How to find an experienced Newborn Photographer in CT

Guide to help pick the best Newborn Photographer for YOU

So you decided to have newborn pictures done – congratulations that is the first big step! Then you actually have gone one step further and tried to find a newborn photographer in Connecticut. Or you reached out based on a friend’s recommendation. (What a nice friend you have by the way! :)) Either way, I am very glad you are here and reading this. I know how hard it can be to find the right photographer, especially with the amazing competition out there. So let’s get you started! I have to warn you though, this will be a long article! So grab a drink and something to snack on!

Ask yourself, what am I looking for? Do you have a certain vision? Do you want someone to come to your house? (I can give you a great recommendation for photographers that will do that) Do you want to come to a studio (preferably mine)? What is the style you envision for your newborn session? There are really three different kinds of newborn photography, let’s go through them step by step:

In-Home Newborn Photography

• In-Home Newborn Photography – A newborn photographer will come to your house anywhere in Connecticut and capture you and your new little one in your home. They will take pictures that are not really posed. But rather capture sweet little moments with your new baby bundle of joy. These types of pictures are referred to as LifeStyle Newborn Pictures. They work best in a home that is filled with beautiful light, and open space to capture beautiful moments just as they happen. The advantage of this type of newborn shoot is that you do not have to leave your house. The disadvantage of this is – you most likely have to clean it! 🙂 Make sure the rooms you are using are clutter-free. Removing items in postproduction (editing) will probably lead to the fact that your photographer will slightly dislike you. 😉  However, this will create beautiful images of moments that happen every day. Only they look 1000 times better because you cleaned everything and everyone for hours.

Studio Newborn Photography

• Studio Newborn Photography – I might be biased but that is my absolute favorite. Not only because it is the only type I offer, but also because I tried the other two and this is just the one I feel most comfortable with. You can come into my Milford studio, and you can pick your props (and I have many), if you change your mind we can switch them right then and there, and then you just sit back, relax or have a little nap. I know the lighting, the room is warm and cozy and everything is perfect to get your little new baby into all those cute posed pictures. You can leave your (messy :)) house without makeup and just throw on whatever you find or whatever now fits and while I work my magic on your little one you can freshen up and get ready for your family’s newborn pictures in between. Feel free to mess up my bathroom; I actually do enjoy cleaning, so no hard feeling there. While I know it might seem scary to actually leave the house with your precious baby for the first time (at least if this is your first) you will be glad you did, trust me!

Home Studio Newborn Photography

• Home Studio Newborn Photography – say what? Well, this is a studio photographer, who does not have a studio and instead comes to your house. The photographer packs up everything they own and brings it to your house. Before I had a studio I did this type of session and I always looked like I was ready to move in. This will be a posed newborn session with props and everything you get in a studio – with the comfort of being in your house. A lot of times these sessions are done with natural light, so again you want to make sure that you have some nice light flooding into your home. I always had a studio light in my car, just in case I would end up in the woods and all the windows were blocked by really big trees. The newborn photographer will probably ask you to warm up your house before they get there so the baby can be nice and comfy for them to start working on these adorable poses. Most likely you will have to or want to clean up your house again because the photographer will pick the room with the best light, and that might not be the one you just cleaned out thinking that’s where your session will take place. One time I did a session and the best light was in the bathroom; guess where we did the session? 🙂

And Now You Know how to find your newborn photographer in Connecticut

So now that you know what you want – and you do right? You can actually move on to finding your baby photographer. There are a lot of people like me who only offer studio photography, so if you are looking for a lifestyle photographer, they will not be able to fulfill your vision.   However, there are also newborn photographers that have a studio but are also willing to travel to your home. And then you have amazing lifestyle photographers who will gladly visit you at your house and get you beautiful baby pictures, but they will not pose your baby into the froggy, taco, or bum-up pose. (Newborn photographer inside a language for certain baby poses)

So knowing what you want is the first step. Then you get on Google or call up your friend who just had newborn pictures done. You might Google: CT Newborn Photographer, CT Baby Photographer, Connecticut Newborn Photographer, Newborn Studio Photography CT or you enter the town you are living in; try it that way: Newborn Photography Milford CT for example. Then you see everyone popping up – and there are a lot of really talented newborn photographers in Connecticut, so you are lucky because that means you can find the one that fits you the best!

