How do I choose a newborn photographer?

Choosing a newborn photographer can be a long process. Here are some pointers to make sure you're choosing the right one for you!

1) First, you need to decide what type of photographer you are looking for:
Do you want someone to be there to photograph the actual birth? This is called a birth photographer.
Do you want someone to come to the hospital to photograph your newborn, but not the birth? This is a Fresh 48 session.
Do you want someone to travel to your home and photograph your family in a relaxed setting/poses? This is called a lifestyle session.
Do you want someone to travel to you and bring props and lighting for posed images?
Do you want to go to a studio for someone to pose your baby in various props and poses?

2) Once you've decided what type of photographer, then you can start searching for someone in your area. Referrals from friends/family, Google, mom groups, etc are all great resources to look for names. If you are looking for a studio session, consider how far you are willing to travel for the photographer you want. Some people don't want to drive more than a few miles and some are willing to drive a few hours for the right person.

3) When looking for a photographer, you want to check out their images on their website and social media and make sure you LOVE their style. I also highly recommend asking photographers to share FULL client galleries. Many photographers only show their best images, and that may be the only few "good ones" they get some a session. You want to make sure their galleries of images are consistently high-quality work.

4) Read REVIEWS!!! And figure out if they have any credentials. Also, if safety of your newborn is a concern for you, don't be afraid to ask about their vaccination status, the cleanliness of their studio, and any safety precautions they have.

5) Look into how long the photographer has been in business and has been specializing in the type of session you want. You want someone with experience if they are going to be handling your brand new baby!

6) Ask yourself how much you value these pictures. You are going to find a photographer for every budget. Some will have more experience, some with less. Some will have higher-quality images, some will have basic images. How much are well done, lifelong memories worth to you? How much do you value someone's experience and creativity? Photographers are like shopping for handbags. Some people just want a basic bag to carry all their stuff. Some people really value luxury brands. Everyone values different things and often, you get what you pay for.


Some other things to consider:
I highly recommend choosing a photographer who will meet with you before hand. You should get the know the photographer, check out the studio to make sure you are comfortable and that's it's clean, and most-importantly meet the person who is going to be handling your brand new baby!

I also recommend choosing a photographer who has everything they need for your session. You should NOT have to stress over what items you need to provide for the session.

You should choose a photographer that doesn't leave the job half done. Sending you a gallery of images forces you to try and find time in your busy life to decided on which ones to choose, then which ones to print, which sizes to get, where to print to get a good quality, how to crop your image to fit the size, and ultimately you have to deal with any issues that arise in any of those steps. Also, that is an extra cost on top of what paid for the session. Choose a photographer who will walk you through that and provide you with beautiful printed products that you will have for years to come and can be passed down through generations, not stuck on a cloud somewhere for when you get the time.

Think about a time line you are hoping to have your images back by. Some photographers will have your images ready in a week and some can take up to 4-6 weeks for you to even see your digital images.


And, in case you didn't guess, Little Blooms Photographer offers all of the above considerations - meeting beforehand, having everything you need (plus snacks, water, bottle warmer, changing table, etc) for the session, providing heirloom quality products, and being able to have your images ready to see in about a week. Little Blooms Photography also has a 5-star rating on Google and Facebook, has been in business for 9 years and has always specialized in baby's first year. I have taken several in-person trainings throughout that time and am up to date on all vaccinations including Covid-19. LBP is also accredited with APNPI, published in magazines, and has won several awards.