Should we get professional newborn photos taken?
I’m supposed to say
yes
because I’m a professional photographer.
But I’d rather speak as his mom.
We worked hard to prepare for my son’s arrival but many things happened that were outside of our control. We scrapped newborn photos and didn’t come back to the idea of professional photos until he was 9 months old.
(my lil’ newborn, photo by my talented photog husband Sam)
There are plenty of photos of our son, of him with me, of him with Sam but
…there just aren’t enough of our newly formed family together when it was all new. Yes, a baby was born. So were two parents. So was a new family.
A metamorphosis is taking place and your baby won’t have the ability to remember it. You may not have the capacity to remember much either.
So, with all my own mom-regrets on the table, here’s my professional photographer advice for why you should hire someone to capture the early days with your newborn.
Read more on newborn photos at home here: Why Take Newborn Photos at Home?
Why you should have professional newborn photos taken
1. You don’t remember, but you were a baby once.
Can you imagine having photos of your parents holding you that look like this? Photos that show you, in no uncertain terms, how loved you were from the start?
You will take photos of your baby daily by phone, videos too. But who is photographing you for your baby?
Read more here: Why your family photos will matter to your kids
You’ll write a will, you’ll save money for college, you’ll do many things to assure the best future for your baby. Family photos can reaffirm what your children already know: they are real, they matter, and they belong.
2. Your current home is part of your baby’s history.
As families grow, homes often change. Sometimes an entire childhood takes place in one home – how amazing would it be to see that familiar place all the way back when you first arrived?
Sometimes the home we are born into becomes too small or a job offer comes about in another city. Having a record of the home you were born in or came home to is a beautiful gift.
Not only is home the most comfortable place for a newborn shoot, the context itself is an important part of personal history and core memory.
3.) Because they will never be this small again
I still can’t believe that the boy who stands taller than me could ever fit so neatly into the crook of my arm like a lock and key!
Photographing your baby at their very tiniest is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Choosing photography at home where your baby stays in your arms lends both a loving context and mind-blowing scale.
4.) Moms are photographed less than anyone else in the family (including the pet iguana). We can change this!
While conducting market research I had the opportunity to talk with 12 mothers. Only one had commissioned newborn photos and 9 out of the remaining 11 regretted that they didn’t.
The two without regrets had partners who photographed them with their children often and well. The nine who regretted it, when asked why they didn’t hire a photographer, cited overwhelm, external circumstances, uncertainty about their body, an unwilling partner and/or feeling that it was too luxurious or impractical an expense at the time. Often it was more than one of these reasons.
Add to that the mounting evidence that moms are the documentarians of their family – meaning that we make the magic for our children and capture it too. We’re often absent from tangible memories of important outings, birthdays, holidays and vacations.
For more context on this issue as well as the effort to fix it, read more here: Photo tips for new moms
How to get past what’s holding you back
Remember the moms who regretted not having newborn photos made? I do too and I’d like to address what came up for them, in case it resonates for you too.
1.) How you feel about your body
Even if we did not birth our baby we are undergoing massive change and are subject to societal pressures. Celebrities and TV moms have flat stomachs from day one.
Becoming a mother in the real world is much harder and it takes a bigger toll.
You are allowed to feel however you want to about your body at any time. You are allowed to decide which photos are seen in the world and which you put aside just for your family. Tell your photographer how you feel – she will understand.
But please don’t let this get in the way of being seen, celebrated and remembered. You will likely look back with grace and perspective and think, “wow, I really looked amazing!” Even if you don’t, these photos will bring back the joy and wonder you felt and that will always be worth revisiting.
This may resonate too….
2.) Stuff happens.
This one I know up close. Maybe your birth didn’t go as planned, maybe there’s a health problem to address, maybe your recovery is more complicated than you expected, maybe postpartum depression hits or you’re having trouble making it through the day.
Its so hard to pull the trigger in this circumstance! If you’re fortunate enough to be reading this while you are still pregnant, sign the contract with a compassionate photographer well before the birth and you can be assured it will happen.
If you’re several weeks in and thinking its too late, its not. Find an experienced photographer who makes the process easy and as stress free as possible – that will help assure that it happens. Nothing has to be perfect to be beautiful.
3.) Expense
Health care and child care expenses are devastating. This can make the financial commitment of professional newborn photos seem extravagant if not impossible.
And…
the value of newborn photos goes beyond a physical capture of your baby at x weeks old or a photo selected for a birth announcement.
When your baby is born, a family is born anew. And this is a way bigger deal then graduations, weddings or anything else we tend to photograph. This child is yours and you are theirs forever, no matter what and this makes the newborn period raw and sacred. Newborn photos show us that our love is perfect even when life and external circumstances aren’t. Newborn photos strengthen our bond by showing us our love made visible while celebrating immense change.
You’ll spend tens of thousands of dollars each year on things that don’t matter 5, 10, 50 years down the line.
This will.
4.) My home is a mess!
I’ll tell you a secret: everyone I have ever photographed considered themselves a mess! Here’s what I can promise you – I won’t focus on it, I’ll move clutter if I need to (and let you know where I put things like your phone charger because…um… you need that).
If you’re already living in your dream home that’s great but most of us can barely keep toys off the floor and spaghetti off the walls and that’s OK.
Want to know how to prepare for your documentary shoot? Read more here: How to prepare for your documentary shoot
5.) My partner is so not into this
Here’s where we find out more – why are they feeling this way?
Sometimes its related to expense but often its about the process (posing, ugh) or simply not seeing the value value (what’s the point?). If you’re having trouble communicating what these photos mean to you, share this post.
Your partner wants what’s best for you and your baby too. When they learn that photo sessions can be easy, enjoyable and relaxed while having a real, tangible benefit to their kids, they might surprise you! (Dads are actually my biggest fans.)
I hope this has helped you make it over your hurdles and well on your way! Get professional newborn photos made and tell your baby their story from the beginning!
Are you giving birth in the DC area? Reach out here today so we can start planning your newborn session!
