I’m sure you’ll be snapping away the entire first year of your baby’s life, grabbing every wonderful, private moment you can. But there are moments when a professional photographer can step in and create special, timeless art around your baby that you can treasure forever. I’ve been photographing babies for over fourteen years, and these are the four stages I’ve found to be the best times to grab that perfect, forever picture.
Newborn – Eight to Fourteen Days Old
New parents often ask me when the best time to take a newborn photo is, and I always reply with this timeframe. They are old enough that you can be comfortable bringing them to a photo studio, but not too old to be placed into classic newborn poses. Once they are older than three weeks, they start to be more alert and restless, which makes it much harder to arrange those fun, memorable poses.
They also often start to develop baby acne after three weeks or so, which is much harder to edit out. Be in touch with a photographer before the baby arrives (you can even sneak in a maternity shoot!), and let them know when the baby is born so they can recommend a shoot date.
Belly Time – Four Months Old
This is the next window for some great shots. At four months, your baby is just beginning to lay on their belly, and they’re developing those strong neck muscles that will allow them to lift up their head. This leads to new poses and much more variety which makes for some wonderful shots.
Sitter Age – Six to Eight Months Old
This is another great milestone that opens up new types of photos. At this age, babies begin to sit up, which means less assistance and even more fun poses. This is a great skill to show off, and babies are often more content and happy (and less fussy) at this age.
Birthday Time – Ten to Eleven Months Old
This last stage leads up to the big first birthday. I often recommend a fun cake smash photo shoot to celebrate the day. This shoot lends itself to creativity and fun so let your imagination run wild! We schedule this shoot before the big day as we don’t want them old enough to walk off set and you’ll want the photos in time to send out some great birthday invites.
When you schedule your baby’s shoot at the right time in their life, you set the stage for some amazing, unforgettable shots. I’m always available to answer any additional questions you may have. Best of luck with your little ray of sunshine!
