When to Take Newborn Photos
How old should my baby be?
The number one question we get asked with newborn photography inquiries is when to take newborn photos. Here is our opinion and some information on this frequently asked question.
How old should my newborn be for the newborn photography session?
Is there a best time to take newborn photos?
Newborn photos are ideally taken in the first 2 weeks of life.
We recommend scheduling the newborn session when your baby is 5-14 days new. In the first 4 days, parents are still typically finishing up on the medical side of things and transitioning home into a new routine. Between 5-14 days babies are generally still quite sleepy and flexible for those sweet poses.
When should I book my baby’s newborn photo session?
Should I book while still expecting or after baby’s arrival?
When is the ideal time window to have my newborn photographed?
Ideally, you would be booking your baby’s San Diego newborn photography session while you’re still expecting. Booking your newborn session sometime in the third trimester is best. This ensures that when you find your perfect photographer, you will not get the dreaded message, “I’m so sorry we are booked solid and cannot accommodate you”. We HATE having to turn people away because our schedule is too full. That being said, it’s totally understandable if life got in the way and you never booked the session and now baby has already arrived! After searching, you found us, fell in love with our newborn photography photos and now you’re ready to book your San Diego newborn photographer. Contact us NOW and we will do our best to accommodate you and your new bundle of joy!
If my baby is over 2 weeks old, am I too late?!
If my baby is 3 weeks old, did I miss the window to get newborn photos?
The quick answer is no, it’s not too late. The IDEAL time for newborn photos is 5-14 days old, but we can certainly work with older babies. Older babies tend to be a little less flexible and more awake and we accommodate the shoot to the baby. Sessions can take a bit longer when they’re older because they wake more easily and take more time to fall asleep and be posed, but the sessions can be modified depending on the baby! Also, if your baby was born prematurely, age is calculated by subtracting how many weeks premature they were born from their actual age (how many weeks since they were born). For example, if you baby’s chronological age is 5 weeks (they were born 5 weeks ago) and they were 3 weeks premature, there corrected age is 2 weeks.
How do I schedule when I don’t know for sure what my actual due date will be?
We typically choose a tentative date and put it in the calendar. We ask that our clients let us know when the baby is born and we accommodate and move dates accordingly if needed. We only schedule so many sessions/month in order to be able to comfortably accommodate changing due dates!
We hope this information helps! If you’re in your 3rd trimester or if baby is already here, contact us to book your session for those photos that you will cherish for generations to come!
