Suffolk Newborn Photography | by Ewa Skapski

Lets talk about best time frame for newborn photos

You may wonder when is the best time to schedule your newborn baby’s first photography session? You may also wonder once you start looking for a professional photographer that most Suffolk Newborn Photography studios prefer to photograph babies under certain age. Some parents wait until their baby is 3-4 months old before scheduling a photography session. But this means that they may miss out on capturing those sweet, fresh newborn expressions.  Some first time parents also think the first 4-8 weeks of their newborn baby’s life would be perhaps ideal…Your baby  is still tiny at 1-2 months however they already changes so much!  If you truly want to capture your baby in the first newborn phase the first 2 weeks are truly the best time to do so.

Most people don’t realize photographing newborns can be a challenge. Every newborn photographer – especially if your dream session is to photograph your baby posed with props in different setups, will suggest to do it under/ around 2 weeks. You can ask if the session can  be done at 3 or 4 weeks – absolutely yes. However the challenge will be bigger. Not only for the photographer but for you and your baby also.

Newborn babies sleep better  in the first 2 weeks. With each passing day they become more alert. Of course there are exceptions from the rule. 12 days old newborn can be very alert, and  4 weeks old can sleep through the entire session. Ultimately your baby will dictate the session. But generally speaking the younger the baby, the bigger chance of them sleeping soundly during their first photo shoot. And to have a successful newborn session the ideal scenario is when they  do just that – sleep :). Some poses won’t be even safe for the baby if the little one is awake or restless. Every professional newborn photographer should always have your baby’s safety as a number one rule.

If your 2 weeks old baby decides that sleep is overrated (happens a lot also) I still have some tricks to photograph him/her, but we have to have realistic expectations that some setups/poses won’t be achieved. Swaddling babies in some adorable wraps and posing them with parents or wrapped in props will allow us so capture some beautiful images. It might not be your exact vision, but again- your baby dictates the session.

The next important thing worth mentioning to parents (especially first time parents, who may not be aware of this), are … baby acne. Yes, you are reading that right. Most newborn babies get them at some point in the first month of their life. Usually in the first 2 weeks their skin is perfect. We all understand that newborns are delicate and their skin can be sensitive. After 2-3 weeks acne, skin imperfections, and redness can show up. All the little things can show up in photos and ruin an otherwise beautiful moment. Some babies get severe case of acne and editing them out in post processing can be very challenging to any newborn photographer. This can be an additional cost for you if your baby has a lot of imperfection to edit.

If you are wondering what exactly are baby acne your can check some images HERE

Rest assure I offer professional photo retouching to remove any skin imperfections so your baby’s photos will be flawless. Editing photos is my specialty I also have a team of professional retouchers who specialize in just that -retouching sometimes really complicated skin problems. They can absolutely edit your newborn baby photos to perfecetion.

If you have any questions regarding the perfect timeline for your newborn photos simply reach out to Suffolk Newborn Photography studio and I will be happy to help you decide on the perfect date! You can get in touch HERE