Let’s talk about Newborn Photography Tips, shall we?
Photographing newborns takes a special sort of talent. It’s so much more than being a good photographer and knowing how to use your camera properly (whether it’s a $10,000 DSLR or a $200 Craigslist find).

Being a newborn photographer takes patience.

A lot of patience. Often times newborn photographers are spending half of the 3 hour session calming the baby and getting them back to sleep. The other 1/4 is cleaning up spit up and diaper changing. 😉
But seriously, I always chuckle to myself when a client compliments me on the photos during their in-person sales session and says they’re amazed at how differently they turned out then they expected. At first I was caught off guard by these comments but as I dug deeper I began to realize that what the clients see during my newborn sessions and what I see as a newborn photographer are often times completely different.

Here’s the thing …

Photographers (well, most artists in general) see the finished product before we ever begin to create (or pick up our cameras).
(here’s what clients see during their session …)

(here’s what I see …)

Newborn Photography Tips:

1. Know what you’re going to create. See the light, see the setting, see the baby, see the pose. Imagine what you want the finished newborn photo to look like before you pick up your camera.
2. Be prepared. Have your studio ready before your clients arrive. Burp clothes, swaddles, blankets, heat turned up, water and snacks for mom and dad, white noise playing, wifi password for mom and dad, diapers, wipes … and the list goes on. I can’t say this enough, be prepared.
3. Prepare your clients. The more expectations your manage before your session, the more successful your newborn session will be. Let them know how long the session will be so they don’t plan any appointments immediately afterwards. Let them know exactly what will happen every step of the newborn session (start with family photos, then sibling photos, followed by mom with baby, dad with baby, and finish with newborn by him/herself). Tell them exactly what you need them to bring and what they should wear. The more prepared your clients are, the higher your newborn session sale will be because they’ll actually love all of the photos.
4. Under promise, over deliver. Wow your clients with the little details. Pamper them. Treat them like friends. Write a hand-written thank you card after the session. Send them home with envelopes so they can start addressing the birth announcements before their order returns from the lab. Mail a “goodie” bag for the older siblings as a thank you. Little things, but they go a long way in the referral department. Trust me on this one.

So there you have it, my top 4 Newborn Photography Tips for successful Newborn Sessions. In my next post I’ll go over my top 3 poses and how I use all-natural window light only (no flash) for my newborn sessions. Be sure to check back later this week for newborn posing and lighting tips.
xo