Having a baby? Wondering about pictures? Well here are some important things you should know before you make that appointment.
My name is Danielle Kaminski and I am the owner of Tiny Toes Portraits based in Pittsburgh, PA. I’ve photographed a lot of newborns over the years. I got my start in photography taking photos of newborn babies in the hospital room. The photo session went something like this: Baby lying flat on his back; still fresh from birth, complete with skin discoloration and other imperfections; and wearing the little white t-shirt they all wear in hospital. It didn’t exactly give me a chance to express my creative abilities, but I LOVED it. There’s nothing like a newborn!
From there, I moved onto Target Portrait Studios and then Olan Mills, inside K-Mart. I actually loved working at both of these places, but again, you just can’t do a great job photographing newborns in this environment. Not only are the props not clean, but for a newborn what you need more than anything is time. Time is not something you’ll get in an environment such as a big box store. The advantage of a big box store is price. Sometimes, you get what you pay for.
Regardless of where you choose to get your photos taken, some of these tips will still be quite helpful for you.
On with the advice!
When should you get your baby photographed?
I always say to schedule before baby is two weeks old. For me that means scheduling when you’re still pregnant and quite possibly re-scheduling later on. Why? Because babies are still mostly sleeping at this age (they cry less when they’re asleep). They are also squishier and much more likely to let you pose them in some “odd” ways they might not be okay with later on.
What should your baby wear?
Nothing! That’s always been my favorite. In that case, less is more. Just a diaper and put a diaper cover over it. Diapers with little characters all over them distract away from your cute baby. If you need clothes make sure they FIT. For 90% of babies that means newborn sized. Even clothes that are 0-3 months are often too big on a newborn and end up needing to be adjusted constantly or they don’t look right. Just a plain onesie, with no pictures or words, is best. No overalls that will push up into baby’s face, or clothing with collars, or jackets. They might be the cutest clothes you’ve ever seen but the pictures are about the baby, not the clothes. Anything more than basic will take away from how cute your baby is!
If your baby is wearing nothing then you’ll want a space heater. I often have one just outside of the shot for my babies. You might have sweat dripping off of you but babies love it.
Remember this, for a professional photographer you shouldn’t have to worry about time. You shouldn’t feel pressured or anxious. Don’t worry if your baby is crying a lot. We are used to it! My average newborn session is 3 hours long. I can tell you that roughly a third of that is spent actually taking pictures. The rest of the time we’re soothing and feeding. I enjoy getting to know mom and dad during down time! I’m sure most professionals feel the same way.
So when you’re looking for a photographer for your newborn, take these things into consideration. Do they come to your home? I do and that is a huge advantage for new parents.
If it is important to you that your photographer have many props to use, you’ll want to look for somebody with a studio.
Other questions to ask: How much do they cost? Do you want prints or images on CD? Look at the pictures on their website. Is it your style? Ask your friends who they used. Were they happy?
Danielle is available for photo sessions with your newborn. Please visit her website for Tiny Toes Portraits for more information and to schedule your session. She also has a little contest going. Check it out!
You will be able to see some of Danielle’s work hanging at the Center in the coming weeks. ~Deena
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