6 Tips to Choose the Best Newborn Photographer for Your Baby | Wayne, NJ Newborn Photographer
Congratulations! You found out you are expecting and your mom instinct starts kicking in with all the planning and things you want to do for her or his arrival. You go online and you want to search everything baby. I get it. It’s such an amazing feeling! And one of the things on your to-do-list is to find a photographer for your new bundle of joy. This is not an easy task! After all, she or he will be working with your baby for a few hours while taking these precious images. This could be so overwhelming! But fear no more, here I have 6 great tips to help you choose the best newborn photographer for your baby.
Newborn Photography is a lot harder than most people think. You have no idea the amount of times my clients leave my Lincoln Park, NJ studio saying “ Wow, I didn’t know how hard posing a baby was! You have so much patience!” Yes! Posing a newborn is not something that any person should take lightly. I will be making a blog post later about what goes into an actual session. It will be an eye opener for most of you!
So, the same way you don’t go to a podiatrist to talk about your wisdom teeth, you don’t go to a wedding photographer to ask to do newborn photos (unless they specialize on both of course). Photography, has many many specializations and at the same time, newborn photography has different styles and you should find the best photographer for YOUR needs.
Believe it or not, price is not (or at least it shouldn’t be) what determines who is the best photographer for you. Here are some topics you need to consider before you make your final decision.
Studio or Lifestyle?
First and foremost, you have to choose what type of session you would like. While studio is more a posed session with all the props and whistles, lifestyle sessions are very pure and cozy. They tell a story and they are typically made at home or at the hospital before you are released. Maybe you even want both styles? I offer Fresh 48 and studio bundle packages so you get the best of both worlds.
2. In-studio or in-home?
If you decide that you prefer a studio posed session, ask yourself if you want the photographer to come to you or if you want to come to a studio. The pros and cons will depend on what is more important to you. In my experience, when I had my twins, I was so happy to finally leave the house! I was excited that my photographer was going to give me a 4 hour break. I felt I was on a road trip! Personally, I would’ve been so worried about cleaning, my dog barking, having family in and out of the house, that it kind of made me decide to just offer in-studio sessions. I also know every house would have a different lighting situation as well, plus setting up and taking everything apart would make me be at a client’s home 4 to 6 hours. My studio is cleaned before and after every session and I am very careful about sanitizing my hands constantly while I am working with your baby. Every outfit, wrap or backdrop that touches baby, gets washed after each session with baby detergent. Despite all this, you are the mom and if the most important thing for you is to keep baby at home, find a photographer that offer that service.
3. Photographer’s personal style
I cannot stress enough to go through different photographers’ portfolios before you decide which one you love. Take a look at your decor, baby’s nursery and your personal style. It surprises me every time when a client tells me they don’t like anything rustic or they love bright colors or they want to use a costume for the baby. If you go through my whole website for example, everything is rustic and organic, mostly neutral and I certainly do not use costumes. It would be the same for a photographer that offers a more modern, colorful style with lots of props to be asked for a more rustic neutral style. It is like going to a steak house and ask for sushi. I encourage you to call each photographer that is on your top list and have a conversation about your vision and your goals for the session, ask if it would be fine to bring something or if they offer the things that you would like to incorporate into your session.
4. Experience and training
Here is a big one for me. Please, please, please always ask about the experience and the training a photographer has. Posing a newborn is not as easy as it looks and being a mother won’t qualify anybody as a trained person to do so. This is a skill that you acquire with practice and lots of training. There are certain poses, for example, that look super cute but what you don’t know, is that they are a composite. This means that 2 images are meshed together to make it look like baby is posed like that. It is completely unsafe to try for a newborn to do these poses on his or her own or without anybody at hands reach. If your newborn photographer is not properly trained (like a family friend that just got a “fancy” camera), your baby might be in danger or at risk of getting hurt. Always, always check on your photographer’s experience and training, check the reviews, make sure this photographer will always put your baby’s safety first.
5. Get to know your photographer
Ok, I will say it (insert a nagging mom face), why would you meet your baby photographer for the first time at the newborn session? This is key for me to make a connection with my clients and make sure that they can rest assured their baby is on the safest hands. Talk with your photographer over the phone and go meet them if you can! I love having an open communication with my clients and put to rest any fear or stress they might have before their session. I am working with your baby for 2 to 4 hours and I want you to enjoy your session. I was a first time mom once and having preemies myself, I completely understand what it is to see danger everywhere and if I didn’t feel comfortable with my babies’ photographer I wouldn’t have booked her (hi Maricela!). So I use that experience to make sure nobody feels that way coming to the studio.
6. Value
Last but not least, value is one of the most important things to consider when you are choosing your newborn photographer. Value has nothing to do with price. This is what YOU feel you are receiving for your money. I often read in groups things like “recommendations for an affordable photographer”, “I need a photographer that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg”. This is all relative and it will be a different number for every person. When you inquire with a photographer take the time to understand the experience and the process they are offering. Again, decide what is more important to you. Do you prefer to receive an online gallery to choose your images from home or do you prefer a complete service where your photographer is with you through the whole process? Would you prefer a professional display of your images or do you prefer printing your own images at a consumer lab? I always tell my clients to think about what are their goals for the images they will receive. If you just want them to share on social media and have them as a slideshow for your computer, I certainly wouldn’t expect you to want to invest thousands of dollars on a session. But this is very different for clients that are looking for an heirloom piece of art hanging on their wall. Once, you determine this, I am sure you will understand the different services or business models from every photographer. We all work different and this is why prices vary so much. What is expensive for you, might not be expensive for somebody else. So just look for the photographer that offers what matters to you.
I hope these tips help you when choosing the best newborn photographer for your baby and for your needs. There are many photographers out there but I want you to choose the one that you feel most comfortable with and not get unexpected surprises along the process. But above all, I want you to be absolutely happy with your newborn photography experience with me or with any photographer you choose for your baby. We all want happy clients and ensuring your vision comes to life is what matters the most to all of us.
Lullabies for Josephine Photography is a Premier Newborn & Family photographer serving the northern Jersey area including but not limited to Morris, Passaic, Bergen & Essex County. If you would like to get more information about booking a session with Tamara, Fill out our contact form HERE