So how do you choose a newborn photographer?

Photographs are a precious commodity which will outlive you and your baby in both digital or print format. They’re the closest thing to you that will be left behind. Yes your nearest and dearest will have jewellery and other items, but a photograph gives a picture of a moment in time. They capture emotion, growth and precious moments. Long after your finger prints are gone, your memory will live on in photographs for future generations to enjoy. This is why it’s important, when choosing a professional photographer, whom you will pay, you should consider the following before booking…

  • Training
  • Style
  • Location
  • Reputation & Reviews
  • Price

In this blog, I’ll give you a brief summary as to why each of these are important

Baby boy sleeping on blue blanket at newborn photography session at Glasgow photography studio

Training

Whether you’re looking for a wedding photographer, a product photographer or portrait photographer, you should expect that at some point in their career, the photographer will have completed some training in the skill of photography and usually lighting and editing to a certain degree.

When it comes to newborn photography, it is paramount that the person you entrust with your baby has been trained in safe posing techniques. This means that they would be fully aware of the signs to look for should a pose be affecting the baby’s circulation and also that they would not attempt any pose which may mean that baby is in any way unsafe. There are many poses which should never be attempted without baby being supported, such as Froggy, which is always done as composite (2 images merged into one with supporting hands removed)

I completed training through a Newborn Photography School, at the start of my career & I also refresh my training each year and keep my first aid certificate up to date. Before I launched my business, and before I had training I offered complimentary photoshoots to friends and family to practice. At no point did I attempt any complicated poses. I have added an image so that you can see the difference that training makes for both lighting and posing

Training on posing is also essential to give you the best image of baby, along with being aware of where the light is best placed to be more complimentary to both baby and for parent images. Often you will see images are brightly lit, with no shadows. This is called flat lit, and as much as your baby is beautiful, the lighting is often harsh if this is the case.

 

An example of an image taken in the first year of training as a newborn photographer. Baby girl wrapped in green on white backdrop lying on her side

Image taken pre training over 3 years ago! I have since trained to improve posing, lighting, camera angles and editing skills

An example of my work today post training and lots of experience!

Style

Newborn photographers each have their own style. Some are similar and some are very different. Whether it be the colours that they sue or the way that they edit or light the baby. It’s really important that you find a style that you like. After all, these images will be on your walls for many years, so they need to suit your tastes. It’s so important that you find images that you love with the photographer you book

I love to involve parents in the colour choices that I make for your photoshoot, so we will discuss this in your pre shoot consultation. Finding colours which will compliment your home as well as your own tastes are essential. Some parents may prefer that I don’t use hats or bonnets, again this is something that we can work around.

Research by looking on google and view the photographers website. It should be professional and give you a good idea of their style, Please don’t ask for recommendations on social media local pages. Being perfectly honest, as a photographer myself, I can tell you that 95% of the recommendations come from other business owners who have an agreement to recommend each other, and not people who have used the services of the photographer. By all means, ask other parents if they have used a photographer too, as this type of recommendation is great.

Baby in a round basket, wrapped in purple wrap, with her head looking upwards. Image taken by Glasgow newborn Photographer

Location

Your photoshoot will take place within the first 14 days usually. Photographers will offer a photoshoot either in your own home or at their studio. I have a beautiful, private room within my home which is my studio. It’s lovely and spacious and offers the perfect location for your bay’s photoshoot with everything at hand to style the session to perfection. I do also offer newborn photoshoots in the home, however as there are so many props for a styled session, 

Things to consider when deciding to have a home photoshoot or studio:

Home

  • Perfect if you don’t want to have to travel or leave the house!
  • Do you have room for the photographer to set up their posing bed and light? They will also need to put up a backdrop usually around 1.5 metre wide to take parent images.
  • Are you comfortable having a photographer come to your home a few days after having your baby. Some new parents feel a pressure for everything to be perfect. If this is you (and believe me you really don’t need to worry about what your house looks like), then please don’t add the stress of cleaning & tidying to your list!
  • Do you have a younger sibling? Sometimes they may feel more comfortable in their own environment. Home lifestyle shoots can also be a great way to capture your older child with the new baby, without them realising they’re being photographed too
  • Styling can sometimes be limited should you want a posed newborn photoshoot. As a former mobile photographer, I found that I had to limit the amount of props and accessories I could physically take with me, so this made styling very fixed to what I had with me.
  • You will need to bear in mind set up time for the photographer as well as making sure the room is toasty warm for the shoot.

 

Studio

  • Great if you want to escape the house and don’t want to have to worry about getting your home ready for a photoshoot.
  • Consider the location. Is it far to travel? Do they have adequate parking facilities? Is it easily accessible if you’ll be on public transport?
  • All of the props, outfits and accessories are there for baby. You just need to bring yourselves and baby along and the rest is already set up. I also supply drinks and snacks, but feel free to bring your own food if you want.
  • The studio is already set to a toasty warm temperature for baby, so no worrying about cranking the heating up.
  • Younger siblings can be photographed first and then Daddy or a grandparent can take them somewhere more fun leaving you to relax and enjoy the session.
  • The photographer has some flexibility in the styling as all of their props are at their fingertips. So if baby poo’s on an outfit, they can swap to a new one without worry.

 

 

Reputation & Reviews

As touched on above, recommendations are great, so if you do have friends in the local area who have used a photographer do ask who they used and if they would recommend them. 

Reviews are also a great. Searching for a photographer in google in your local area will also allow you to see their google reviews. You will also find reviews on their Facebook page too, so check those out too. Some good search terms to use to find a photographer are:

Newborn Photographer near me, Newborn Photographer Glasgow, Baby photography Glasgow Baby Photographer near me, Glasgow Baby Photographer

These search terms should give you a good variety of newborn photographers to look at

Price

For many this may be the number one factor in choosing a photographer. Everyone has a budget, and it’s important to stick to this. Many people think that photographers just point and click, anyone can take a great picture with an Iphone nowadays right? If you come to a newborn photoshoot, you will see that it’s far more than point & click.

A newborn photoshoot takes around 8-10 hours of a photographers time. This includes 1 hour to set up and 1 hour to clear away. 3-4 hours for the photoshoot and 3-4 hours editing those images. Editing is detailed as newborns will often have flaky, red skin which is enhanced by the camera. Your photographer will also factor in their own costs when pricing their photoshoots. This is why a good photographer isn’t always a cheap option.

The good old saying, you get what you pay for rings very true with photography. If the photographer is less expensive, then you may find that they won’t edit your images until after you have selected them, meaning you don’t actually see what your purchasing properly until after you have paid for it. It may also be that they haven’t invested in training or insurance. This isn’t always the case but please do check all of these things and consider this when you look at the pricing.

What’s Included in the session?

My newborn baby photoshoots are 3-4 hours long and include parents & sibling shots as well as a full family image. The session is styled completely with your input and use of my many props, outfits and accessories is included. Alex’s mum opted for a muted palette with creams, browns and greys. What colours would you choose?

Typically a newborn baby photoshoot will give you 20-25 images to choose from, with 3 different beanbag set up’s and 2 styled prop shots as well as parent & sibling images.

You can find more information of my newborn baby photoshoots by visiting the session page and the FAQ section on my website.

I follow some amazing newborn photographers across the UK. One that I admire greatly is Sharon, an Aberdeen baby photographer. This week she has written a blog about photographing older babies and children and it’s well worth a read.

Horsham Newborn Photography serving clients in

Greater Glasgow, Dunbartonshire, Lanarkshire, Renfrewshire & Ayrshire