I have put this post together to give you some ideas of what you will want to consider before booking your newborn photographer - it is a very personal choice and important they they are a good fit for you and your family. I will answer the questions as to what Family Tree Photography can offer you, any questions, just get in touch!
Will you have availability for my due date?
Most newborn photographers tend to book newborn sessions in advance, so it can be tricky to book last minute when your baby is born. That said, it isn't impossible, but I would urge you to book in early, usually after your 12 week scan. It is the same as a wedding photographer, you wouldn't wait until a month before your wedding to book, so if you have your eye on a photographer make contact and secure yourself a session!
What age baby do you prefer working with?
The term "newborn" varies from person to person - even amongst photographers! Some photographers will insist that the session is done within the first two weeks, whereas others will be happy to work with slightly older babies up to 8 weeks or so. I personally like to do a newborn session within the first three weeks, as it is when baby is still so sleepy and snuggly and ensures some gorgeous images. I am more than happy to work with babies older than this, but I would always manage expectations that baby may wake up a bit easier and you might not get all of the sleepy newborn images that you may have seen on my website.
How much will it cost?
Cost is again something that varies so much across the industry, and it can be for many reasons. As with any business, every photographer has different running costs, some photographers hire a studio, the style of photography they do may mean they need more equipment. I think it is a common misconception to think that photography is just taking pictures and all you need is a camera - it is so much more than that. You start with your camera, but you also need lenses, memory cards, a computer, editing software, hard drives, online file storage, gallery software, booking systems, lighting equipment, props, insurances etc. All of these things tend to be quite pricy! Of all the sessions I offer newborn photography is the most time consuming, in terms of set up, the session itself and editing and that is why it costs more. I am very clear with my pricing, as a customer, I dislike not being able to see pricing before I make an enquiry, so I ensure that it is clear what you will be paying and what is included. So make sure you are comfortable with the pricing and that you fully understand what you are getting!
What training do you have?
The newborn photography industry is unfortunately unregulated, so as ridiculous as it sounds anybody can just start doing newborn photography without any training. This is something that means a lot to me and I would have never have even picked up a baby without training, I wanted to know how to pose babies safely and how to ensure that my sessions were 100% baby led. I had my one to one training in 2021 with Maddy Rogers, who is a leading newborn photographer and trainer in the UK. It gave me everything I needed to understand how to safely run a session and how to ensure baby was always happy and comfortable during the session.
Can we have parent/sibling images?
Some photographers will only include newborn images and not offer any other family images, it is always worth asking if this is something that you would like as part of your session. I love doing parent and sibling shots, they are so special. I always do my parent shots at the end of a session, baby is usually awake at this point and we get some lovely family portraits. With siblings, I normally suggest that we book in a second session for family images and sibling shots, a newborn session is quite boring for a sibling to sit and wait to have their photos taken at the end and at this point they aren't really that excited to smile and snuggle with their baby sibling!
How long will it take to see my images?
Again, this is something that varies from photographer to photographer, newborn editing can take time and I would normally say around two weeks - three weeks after a session is quite normal. If you think you will require your images quicker, then you should discuss this with your photographer before making a booking.
If you have any other questions about a newborn or any other type of session, get in touch!
Simona xx
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