Finding a newborn photographer is often a matter of choosing the one that is the cheapest. But is it the best approach?
As a new parent (or parent to be), especially first time parent, you spend a lot of time researching best buggies, best car seats, life covers, read about nutrition for yourself, the baby and so on. You feel you need to research before you purchase something to make sure you give the baby the best they deserve.
Why choosing a newborn photographer to capture your baby’s first moments should be any different? Like car seats, there are plenty of options to choose from and price surely is not the only factor you should be looking at. To make sure you are not only comfortable with the price but totally happy with the end product, there are a few other aspects you should take into account before booking a photo shoot for your little one.
For the years to come
The images that you will take away from the photo shoot and the wall art is not just for now. It is a legacy that you will leave to your children. It has not just a material but more importantly a sentimental value, so choose wisely.
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Newborn photograher’s portfolio
It is surely one of the first things you look at. You either love their work or move on to search for someone else. If you look at the images and you love them – keep digging deeper. The images that you will receive will be with you for the years to come so ‚love at first sight’ here is a good lead. When reviewing photographer’s portfolio pay particular attention to the variety and diversity of their porfolio. Each photographer will aim to develop a consistent style which you should be able to identify easily. Some will like natural poses without props, others will include them in the photos. Some photographers include a wide plethora of colours in their set ups, others will focus more on the natural, neutral, pastel colours. Choose a style that appeals to you most or simply tell the photographer what you love and if they can be of help to you.
2. Photo shoot set up- studio or home based?
Some photographers offer exclusively studio based newborn photo shoots. Others may also offer a home based alternative.
Going for the ‚studio’ styled type newborn photo shoot will mean that your baby will be posed safely into a variety of poses by the photographer. There may be props used to style them and the images will be then carefully edited to give them a more ‚arty’ look. The home based alternative will be more focused on the emotions and natural stituations, as they happen in your life. The photographer will come to your house and will take images of you and your new baby in a natural, relaxed atmosphere. You can view an example of such photo shoot in my porfolio here
3. Safety of your baby
I am sure you would never keep your baby on your lap whilst travelling in a car. You would also never leave them on a table or on their own in a bath. Their safety is your priority when taking care of them, right? You choose the best car seat with 5* reviews and all the necessary safety tests to make sure your baby is happy and not at any risk of harm.
When you are looking for a photographer for your baby, why don’t you check them out too? What do they know about safe newborn posing? Have they done any necessary training? Do they have kids themselves? Don’t be afraid to ask all the questions before you trust your new bundle of love into their hands. Photography is art but it is also a profession and as such has safety stadards that all professional photographers need to meet. Ask your candidates to tell you why you should trust them. Your peace of mind and your baby’s safety are never to be overlooked when it comes to choosing a baby photographer.
Professionally trained photographers are fully aware of how to not only pose the baby safely but also possess advanced editing skills allowing them to achieve remarkable images without putting your baby at risk. Recently there was a video circulating online, showing a baby tumbling down a posing bean bag, as a result of gross negligence and lack of knowledge of the photographer. The baby was left to support her own head with her hands. If you ever find yourself in a photo shoot and see the photographer do this – run. Run fast. Professional newborn photographers will use so called ‚composites’ to achieve that result. A few images are taken, whilst baby being fully supported, and then merged together for final image. The knowledge of safe posing and advanced editing skills are one of the things that should be on top of your check list when shopping around.
4. Model of delivery
One of the things that you probably haven’t thought of when looking around is so called ‚model of delivery’ or simply a ‚business model’.
Are you looking for a ‚shoot & burn’ photographer or for a complete photography service?
‚Shoot & Burn’ photographers will take, edit and deliver the images to you on a USB or CD so that you can freely print the images and choose how they are dispayed.
Others, like myself, will provide you with a complete service, where you will have the option to view professional top quality photography products and order them from the photographer. This will give you the peace of mind in many ways: at the end of the photo shoot you will have chosen your favourite images and will get them professionally produced. You won’t need to shop around yourself, everything will be taken care of and you will get the guarantee of the superb quality.
Shoot & Burn option may be more suitable for you if your budget is limited and you are happy printing your images in a commercial printing service (such as Jessops, Boots etc.). There is always a risk, however that the print quality may not be the best and your gorgrous images will loose their ‚wow factor’ as a result. Your photographer may give you some advice where the best places to print are, if they don’t offer the printing option themselves.
‚Complete photography service’ is more suitable for clients wishing their images to be printed on best quality materials, to retain the detail and the quality of editing work that has gone into creating them. By ordering wall art from your photographer you are guaranteed that your wall art will be of outstanding quality. You can read more about the advantages of the latter option here
Before you choose your photographer, ask them how they work and what you will get at the end of the photo shoot.
