What is the best age to photograph my baby?
What’s the best age to photograph my baby?
You might be wondering when the best time is to photograph your baby, or where to start with planning a photoshoot? As a professional baby photographer (as well as a Mum myself) I'm here to share everything I know about the different stages to capture throughout your babies first year. Let’s start at the beginning….
Pregnancy Photoshoots
When thinking about photos of your baby you might not have considered a maternity photoshoot, but I think that this is one of the most important stages to document! It’s a magical time, and one that will soon be forgotten once baby arrives. Our bodies do incredible things during pregnancy, and each one is completely unique. It doesn’t matter how many children you have, each bump will grow and develop differently meaning that you’ll have a completely different experience each time. Capture that beautiful bump forever, your baby will love looking back at when they were in Mummy’s tummy.
When should I book my pregnancy photoshoot?
Maternity photoshoots can be booked anytime from your 12 week scan. It’s worth looking around at local pregnancy photographers before then to get an idea of what style you like, so that you have done your research and are ready to book once you’ve had your scan. You’ll find photographers that offer studio, in-home or outdoor sessions, in a posed or relaxed style. Look through a few different websites to see which style and approach you fall in love with.
When is best to photograph my pregnancy?
The best time for maternity photos is between 30-34 weeks of pregnancy. We want you to feel relaxed and comfortable during your maternity photoshoot, and as your pregnancy progresses and you enter the last few weeks you might start to feel a bit uncomfortable and ready for baby to make an appearance. We also don’t want to risk baby arriving early and you missing your opportunity for pregnancy pictures!
Equally, if booked too early your bump will not have ‘cooked’ fully so in my experience 30-34 weeks is the perfect time to come in for your pregnancy photoshoot 👌
Newborn Baby Photoshoots
As well as being an incredible, life-changing time, the Newborn days (or haze!) will feel like a complete blur, filled with feeding, changing nappies, hormones, sleep deprivation and generally finding your feet as a new Mum. Those first few days and weeks pass by in a flash, meaning that a lot of new parents miss the chance to book a newborn photoshoot.
When should I book my newborn photoshoot?
Newborn Photoshoots can be booked anytime from the 12 week scan, although a lot of Mums to be prefer to wait until after their 20 week scan. Many popular newborn photographers get booked up months in advance so it’s worth looking into early in your pregnancy so that you know who’s photography style you love and are ready to book once you’ve had your scan. There will be lots of newborn photographers in your area, each with their own photography style. Your job is to find the right match for you (I’ve written a useful guide about choosing the right newborn photographer for you here.) Things you can do before booking a newborn photographer:
Look through lots of local photographer’s websites - Google will be your friend here!
Follow them on social media to get an idea of their personality (equally important to find someone you get on with, not just based on their photos)
Search Pinterest for newborn photography inspiration, this will help you decide what style of photography you’re drawn to.
Ask for recommendations! Ask friends, family or in local Facebook groups for recommendations of local newborn baby photographers. Be warned - these posts will be flooded with recommendations from people that have used a photographer personally, to someone who is recommending their Husband’s Cousin’s best friend who got a camera for Christmas and does photography as a hobby. If you’re able to be specific it might help filter your search - what style of photographer are you looking for (natural & relaxed, posed studio, lifestyle at home, outdoor etc.), a rough budget, local area etc.
What age is best to photograph my newborn baby?
For teeny, tiny brand new baby pictures, the best time is around 5-10 days of age, under 2 weeks ideally. This is when they are still super sleepy and curled up, perfect for newborn photography. (You can probably now understand why I recommend booking before baby arrives, no one is any state to be thinking about booking a photoshoot during the first 5 days of becoming a parent. You’ll be struggling to remember your own name let alone anything else!)
‘Older’ Newborn Photoshoots
Some photographers might say that if you didn’t manage to get baby in front of a camera during the first 10 days of age then you’ve missed your chance for newborn photos. I wholeheartedly disagree!
Is three weeks too old for newborn photos?
