I am often asked, when is the best time to photograph newborns and when I reply with, if you are after the newborn curled up poses, ideally 6-9 days, it is generally followed by, why? Well, I can only answer this from my own experience of photographing newborns.
There are a few parts to this answer. Firstly, at this stage most babies seem to sleep better which means they allow me to put them in poses and don’t wake up every time I touch them. Also at this age they are easier to pose in all the curled up positions as they have spent the last few months all curled up. One other important factor is their skin is clear and generally they have not yet broken out into the hormonal acne that babies have the tendency to get. Last but not least, I find that if a baby is going to have colic and digestion issues, it usually does not start in the first 2 weeks.
These are mostly the reasons why most newborn photographers prefer to photograph your baby at such a young age and why we recommend you book your session before going to hospital. That being said, I have photographed newborns successfully as late as 6 weeks, but the variety and calibre of images produce are just not the same as the ones taken in those early days. I know many mum’s believe they can’t book the session prior to the arrival of the baby, mainly because the due date is unclear, so let me spend just a minute to explain the process. Usually after our discussions and once your deposit has been received, I record your due date in my diary, the main reason being that just like your obstetrician, I only take a certain number of newborns per month. I ask that you add me to the list of people whom you will be informing of the arrival of your bundle of joy whilst in hospital and then I wait. Once I receive the wonderful news of your baby’s arrival, I will send you a date for your session, and if by chance this does not suit, we work together to find another date.
As you may have seen on facebook, I recently celebrated the arrival of my niece, and since I have not yet had the chance to blog her photos, I thought this was the perfect time to share with you a few (and there were many more) from her session at only 7 days old.
If you would like more information or would like to book your session, please call us (03) 9816 9181.
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