It’s all about the Style

Which brings us to style! Style is very important. You might not know it yet, but if you have a certain vision of what pictures you want, you want to book a newborn photographer that you know can fulfill that vision. Go to their blogs and check out past sessions. Do they all look the same? Is their shooting style consistent? Yes? Now ask yourself if your session would look that way, would you be more than satisfied? If your answer is YES – Bravo! You are one step closer!! Contact that person immediately, or just reply to my email. 🙂

Props

Make sure to talk about props! Most newborn photographers will provide you with everything you need for your newborn photography session in Connecticut! However, some photographers only offer swaddled sessions, some use outfits on babies, and some do not. So it all comes back down to – what do you want? I love using outfits for my newborn sessions and I am very picky when it comes to quality items. Wanting to provide only the best items to my clients. Therefore, I am always on the hunt for more unique pieces.  Some of my favorite newborn vendors are Photo Muffins, and another great one is Lemon & Pearl, and Little Pink Elephant. So if you want outfits used during your session, make sure you book a newborn photographer who provides them for you. Comes right back to why style is so important. Every photographer has his or her own style and you have to find what works best for you.

The Price is Right

You might be asking why I have not talked about pricing yet, and there is a reason. Newborn pricing can be so tricky. In the end, I know everyone has a budget. You might actually have no idea what customized newborn photography really costs and therefore get a big sticker shock when you see what professional photographers charge. Or you already know and based on that have a certain expectation. It would be wonderful if everyone could book a photographer based on style and not based on pricing, but I know for most, pricing is probably just as important. Whenever something breaks in my house or the cars are acting up I call at least 3 different people to get a quote.

Which one do I end up going with? It really all depends, first on my budget, then what it is, or rather how much it means to me, and also how I have been treated when I called. I find customer service very important. I do not like it when I cannot get a hold of people. So if they don’t call me back in a reasonable time, even though they are less expensive, I will move on. I like things taken care of quickly and correctly. Also, I want them to care about me, just like I care about each of my clients. I want you to have a great experience. In the end, if you do, I know you will talk to your friends about me and that is really the best compliment. Maybe that is how you got here – so you know it is working! 🙂

What Does it Take

To be a professional photographer is actually very expensive. We are not only talking about the high-end equipment but also about paying taxes – the average photographer pays between 35-45% in taxes! I usually get very cranky in late March and I blame it on that. 🙂 What that means for you? Well if you find a photographer that is extremely inexpensive – especially if you have seen a few higher quotes from others – ask yourself a few questions! Is that person still going to be in business when your due date comes around? Is that person maybe not paying taxes? Why does it matter? Well most likely if they do not pay taxes, they do not run a legitimate business. Why does that matter? Without a legitimate business they probably also do not have liability insurance. I think you know why that matters, especially when it comes to newborn photography. Having liability insurance is very, very important to me. First of all, I want peace of mind for myself, and also for my clients. This is one reason I formed an LLC in 2015. Running a legitimate business is costly but very important to me.

All-Inclusive or Ala Carte

Usually, you have two options, you find a newborn photographer, such as myself that offers all-inclusive collections, which means you pay a bigger fee upfront but know you will walk away with most if not all your images after your session. The other option would be to pay a session fee (usually between $200 – $350) upfront to guarantee your spot and then the photographer either lets you choose your images online or you come back to the studio to pick your baby’s images (package) in person, or the photographer travels to your home to view them with you there. I used to offer the second option but then decided that most of my clients want to buy all of the images anyway, so I thought of a way to make it easier for both of us.

This method has also enabled me to budget better and to take on fewer clients, making the overall experience more personal and intimate. It allowed me to prioritize my editing process so my clients get their images back faster. While I love the idea of seeing you again so shortly after your session for an ordering appointment, right now any spare time I have is dedicated to my little ones, and especially my evenings are reserved for lots of hugs and kisses – which is why I decided to share your gallery online in the comfort of your home.

