Why You Need to Book Your Newborn Session Before Baby Arrives

When you’re expecting your baby, you’re likely to want to capture as many precious moments with your little one as possible. You’ll want to preserve those sweet baby pictures for years to come and create a life record to look back on later.

If you’re like most new parents, you’ll also want to book your session as soon as possible. You may not have time to plan a newborn photography session after your new baby is here, so it’s important to book one before your little one arrives.

What To Do When You Book Your Newborn Photography Session

While you may have a sneaking suspicion that your should book your newborn portrait session soon, you shouldn’t wait until the last minute. Booking your newborn session before the baby arrives is the best way to ensure that you will have enough time after your baby is born to schedule the perfect day for your newborn photos. Typically, newborn sessions last around two hours and are scheduled within the first two weeks after the baby is born. At my studio, I do not turn away older newborns. I have been working with newborns for 15 years and know how to work with older newborns as well. Don’t forget to book your baby’s newborn session ahead of time if you want to save yourself some stress. The sooner you book your newborn session, the easier it will be to call your photographer as soon as your baby is born to let them know that baby has arrived and to set up the perfect day for your session.

To give an example on how to book and schedule a newborn session, I will walk you through the process with my studio. Once you know that you want to work with the studio, we determine which package you are most interested. This may be different with other photographers, depending on how they set up their pricing structure. My packages are all-inclusive so you can determine which package you would like to purchase even before we start the session. This is a nice way to know exactly what you are getting for the price you are paying.

Once we determine the package, I set up a client portal for my clients. This is a cool feature that allows my clients to take care of all the paperwork in the comfort of their homes. I have clients sign a contract and pay the retainer fee which that puts my studio on retainer until the baby is born. Then once baby is born, parents contact the studio within 48 hours after birth to schedule the best time for the session based on how baby and mama are doing. Since the paperwork would have already been taken care of, scheduling the session is quite simple.

How to Book Your Newborn Photography Session

If you want to book your newborn photography session, you’ll want to start by finding a photographer you trust. Naturally, you’ll want to make sure that the photographer you choose is experienced with newborn sessions, but you’ll also want to make sure that they’re child and newborn-friendly.

The more you know about your photographer’s experience with newborn sessions, the easier it will be to book a session with them. Fortunately, there are many questions you can ask a photographer to determine the type of photography you’ll be getting.

Here are a few tips to help you find a photographer who’s right for you and your baby:

Ask your friends and family members who they recommend. This is a great way to get recommendations from other parents who will know whether or not the photographer is a good fit for you.
Look for photographers on Google or Facebook. These sites are great resources for parents who are seeking photographers for newborn sessions.
Ask photographers you meet at baby showers or on social media. You never know who you might meet!
Ask other moms with newborns in your community.
Once you start talking to a newborn photographer, make sure to ask them questions – lots of questions. The photographer should be confident in their answers and can answer your questions
Check qualifications of the photographer – for example I am a Master Newborn Photographer and am a part of the PPA (professional photographers association) this can be verified and you should be able to verify any photographer’s credentials that they are citing

Tips for Booking Your Newborn Photography Session

Before you book your newborn session with a photographer, you’ll want to make sure that you’ve considered the following:

What type of session do you want? This can help you narrow down the options and determine what you need to book. You may want a posed baby-only session, a newborn session that include family photos, or a lifestyle newborn session.
How long will your session last?
How many people will be in the photos? This will also help you determine if you will need family photos or if will need to pay an additional fee for extra people.
What is the date and time of your session?
Where will the photos be taken? If your are looking for more lifestyle photos that are less posed, you may want to consider using your home as the set for your session. Posed newborns are usually done in studio.
How long does it take to schedule a newborn session? This will help you determine whether or not you’ll have time to book a newborn session before your baby is born.

When you’re expecting your baby, you’ll likely want to capture as many precious moments as possible with your little one. You’ll want to preserve those sweet baby pictures for years to come and create a life record to look back on later. If you’re like most new parents, you’ll also want to book your session as soon as possible. You may not have time to plan a newborn photography session after your new baby is here, so it’s important to book one before your little one arrives.

Do you have any questions about booking a newborn photography session, or is there anything else you’d like to know? If so, leave a comment below

If you are interested in learning more about our newborn photography experience check out this guide to help get you started.