Session Information

How do I reserve a newborn session date if I never know when the baby will arrive?

Babies definitely like to keep us on our toes—always guessing exactly when they’ll arrive and make their big debut! While it can be fun to place bets on the big day, it can unfortunately make the process of choosing the perfect date to capture their very newborn photography session feel near-impossible. 

Many newborn photographers book sessions several months in advance, so it’s important to start shopping for a photographer early on in your pregnancy. This will give you plenty of time to find the photographer that’s right for you, and to get on their calendar. Many photographers only take a limited number of newborn sessions each month. This assures that when the client’s little one arrives that they’ll be able to get them in. While many photographers do try to keep a few last-minute newborn session spots open, many times the only time slot available is outside of the typical time frame that photographers prefer to photograph newborns (I prefer to photograph newborns 7-14 days after they’re born). This is ideal because babies tend to be most sleepy, snuggly, and flexible in the first few weeks of life. Photographing newborns as close to their actual birth date as possible has other benefits too!

Another reason to book your newborn photos early is that many photographers offer special offers and perks for booking sessions before your due date! At Shelly Morgan Photography, I like to offer a discounted maternity session fee when a newborn photo session is also booked.

If you’re not sure when your baby will arrive, don’t worry! Most photographers offer a “guarantee date” or a window of time in which they can photograph your newborn. Newborn sessions are typically booked by “Due Dates.” While we typically don’t know when your little one will make their grand entrance, reserving your spot on your photographer’s calendar ensures that they’ll get you in for your newborn photo session during the ideal time they like to photograph their newborn clients. Once your baby arrives you’ll notify your photographer and finalize your session date.

Another benefit to booking your newborn photo session early is that it allows you and your photographer ample amount of time to plan your session. You can discuss colors, props, and other details to create a session that’s unique and personal. You won’t always be able to do this if you wait until after your baby is born to look for a newborn photographer.

My baby is already here. Is it too late to book?

Lots of families first start to think about a newborn shoot once their baby is born. And if you find yourself in this position you’re certainly not alone. 

If your baby has already been born please get in touch to check last-minute availability. I may be able to squeeze you in if other babies have arrived a little earlier or later than planned.

If your baby is already past the ‘two week window’ you don’t have to miss out. I regularly photograph ‘older newborn’ babies and also offer an Older Newborn Session which focusses on the newborn photographs that are suitable for babies aged up to 8 weeks.

Ready to Book? Here is what happens next…

To book your newborn session please fill in this form letting me know you’d like to book and your estimated due date or your baby’s birth date if they’ve already been born.

I’ll get back to you within 24 hours to confirm availability.

Once we’ve checked availability I’ll send you a booking form and an invoice for the session fee. You can complete the form and pay the session fee online – by credit or debit card or bank transfer.

Once you return the form and pay the session fee your booking is confirmed. 

Between then and your session I’ll send you lots of information to help you prepare for a relaxed, enjoyable session. And closer to the date we’ll speak on the phone to run through all the final details.

When you first bring home your newborn baby from the hospital you look down in awe at the miracle of life you are holding in your arms. You look down at your beautiful baby who still has sleepy eyes and curls up as if still in the womb. In a blink of an eye, your tiny newborn baby will be cooing, rolling, sitting, and crawling. Those tiny fragile limbs will become sweet chubby rolls as your baby grows and learns every day. It all happens so quickly, which is why you should savor each and every moment.

One of the best ways to make the most of your baby’s earliest moments is by investing in newborn photographs. These photos will allow you to capture your newborn in a bunch of adorable poses so that you can look back on your child as a baby for many years to come.

Your newborn baby’s earliest moments are best captured in the first 8 – 14 days of life. This will allow the photographer to work with your newborn while they are still quiet and sleepy, which makes for some of the most beautiful and endearing photographs. And let’s be honest, once you bring home your baby from the hospital it can seem like such a blur as you and your baby adjust to your new life together. What better way to remember this momentous moment in your life than to invest in timeless photographs of your new baby?

1. Keeps Your Baby Safe –

As a parent of a newborn baby, you are very protective of your new baby. I get it. I have been there.

When you hire a newborn photographer, you are investing in someone who has experience in the special art of photographing newborn babies. When photographing newborns, safety is my top priority. I’ll be extra gentle with your little ones and make sure that they’re safe throughout their newborn photography session. I’ll also work to put your mind at ease if you have any concerns about the safety of your child.

