Let me start this off by saying I haven’t always been a professional newborn photographer. In fact, although I’ve been obsessed with photography my whole life, my educational background is in engineering and I was still working in that field when my first child was born. I remember after she arrived, I wanted to capture every single moment and figured I had enough “know how” to make it work. Sadly, I didn’t know what I didn’t know until my fourth was born, and I regret not hiring a professional newborn photographer sooner.
Based on my experience (on both sides of the camera), here are my top 5 reasons why I think you should at least consider hiring a newborn photographer!
5. Time
Let’s face it right after your baby is born, time is a premium. There just aren’t enough hours in the day, especially for sleep! It takes a significant amount of time to plan, design, capture, and edit all those wonderful newborn details and moments! So take this big project off your plate and let a professional do all the work for your family so you can sit back and enjoy the final products.
4. The right tool for the right job
I’m sure you’ve heard that saying before. It holds true for newborn photography as well. Besides professional camera and lighting equipment, it’s important to have the right newborn specific equipment as well. Newborn props and backdrops are specially made for capturing newborn portraits. It’s a significant investment as a newborn photographer, but absolutely necessary to create beautiful and timeless imagery. While minky fabric from Joann’s may sound like a good idea, I promise it will not give you the look you desire.
Which leads me to….
3. It’s harder than it looks
There is a reason all those funny Pinterest fail posts exist! Getting your baby safely and perfectly into that pose takes years of training and practice in addition to a deep understanding of lighting techniques. It also takes time; a single pose can take 30+ minutes to set up depending on baby’s mood and cues. In addition to perfecting each pose during a session, editing newborn imagery is truly an art form of it’s own.
2. Safety
Newborn Posing Safety Example: Images that appear to be hanging are really laying safely, it’s the angle and editing that creates the suspended look
Have I mentioned safety…I did, but it’s important enough to be a point of its own. You want someone who is trained in newborn photography safety as well as having years of experience handling the smallest most important person in your life! My purpose is not to scare you, but newborn images are not always what they seem, and if you don’t know how the images are created safely (for instance - by either the trick of the eye or compositing multiple images together) you are risking serious injury!
1. Your baby is worth it!
Let’s be honest, these fleeting moments only happen once, and they deserve to be captured and celebrated for years to come. While I may be biased as a newborn photographer, I believe these images stand the test of time, and are likely the ones that people spend the most time looking back on as their children and families continue to grow. Even when compared to their wedding portraits (another very significant milestone!), there is nothing like reliving those foggy first few hours, weeks, months, and years.
Don’t be like me 10 years ago. Don’t miss out on having these beautiful memories. Find someone in your area that you trust and that shares your vision for capturing these wonderful fleeting moments. I promise you won’t regret it!
Based in Portland Oregon, Danielle of Four Jays Photography is an in hospital/birth place fresh 48 and in home newborn photographer serving the greater Portland area including Beaverton, Hillsboro, Tigard, Lake Oswego, Happy Valley, Oregon City, and other local cities.