Yes, traditional newborn photography requires baby to be teeny tiny to be able to use and position them in props etc. That’s the beauty of a more relaxed, natural photography style - we can capture baby beyond the first 2 weeks of age! I’ve photographed babies as ‘old’ as 8 weeks before and delivered beautiful newborn galleries to their delighted parents. Sure, baby will be a bit more awake and it would be more difficult to capture the curled up sleepy poses you might have seen. But what you’ll receive are stunning photos of your baby just as they are - perfect.
There are actually several benefits to leaving a newborn photoshoot until baby is a few weeks old. They are more awake and alert, meaning that we can photograph them with their eyes open. You’d be amazed how much connection there already is between babies and their parents at this age, so we’d be looking to capture lots of photos of you together as well as some individual pictures of baby.
When should I book a newborn photoshoot if baby has already arrived?
As soon as possible. Like I mentioned earlier, lots of baby photographers book up weeks and months in advance so you’ll need to be contacting them as soon as you can to get a photoshoot booked in. Please don’t panic though, it’s still worth arranging a newborn photoshoot for your baby even if you do miss the first two weeks of age. They grow and change so much in the first few months, you’ll be totally in love with the photos regardless of when they are taken. My one bit of advice would be to find a photographer that is experienced in this age, ask to see some previous galleries of similar aged babies so that you know what to expect and are happy with the type of images you’ll likely be receiving in your final gallery.
Take a look at some photos from an ‘older’ newborn shoot that I photographed here.
5 week old ‘newborn’ baby
Baby at 5 months
3 - 6 months photoshoots
Traditionally an in-between age in terms of photography, this is a gorgeous age to capture as their little personalities start to shine through. They’ll be smiling and perhaps starting to roll over, lots of opportunity for some cute baby pictures.
What sort of photoshoot is best for my 3 month old baby?
This age suits a more natural photography style, so perhaps a lifestyle photoshoot at home or some gorgeous outdoor photos to celebrate the season. Our natural approach to baby photography means that this age is easily captured in our neutral studios, enjoying cuddles with Mummy & Daddy or rolling around on our bed/beanbag set-ups. There really are photographers specialising in every genre so you’ll be sure to find someone amazing to help capture your 3-6 month old baby.
Sitting Baby Photoshoots
These are one of my all time favourite sessions to photograph! It’s an awesome age to photograph, allowing them to sit and play while I snap away. These are basically a playdate with a camera!
What is the best age to photograph a Sitting Baby session?
These photoshoots are perfect for babies aged between 7-9 months of age. Your baby will be sitting confidently but not quite starting to crawl yet. They’ll be full of smiles and fun, exploring my range of wooden toys in the studio.
We’ll sing songs, blow bubbles and have lots of fun!
When should I book a Sitting Baby Photoshoot?
Your Sitting Baby photoshoot can be booked after you’ve had your newborn session. Many baby photographers offer first year packages, including 2 or 3 photoshoots throughout their first 12 months, meaning that you can get your dates booked in ahead of time.
First Birthday Photoshoots
You’re coming to the end of your baby’s first year and what better way to celebrate than with a first birthday photoshoot?
What does a First Birthday photoshoot involve?
It’s time to celebrate! You bring the balloons, I’ll bring the cake… a wooden cake that is! First birthday photoshoots don’t have to involve smashing cake all over the place. Of course they can, and there are plenty of photographers offering this type of photoshoot for your little one.
What is a cake smash photoshoot?
These photoshoots have become a popular way to celebrate baby’s first birthday. Involving a cake, they’re all about baby diving in and making a cute mess. In reality baby often avoids the cake and sits there staring at it!
My advice? Save the cake for the birthday party and let’s capture baby loving life at the grand old age of 12 months. I have a gorgeous wooden cake to use in first birthday photoshoots, and balloons are the absolute BEST way to say “it’s my birthday!”
When is best to photograph a First Birthday photoshoot?
This might sound like an obvious answer, but around their first birthday! I would actually recommend booking for when your little one is 11 months old so that you’re photographer has time to edit and deliver your images in time for you to use them for their Birthday celebrations.
As you can see, there are lots of gorgeous stages throughout baby’s first year that are photoshoot-worthy.
Which one/s are you looking forward to most? Feel free to drop any questions in the comments below or pop me an email and I’ll be happy to answer them for you.
Rachel x
Pregnancy Gallery
Newborn Gallery
