How do you find the right baby photographer for a newborn baby photoshoot?
Your baby’s newborn phase is magical, but unfortunately, it also passes very quickly. Your baby is growing fast and will never be that sweet, sleepy, perfect, curled-up little one again. So tiny and sweet that you’ll never want to let them go. So make sure you hire the right baby photographer to beautifully capture this moment, so you can always look back on this special moment by looking at your photos.
Tips to find the best baby photographer for your newborn photoshoot!
Ask someone close to you
Do you know someone close to you who has already been to a baby photographer for a newborn photoshoot? Then ask about their experience with the photographer. People quickly forget what something was like. So it’s important to ask specific questions to jog their memory.
Questions you can ask include:
Which baby photographer did you use for your newborn photoshoot?
How did you find the quality of the photos?
How did the photographer interact with your newborn?
Did you feel comfortable and confident during the newborn photoshoot?
What didn’t you like about the photographer?
What didn’t you like about the newborn photoshoot?
Are the photos taken by the photographer technically good?
This is a very important one! If you’re looking for a baby photographer for your newborn photoshoot, look at all their photos. Look at the photos on their website, blog, Facebook, Pinterest—everywhere. Every baby photographer posts their best newborn photos on their website. You’d like to know if the photographer always takes beautiful newborn photos or if these were just lucky shots. So, look everywhere you can for newborn photos. Facebook often features photos from the photographer’s latest sessions.
Things to look for when viewing newborn photos from a baby photographer:
Are all the photos sharp?
Can you see every detail of the baby’s face clearly?
Are the photos too light or too dark?
If the baby in the photo were your baby, is this how you’d want your newborn photos to look?
Does the baby’s skin tone look natural? (Pinkish, not yellow or tan?)
Do the babies in the newborn photos look safe and comfortable?
I’ve seen newborn photos taken by photographers where tiny babies were placed in awkward positions in baskets, in glass bowls on a cold floor, and even a baby lying in a bowl of cold M&Ms. This is awful. Popular newborn photos people see online where babies are lying in baskets or in certain positions are photoshopped. A baby photographer experienced with newborns will not place your baby in a cold bowl. This is unacceptable. Keep your baby away from people who take such risks. It’s not worth it.
If babies look comfortable in a newborn photo, they usually were comfortable during the photo shoot. When looking for a newborn photographer, check if the babies look comfortable in all the photos. This is often the difference between a good newborn photographer and a less-than-stellar one.
Does the newborn photographer have a business?
Can you visit the photographer? Does he/she have a photo studio? There’s a reason some baby photographers don’t have a visiting address or, for example, a photo studio. A high-quality newborn photographer with a business and a location you can visit knows how to interact with people. They know what it takes to run a business and do it right.
A baby photographer who takes lower-quality photos and/or doesn’t interact properly with a baby might open a location but quickly find that customers stay away. A newborn photographer with their own business often offers better quality photos and a better relationship with your baby and with you.
Ask the baby photographer if you can see the photos from a complete newborn photoshoot.
You can ask any baby photographer to see all the photos from a newborn photoshoot. You’re going to pay a lot of money, so it makes sense that you want to see what they’re actually capable of. A newborn photographer’s capabilities can’t be judged by just a few baby photos on a website. All the photos from a single newborn photoshoot give you a good idea of how skilled the baby photographer really is.
Ask anything you can think of. For example, ask:
Can you see the room where the newborn photoshoot will be held?
If the baby photographer is insured.
What training the baby photographer has completed.
How long the baby photographer has been doing newborn photoshoots.
Ask, ask, ask. Don’t just hire a baby photographer because they’re cheap and there are a few newborn photos on a website. Make sure you get your money’s worth. I can’t emphasize enough how important baby photos from this period in your child’s life will be.
Questions for the baby photographer who will do your newborn photoshoot
Have you found the right baby photographer for your newborn photoshoot? Glad you did!
Here are a few more questions you can ask the newborn photographer of your choice to avoid any confusion:
What do I get with a newborn photoshoot, and what extras do I have to pay for? How long does a newborn photo session last?
What kind of clothes should I dress my baby in?
What happens if I…
I’ve made an appointment, and my baby isn’t comfortable, making it impossible to take beautiful newborn photos?
Good luck finding the right baby photographer for your newborn photoshoot!
If you follow my tips in your search for the right baby photographer, I’m confident you’ll get fantastic photos.
