Beautiful, natural and timeless, maternity, newborn, baby and family photography.
Where to get newborn pictures taken
- , Newborn
Deciding where to get newborn pictures taken can be a tough choice, especially if it is your first baby.
Should you go to a studio? Should you have someone come to your home? Will you even feel well enough after birth? I am sure there is a lot going through your mind right now. I know that there was when I was expecting.
As a mother myself, and a photographer who offers in studio newborn photography and used to offer in-home newborn photography, I would love to help you explore these choices.
Will I be well enough to get newborn pictures taken after birth?
The newborn stage, happens really quickly. It is the first few weeks after birth and typically occurs in between days 6 – 12.
People’s first reaction to hearing this timeframe is often shock. They are worried that they won’t be able to leave the house because they haven’t recovered from birth. Especially if they end up birthing via c-section.
It can be hard to imagine, until you have lived it, but most people are up and around pretty quickly after birth. In fact, in all the years that I have been photographing newborns I have only ever had to reschedule one family outside of this timeframe due the mother being unwell.
With a c-section, as the recovery process is longer than a vaginal birth, I do prefer for new families not to come into the studio until around day 10. So that Mum has adequate recovery time.
This is why we book your exact session day in after your baby arrives. So, if you are feeling fabulous straight away, you can come in early in your newborn window. But if you need a bit more time to recover, you can come in towards the later end.
I personally didn’t have the easiest birth with my son, and he was in ICU for several days after birth. We had lots of feeding issues that followed. But I was still up for shooting his newborn photos as we headed into the latter half of his newborn window. It is amazing what the human body is designed to do!
Should I go to a studio or get a photographer to come to my home - where to get newborn pictures taken?
When I first started out as a newborn photographer, I used to only do in-home newborn sessions. The benefit of this, was of course that it meant that families didn’t have to leave the house with their new baby.
The reality of why I did this though, was because my studio at the time was completely unsuitable for newborn photos. It was big and difficult to heat, the lighting wasn’t great and it had stairs, that were dangerous for toddlers.
When I went to people homes, I found that they nearly all had the same heating and lighting problems. Both of these are two of the most important ingredients in a newborn session.
I wasn’t happy that I was giving my clients the best possible newborn photos. So, I relocated my studio, into a space that was ideal for newborn photography.
Now having done it both ways, I know the benefits in going to a studio as opposed to having a photographer come to your home.
In fact, most of my clients that had their first baby photographed in their home, and returned with their second in the studio. Have said that while they loved the idea of me going to them pre-birth, the reality after birth, was that it was a little stressful. They felt that they had to clean their house and have it “photo ready” for their session. Packing a nappy bag for baby and getting in the car, was in comparison significantly easier!
So what are those benefits of going to a Newborn Photography Studio? - Where to get newborn pictures taken.
The main benefit of going to a professional photographic studio to nave your newborn pictures taken is image quality.
When you go to a photography studio everything is taken care of for you, so you don’t need to worry about anything for your baby. You have access to the studios full range of props, wraps and outfits.
This is not just a benefit for your individual photos of baby. It is also a benefit for your family and sibling images. All of these items assist when babies are fussy and help create safe spaces for their photos with older siblings. They make higher quality imagery achievable.
Even if your photographer “brings everything you would need”, it is impossible to cart around the amount of variation in items that you need to solve all problems. I know I have been there and tried doing it!
Our newborn studio, is a safe sterile space. Set up for your baby to achieve optimal imagery. Everything in it is designed for your baby’s comfort during your session, and to facilitate achieving beautiful newborn baby photos.
If you would like to find out a little bit more about our Melbourne Newborn Photography Studio, Click HERE
Like what you see? - Take the first step for your own newborn session!
Hi, I’m Karen, the photographer and owner of Vanilla Images.
Our 4-step Portrait Photography experience, makes getting beautiful, natural photos that will keep your memories alive, fun and easy – just the way photography should be!!!!
Those first moments of your beautiful new baby go so quickly, so take your first step for your very own session today!