When is the best time to take newborn photos?

Bringing your newborn baby home is both exhilarating and a bit scary. Just like everything new it takes time for both you and bub to get used to each other and settle into your new routine. It can be overwhelming to think about your photography session during this time, but there are a few things to consider while planning your session that will make things easier.

When is the best time to schedule my photography session?

As a family photographer a number of my clients ask me when is the best time to plan having your photography session. There is no correct and incorrect answer and it will depend on the birth and recovery process. One of the great advantages of Lifestyle family photography is that it’s very flexible. Lifestyle photography is all about the interaction between the family members and it’s a bridge between traditional studio posed photography and documentary photography.

Newborn baby: 7 to 14 days old:

This is the best window if you want to have images of your baby sleepy and wrapped in a swaddle. The development and growth of a baby is very fast and these first few weeks is the time when they sleep the most.

Baby 2 to 4 weeks old:

If you went through a c section or you just need a bit more time to recover, then between 2 to 4 weeks is also a great time to schedule your session. Around this time you will notice that your baby is slowly getting into a bit of a routine with an early sleep and they tend to stay awake between 10am and midday. Your baby will be more alert than during the first few weeks of life but there is also a change of developing cradle cap or milk acne. Please don’t let these stop you from scheduling your session as they can be both treated in photoshop.

Baby between 6 weeks and 3 months old:

If you are planning to have a session and you would like to have your bub a bit more awake and interacting with you then definitely between 6 weeks to 3 months old is a great age. The pros of having your session around this age is that your baby will be trying to communicate with you by doing some goooo and gaaaa sounds, these can be fun and give great expressions. Your bub will also be a bit more predictable in terms of routine.

Older Babies:

There are a number of reasons why some families don’t get around to organise their session early on, maybe due to complications at birth, struggling with a routine, changes in life (like moving houses or interstate) etc. Older babies can be also a ton of fun specially when they start interacting with everyone and sitting up.

I hope that you will find these tips helpful! Let’s book your session.