Value Your Time

As a mom, I value my personal time and I am sure you do as well, so for me the less time I spend away from my family the happier we all are (I am almost positive my husband will agree with that 🙂 I do understand it is a higher commitment upfront, one that maybe exceeds your budget limitation at the time, but I can almost guarantee you that you will spend that money anyway, even if you do end up picking a photographer that lets you choose your package after the session took place. Once you see the pictures of your precious baby – you will want them all!

So one thing to keep in mind is that an all-inclusive photographer’s prices may appear higher but do include your session fee, retouching, editing of your pictures, as well as your high-resolution images. When you compare an all-inclusive photographer to another one – make sure you look at their session fee and what their package price is for all your digital images, add it up and then you are ready to compare. Everyone has a different business model and one that works best for them and their clients, now you just have to decide what works best for you.

Let’s talk about…Experience!

Experience is extremely important when it comes to newborn photography. We all started somewhere and for me, that was in 2010, I am still thankful for everyone who let me try out what I thought I was doing back then. 🙂 By comparing and looking at different photographer’s websites you will probably notice a difference in style – whether it is shooting style or editing style, but you might also be able to pick up on the experience level. Photographers who are just starting out will most likely charge you less for their time, as they are still perfecting their craft. Experienced photographers will charge you what they are worth because they know they can satisfy your vision every time.

Most of the time (like me) they went to newborn workshops to perfect their posing and they learned special ways of how to properly handle a tiny little newborn with the utmost care. Yes, that means you pay for an experience, just like anything else. But trust me, you want to! Newborn pictures only come around once per child, and there are usually no re-dos, so you want them to be done right the first time around. And because pictures are worth a thousand words, let me show you the picture I took of my daughter in 2011 and one of my clients in 2019.

To me hiring an experienced CT newborn photographer really is the key. I learn something new every day. That means I can bring the best to my clients, and give them the session they deserve.

The Final Count Down

So now that you know about style, pricing & experience I feel like you will be able to make a great decision. If you pick your newborn photographer based on style & experience, please make sure to tell them – there is no greater compliment. If you fall in love with a photographer and they are out of your budget – tell them! Being honest is great. I would rather have potential clients tell me I am out of their budget than never hear from them again. I know everyone has a budget and I absolutely understand. Now, I could talk to you about extending that budget a bit or saving up your money earlier. Or just eating less for a month or two, but I don’t want to seem pushy. 🙂 In the end, YOU are the one who has to walk away happy! These are your pictures of your fresh little baby. Everlasting memories that will be on your walls for a long time. I read this saying once on another photographer’s page and it is really great and fitting. So let me end my post with it:

I do not want to be everyone’s photographer – but I would love to be yours.

Cheers!

Ute-Christin

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Bit More About Me – Newborn Photographer in CT

Ute-Christin Photography is a newborn photographer in the beautiful state of Connecticut. Focusing on Maternity, Newborns, Families, and Children of all ages. In addition, Ute-Christin has a studio in Milford, CT that is best suited for Newborn & Milestone Sessions for children three to twelve months. Please contact her about booking your photography session today by clicking right here.

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Do you need a: Milford CT Newborn Photographer, Connecticut Newborn Photographer, CT Newborn Photographer, CT Newborn Photography, CT Baby Photographer, CT Smash Cake Photographer, CT Maternity Photographer, CT Maternity Photography, CT Cake Smash Photography, CT Pregnancy Photographer, Baby Photography in Connecticut, Baby Photographer in Connecticut, New Haven CT Newborn Photographer, Milford CT Newborn Photographer, New Haven County CT Newborn Photographer, Fairfield County CT Newborn Photographer, Orange CT Newborn Photographer, Stratford CT Newborn Photographer, CT Family Photographer, Fairfield County Family Photographer, or Milford CT Photographer please email me at hello@utechristinphotography.com – it is always a good idea to reserve your spot a few months in advance. Last-minute bookings can be requested and are based on availability.