5. Insurance and professional credibility
I bet you must have read a horror story of a married couple not being able to get their wedding images after their photographer vanished into thin air. With the money and images.
Luckily these situations don’t happen too often and most photographers hold extremely high professional standards and you can trust them completely. But things sometimes do go wrong and very often we have no control of that. To keep your mind at ease, it is a good idea to check if the photographer has public liability insurance. If they have, it’s great. It not only protects you but also the photographer.
In terms of the ‚professional credibility’ – when looking through the porfolio, does it look consistent? Or maybe you have come across someone who charges peanuts but their work is outstanding? Let the alarm bells ring and serve as a warning. There is a group on facebook which names and shames ‚photographers’ who advertise their new businesses with other people’s work. If it is too good to be true, it definitely is. People with advanced photography skills must have spent a lot of time and money to get where they are and they value their work accordingly. If there is a mismatch between the quality and price – again, run. Run fast.
You can aso check if your candidate is a member of any professional bodies and associations – if they are, they will surely mention it somewhere on their website to let ther clients know. This means that their portoflio has been assessed and considered of professional standard before they were accepted as a member. A good indicator for you to look for.
6. Recommendations and reviews
There is so much you can learn about your prospective photographer by reading the reviews on their page. The work that you see is just one aspect of their business, the ‚product’ that they offer. But how about their service? What are they like with their customers? What sort of person are they?
If there is a negative review read it too paying particular attention to the response. Unfortunately, in a world of fierce and (sometimes) dishonest competition, nasty things happen and many photographers have ended up having ‚fake reviews’ added to their pages. I have heard of my photo friends having received reviews from people that they had never even worked with. So low but it does happen. Don’t assume that someone’s 3.4 average on Faceboo means that they are not worthy of your trust.
Also, before you find a photographer – talk to your friends. Do they know anyone that has done a brilliant job that they would like to recommend? Ask them what they loved most about their experience (apart from the photos). How did the photographer make them feel? The more you know, the better for you.
7. Price
Last and surely not least – the price.
I get at least a few messages a day starting with ‚How much are your newborn photoshoots?’ I’m often amazed that without knowing anything about me people will trust me to handle their precious baby, as long as I fit into their budget. Don’t get me wrong – I am absolutely flattered that it happens, but I wonder why they hardly ever ask more questions.
I get we all need to watch how and where we spend money. But newborn photo shoot is such a rare and precious experience that you surely want to make sure it is as best as it can be.
I am a mum of two, I totally understand the hit that the household budget gets when the baby arrives. I honestly do. But I also know how quickly things change, how volatile these moments are and how incredibly precious memories are. I have tonnes of my babies photos, both phone snaps and gorgeous professional images. I want all my clients to get the same and be able to have their baby photographed beautifully, without the need to remortrage their house or sell a car to pay for their newborn photos. For this reason, I offer payment plans to relieve the pressure that this outgoing can put on your budget. You can always earn more money but you can’t turn back time and have his newborn photo shoot again.
If you love the photographer, don’t let the price scare you. Don’t compromise on quality. Don’t compromise on safety. Don’t buy something that you don’t want. Save or borrow money to get what you dream of. And if your budget is below the price on the website – talk to the photorapher. They are human and may offer a plan that will work for both of you. Worth a try.
About me
Having spent all this time telling you about how to choose a photographer, I think it makes sense to tell you who I am and how I work, in case you are on the fence looking for a perfect photographer for your baby. The aim of this post is not to convince you to book with me – not at all. There are plenty photo fish in the sea and I may not be the one you wish to catch. I’m absolutely fine with it.
I am a full time specialist family & wedding photographer. I love welcoming parents into my home studio space where I create unforgetable images of their family. But I also offer a more relaxed, home based lifestyle photography. I can come to your house and spend some time with you, taking natural candid shots of your happy life.
I have been in business since 2015 and full since January 2017. I have completed Newborn Safety training with Devon Photography Training and a specialist newborn photography training with Tracy Willis, one of the best newborn photographers in the UK. I am fully registered as a business and have professional public liability insurance. I am also a member of the Society of Wedding and Portrait Photographers.
I am a mum of 2 kids (Emilia 5 and Filip 3).
I offer a complete photography service, which means that I sell digital packages paired with oustanding quality wall art to adorn your house and bring a smile every time you look at them.
If you are thinking of booking me for your baby or family photoshoot and would like to chat to me – use the tab here or give me a quick call /message and I will be happy to call back.
All the best.
Aga
