newborn photos. There are lots of things to consider that you may have not thought of if you had planned on taking the pictures on your own. Here the top 7 reasons why you should consider hiring a professional:
There is a Small Window of Time
I normally photograph newborns within the first week of life. There are times when I make exceptions, but it is not ideal. You have a limited time frame to get these photos taken and you don’t want to be searching for someone who may or may not have availability during the days just after your baby is born. My advice is to hire a professional photographer before you deliver so you won’t waste any of those precious moments with your new baby. If I were to recommend a time when you should book your session, I would say around 2-3 months out. We can always change the date if we need to, but this way I can be aware of what my calendar will look like around the time of delivery. If you wait until you baby is born, you may be searching the internet for a photographer while he/she is sleeping which is when you should be sleeping too.
They Are Only Little Once
People used to tell me that my kids will grow up in the blink of an eye. Now my kids are 3 and 5 and I don't know where the time went. In the blink of an eye your baby will grow from this little baby that you were able to hold and snuggle with to a toddler running around that you can't keep up with. Years from now you will hold the photos from your newborn session in your hands and be able to re-live the emotion of holding your child in your arms. You’ll pull out those photos and be amazed at how big your child has grown. You are truly capturing an unforgettable and irreplaceable moment in time.
Safety
You won’t want to hand your sweet new baby over to just anyone, and you should make sure your photographer is trained and knowledgable in newborn safety. Professional Newborn photographers are familiar with exactly how to hold babies safely, when and how to pose babies, and more importantly, how not to pose your baby. We are trained to treat babies safely and respectfully. No photo is more important than the safety of a baby! If you have certain poses in mind ask your photographer before hand if they have done it before and if they know how to do it safely. Most professional photographers will take several photos and merge them into a composite to achieve certain poses.
Equipment and Studio
Professional photographers spend a lot of money on good equipment. There is a reason why the cameras and flashes cost what they do. Can you take pictures with a standard point and shoot camera, sure. Would the pictures turn out as good, probably not. The expensive cameras are able to catch better light and have more megapixels. This allows for more detail to be captured. Having the perfect lighting setup in a studio setting is critical. There can be lots of shadows if the lighting is not right and can be hard to fix later. When I first got into photography I used to shoot out of my house. Now that I have a studio, there is a huge difference in my work. It is an extra expense that I now have, but it makes my job easier because there is less editing.
Editing
Photographers carefully re-touch your images. We use products like Photoshop and Lightroom to ensure that your images are properly exposed, the colors are perfect and the image is polished to a professional level. I always aim to get the best possible photo straight from my camera, but every image can be enhanced through editing, especially newborn photos. Lots of babies have red feet and hands or may have yellow skin from being jaundiced. Most babies have peeling and flaky skin, baby acne, or scratches from their nails. Some babies even have bruising as a result of a difficult delivery. A professional photographer will know exactly how to edit your images to get you wall-worthy images of your sweet little one. I have spent thousands of dollars over the years buying presets. I am sure I have presets to get you the look you are going for.
Posing, Attention to Detail and Props
A professional photographer will pay close attention to the details. With newborn photography, babies are posed right down to the position of their hands and lips. Blankets are smoothed out. Fabrics are ironed. Background clutter is removed. The time of day and babies’ feeding schedule are taken into consideration. The temperature and ambiance of the room is carefully planned. Every part of the image and your session is carefully planned to ensure that you get the best images possible. There are certain variables that a professional photographer knows how to manipulate to help ensure an easier and more successful session. You also get to access a professional photographers prop collection and won’t have to worry about purchasing your own props.
Price
Last, but not least, price! Price is always the forefront of every consumers mind when choosing a photographer. Just remember the old saying, “You get what you pay for”. Going with the least expensive or whomever offers the “best deal” might not be the best decision when choosing your photographer for your newborn portraits. I am not saying to never take advantage of a special or a deal, but just look into why they might be offering it. Remember you only have a small window to capture those first days of life so if you choose a photographer that you end up not being happy with, you cannot get those days back. It is very similar to wedding photography in that you really only get one shot at it. Why newborn sessions are more costly than other portrait sessions is simple, they take a lot of time in session and in editing, require a lot of money going into the sessions in props and equipment and the photographer should be doing continued learning whether it is through workshops or mentoring sessions which gets rather expensive. I might only be present in the session for 3-4 hours, but I spend at least 10 more additional hours between all the editing, contact with the client and creating and ordering products for the client. IT IS VERY TIME CONSUMING and I don’t know about you, but I certainly don’t work for free or close to nothing. It is more that the photo you are paying for is art and lifetime memories for clients and that should be respected and appreciated. I find it very hard to believe that anyone charging you $100 for all images on a CD is making any money from the session when it is all said and done, and if I am wrong, please feel free to let me in on your secret! I know clients who book me do so because they appreciate my work and are willing to pay for it, not because they are hunting for the quantity over quality. Keep in mind the photographer’s portfolio, experience and remember this person is going to be handling your new baby so you want to be sure they consider baby safety and know how to appropriately handle, soothe and pose your baby.
Summary
There are lots of factors that go into a professional newborn shoot. There are lots of hidden costs that the clients are not even aware of. On top of the costs, it takes lots of experience to pose and take the picture properly. I hope you appreciate my experience when considering me to photograph your newborn. If you are interested, in learning more, you can check out my newborn home page.
I was born and raised in Perry hall (Baltimore area) and have been living in Harford County Maryland for close to 15 years. I have two daughters that keep me very busy and a very understanding husband that helps keep me sane :) I love all kinds of photography including Newborns, Weddings and Family. For the past several years I performed shoots out of my house, but recently opened a photography studio in Joppa, Maryland next to the “The Great Hall” Wedding Venue at the Millstad. My studio allows the perfect lighting to capture the best pictures and it is surrounded by 40 acres of property that is used by a ballet studio and gymnastics facility. There are plenty of places to photograph! I also have some favorite beautiful spots in the area that I like to photograph at as well. Whether you are looking to capture the first days of your baby’s life, the important times with your family, Senior Portraits for your High School Graduation, or walking down the aisle on your special wedding day, I would love for you to consider me! I do not take any of my business for granted and feel blessed to do what I love for my career. I invite you to check out my website and subscribe to my email list for exclusive discounts and updates. I try and write these blogs in a way that might answer some questions you may have. If you ever have any ideas for my blog, shoot me an email and I will be happy to see what I can do. Feel free to check out my testimonials.
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