2. Provides You With The Necessary Props

From blankets and baskets to hats and headbands, there are so many different props that you’ll want to incorporate into your newborn’s first photo shoot.

If you want something very specific incorporated into the session, like a personalized blanket or toy, I’ll happily work it into your newborn’s photos. But otherwise, most professional newborn photographers will be able to provide you with the props you’ll need for your baby’s photo session. They’ll also bring a space heater along to make sure your baby is comfortable throughout the duration of the photo shoot.

3. Let’s You Pose Your Newborn Properly

One of the reasons why it’s a good idea to photograph newborns within 14 days of their birth is because they’re still relatively easy to pose during that time period. But even still, it can be a challenge figuring out ways to pose them and how to position them safely.

You may have seen newborn photos with babies swaddled in the cutest little poses or laying peacefully in baskets or swings. While these are adorable, they can also be potentially dangerous if you don’t know how to pose newborns properly and safely. In some cases, the baby is actually being held in place and hands are later editing out.

Professional newborn photographers are very patient and will use their experience to find a way to photograph your baby in a variety of different poses. They’ll also work to bring any ideas that you might have to life.

4. The Details

Cost of equipment aside, hiring a photographer also comes with the satisfaction of knowing that they will know exactly what to do and what to look for to create the perfect photograph. Paying close attention to details such as lighting, smoothing blankets, and even adjusting minor things like their hands and lips. Things someone who lacks experience might not think of. The photographer knows how to manipulate all these variables to help ensure an easier and more successful session.

5. Your Newborn Portraits Will Be Lit, Photographed, and Edited to Perfection

You may have just gotten a nice camera, or have a friend or family member who has a DSLR. But photographing newborn portraits requires so much more than a good camera. Newborn photographers know which angles work best, how to position the light properly, what equipment to use specifically for all the tiny little details.

While the goal is always to get great photos during the photo session, editing the images allows a photographer to enhance them to showcase how beautiful your new baby is.

It also gives photographers an opportunity to correct any imperfections you’d like edited out of photos. There are many babies who have red blotches, flaky skin, baby acne, and other conditions that you may not want to show.

Some parents prefer to leave some of these characteristics in their newborn’s portraits, while others prefer the look of perfect baby soft skin. I’ll consult with you first, so you can decide on the level of retouching you’d like for your baby’s portraits.

7. It Gives You Some Time to Breath and Relax

Newborn parents have so many things on their plate at the start of their child’s life. In between feeding your baby, changing your baby’s diaper, and trying to get your baby to sleep so that you can get some sleep yourself, there is so much to do!

Hiring a professional newborn photographer will take one thing off your plate and allow you to take some time to breathe while you watch someone else photograph your baby.

Once your baby has finally arrived, you will be responsible for a new life. This means you will literally be too busy to pick up a camera between diaper changes, feedings, sleep, etc. Granted, most of us have some sort of device with a camera built-in, but is such a low-quality photo really what you want during this magnificent time in your life? Even if you have a decent camera someone has to take the picture and that family member won’t be in the photo. What about a timer, you ask? It’s still just too much thinking and stress to do it yourself. it’s much easier to have someone take care of everything for you and have a much better product in the end. Amazing pictures, stress-free.

8. Leaves You With Timeless Newborn Photographs You Will Cherish Forever

Speaking of time, people always say how kids grow up in the blink of an eye. This is definitely true when it comes to the time frame needed for this particular photo shoot. In what feels like an instant your baby will grow from this little adorable thing you are able to hold and snuggle with to a toddler running around that you just can’t keep up with! Years from now you will hold the photos from your newborn session in your hands and be able to re-live the emotion of holding your child in your arms. You’ll pull out those photos and be amazed at how big your little one has grown! You are truly capturing an unforgettable and irreplaceable moment in time. 

9. Worth the Investment in the End

Occasionally, some parents are hesitant to invest in newborn portraits because of the cost that comes along with it. While it would save them some money to take photos with their own cameras or smartphones, I often hear from parents how much they regret not having newborn portraits of their older children. But you’d be hard-pressed to find many parents who regret making the decision to invest in newborn photos of their children.

Your little newborn will change so quickly that, in just a few short months, it will be hard to remember how tiny and squishy they were. Once everything is all said and done, most parents are glad that they made the decision to invest in photos that will help them remember the short time when their babies were still babies.