Baby photography tips for newborn parents in Calgary

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Baby photography tips for newborn parents in Calgary

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How to get prepared for your baby photography session?

I have few recommendations for a newborn’s parents before they consider a session. First of all you need to be comfortable with the photographer and the conditions of the shoot. These conditions include terms of agreement, investments, editing skills, etc. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and to seek out what you need. Having said this I don’t mean start changing your photographer’s packages; this might not be quite possible. Just keep looking for your best match. It’s good to be comfortable about your first baby photography experience!

What should you know about newborn photography?

First of all you need to define: what exactly are you looking for and what will this experience bring you?

  1. What is your price range?
  2. What are you looking for as final images? These can be custom single canvas prints or digital packages with a certain number of pictures. What are you expecting to get at the end?
  3. Do you want only the baby to be photographed or the whole family? It is very important to talk clearly with your photographer about this. It takes a while to get ready for the session, so any sudden changes will not make the photographer happy. You might even compromise the quality of the work. All you need is to get everything cleared ahead of time. My personal choice is to encourage families to have the family + the baby session. I call it lifestyle type of sessions. The newborn in the family is an all members event, don’t be afraid to have it documented! You don’t need to get the perfect house for that. Simply, a clean and bright room is enough.
  4. Get the baby ready for the session. Don’t take this step lightly, as it can be crucial if you don’t follow these rules. My special concern is feeding. The baby should have some milk just before the session. Check a couple of blogs here to get more of other pros info!
  5. Talk about your outfits and your ideas. I personally love to be well prepared. You can get a lot of additional information to avoid surprises and to get ready for every photography step.
  6. Be patient! Babies need time to get some rest or some food. I never hurry parents, so the session can take up to three hours. This is not purely photography time, sometimes it’s a diaper change or simply a mommy’s hug moment.
  7. Do you like little hands or leg shots as much as I do? These kind of images are so cute! I truly believe they will make your family album more interesting. I don’t need to be asked about what I call “detail shots” but make sure you find out more about it before the session.
  8. If you have other siblings, talk with her/him/them about the upcoming photography. They need to be prepared to spend some time and effort and to be smiley. A little gift after the session can make a change.
  9. Don’t plan anything for the same day. Sessions are an exhausting experience, you will definitely need some quiet time after the session is over.
  10. If you don’t want to get the session at your home, most photographers have their studio spaces. I personally love babies’ homes, as for me this tells a story. I want the baby’s natural environment in my shots. Besides it’s less stressful for little munchkins. There’s all you need at home to get the baby comfortable.
  11. Most photographers who practice newborn photography, have a lot of props. As for me, I love planning my shots beforehand, choosing colours or textures. But if you have some memorable clothes, you can use them as well.
  12. Don’t change the baby too many times. It is impossible to use all your wardrobe at the session. The baby will get tired and will become less cooperative. I don’t think that it’s what you want: angry tired baby, exhausted parents and desperate photographer…
  13. Newborn photography is a very hard work. Professionals try to make it as easy as possible for the baby, but you need to trust the chosen photographer to make the process easier.

I mostly practice lifestyle newborn photography. If you read my previous paragraphs, you’ll understand the particulars. But I am a creative person, so I try to make art out of everything. So some posing work, wrapping, beautiful props, and accessories always in use. If you want to have beautiful family photography, I am ready to answer any questions. Here is my contact FORM.

Check my other blog posts here: BLOG
Check my wedding website here.