Lately I’ve been seeing a lot of posts on local Facebook sites asking for recommendations for a newborn photographer.  In the last few years this genre has really exploded and there are a lot of exciting new trends.   There are always several responses (often more than 30+) from photographers of all different price ranges and abilities and while having options is a good thing, I’d like to offer you a word of caution.   A lot of photographers (myself included) started out doing this as a hobby when we had children and got a “nice” camera.  We all have to start somewhere, I get that.  You know that old saying “you get what you pay for?”  In this field it’s so true.   It takes so much dedicated time to learn this craft, to study newborn safety, training and posing to make sure the baby is always handled with the utmost care.  It takes thousands of dollars invested in equipment, workshops and seminars, props and accessories.  And it takes hours of time in practice perfecting poses.  I’m not discounting any other photographers, but if you are seeing someone offering $150 for a newborn session with all your photos included, you can bet they aren’t doing it correctly. I’ve seen photos that literally make me cringe. I’ve also seen videos of photographers during a session that pose the baby unsafely because they don’t know better. You know that popular “froggie” pose where the baby has it’s face in it’s hands and the piggie toes are out to the sides?  Did you know that babies aren’t supposed to hold that pose on their own…done correctly it’s actually a composite (two different photos merged together in processing).

 If you are trusting someone to hand over your brand new baby there are a few questions you should be asking to insure that your baby is safe during the session. 

1. Are you licensed to do business in our state?  (My answer is yes)
2. Are you insured against liability? (Yes)
3. Are you trained in newborn safety, posing and soothing? (Again, yes)
4. How long have you worked with newborns, and approximately how many babies have you photographed? (4 years, 150+)
5. Do you use composites for all upright positions? (Yes)
6. Are your vaccinations up to date? (Yes)

 There are other questions to think about too…  What does the average client spend with this photographer?  Is it in your budget?   Do you like the photographer’s style?  Do you like the feel of the photos?  Do the babies in the photos look comfortable and posed well? Do you like his/her personality?  Have you heard others recommend this photographer? This post is not meant to scare you into hiring me as your photographer.  There’s so much more to choosing someone that’s the right fit for you, we may or may not be a good match for each other, and that’s ok.    No matter who you choose as your newborn photographer, please ask the important questions and make sure she/he has the right answers.