reasons Why you should hire a professional photographer for your newborn photos

Awaiting the arrival of your new baby whether it’s your first or your third is such an exciting time. There is so much preparation to be done and so many decisions to be made. One of the biggest decisions to make is whether or not to hire a photographer for professional newborn photos and I’m here to tell you it’s worth the investment.

1. The photos are guaranteed to be good. You’ll be flattered and have great photos of yourself with your new baby. So many moms don’t get enough pictures with their new baby, because they are hiding from the camera or the one taking the photos. Postpartum can be really hard with all of the changes, so flattering photos are so invaluable at the time and also later down the line. This doesn’t mean that you have to put on a fancy dress, most of my clients wear leggings and a cardigan, but even just putting some make up on can really help make you feel like yourself again. Aside from just making you look good, your baby will be flattered too. Photographers have all kinds of tricks to take flattering photos of your squishy little newborn. We take all the shots of baby, big sister holding baby, the whole family together, all the good stuff. The final thing is that the colors will look pretty, it takes a very trained eye to edit colors just right to flow well. Different lighting and room decor can be challenging for an amateur, so hire a pro that knows how to handle any lighting and color situation.

2. Phones do not take print quality photos, sure phones can take RAW image files today, but the lenses and settings controls are still not comparable to a real camera. Most of your phone images will not print well and let’s not even talk about how much phone storage will be eaten up by those huge files. It takes a lot of time to learn the skills to take great photos, especially of newborns. The skill of posing takes years to master. The most unposed looking photos are often heavily posed and directed even though it may not look like it.Photographer will print an album for you, so you can focus on your baby. Hire the pro, so that your family looks naturally your best.

3. Professional photographers know how to pose your baby safely and have tricks to flatter baby even if there’s fussing. All newborn photographers have tricks, but not all tricks are equal. Some photographers, like me, specialize in baby-led newborn posing where there are no unsafe practices being used and we move at the pace of your baby. Some photographers use unsafe methods like heat lamps, over-feeding, ultra-tight swaddles and just downright unsafe poses. Choose your photographer carefully. Newborn photography is not a job for someone who is new to photography. Select someone you feel safe with and whose style aligns with what you like.

4. The best professional photographers can and will come to you. Newborn pictures can be done in your home, which is best for most families. Leaving your home with your new baby can be very difficult in the early days when the whole nursery needs to come along with you. Having someone you feel comfortable inviting into your postpartum space and who you trust to take great flattering photos is so important. When I enter a postpartum space to work, I enter softly and cognizant of the family who has just gone through a huge change, I even help tidy the space we are using for photos. The other beautiful thing about photos in your home is that it is more on your time, the sessions are less rushed and there is no second family waiting at the studio door for you to hurry and pack up your baby so they can have their pictures. The concierge home photography experience is relaxed and honestly luxurious, because the photographer does the work and then does the packing to head out, rather than the other way around.

5. You’ll be sore after birth, leaning over your baby to take a picture may be uncomfortable and you may be exhausted. The hormone rush after birth is indescribable and sometimes leads to weepy moments. For me, I had the hardest time taking my own newborn’s photos and I do it for a profession- for me it was the soreness and I couldn’t stop crying. Having another person around can help distract from the hormone swings and allow you to be more present for your photos. Allow the photography to be part of the experience of having a new baby and let a professional do the heavy lifting, I promise you it is worth every penny. I also include albums with my newborn sessions so no need to design a baby book, I took care of that for you. The sleep deprivation can make it difficult to accomplish tasks like that, I try to take on as much of the memory documenting as I can for my clients.

6. Inviting an experienced mother in. Many professional newborn photographers are mothers and work around new mothers all the time. It can be reassuring to have someone come in to have a low pressure conversation about how you’re feeling and to confirm that what you’re experiencing is normal. Photographers really can be like therapists, that’s why it’s so important to hire one that you trust and connect with. You are inviting them into your postpartum space, which can be a very sensitive and vulnerable time. I personally struggled a lot in postpartum. My daughter had colic and reflux. I didn’t handle my hormone swings well and had a lot of anxiety. I cannot describe how healing it was for me to have conversations with other moms during that time to help me through it. I remember that feeling every time I walk in to take someones newborn photos and I try to be that mom further down the line to support my clients during the session and let’s be honest after it too.

Interested in booking a Spokane in-home newborn session? Click here for more information.