Do I Need to Hire a Professional Newborn Photographer?

5 Reasons to Hire A Professional Newborn Photographer

Expecting a baby and considering hiring a professional newborn photographer? First of all, congratulations! It’s no secret that the newborn stage is precious – filled with hope, love and more memories than you could imagine. The newborn stage of your baby’s life is undoubtedly one of the most memorable and fleeting times, and parents everywhere are looking for ways to capture and remember this time.

But, how important is hiring a true professional for your newborn photos? Can’t you get the same results in your house with your phone? Or maybe Aunt Susie who dabbles in photography can bring her nice camera over and get the same results? The cameras on our phones have truly advanced over the years, and it’s become so normal to just take a few snapshots ourselves for Instagram.

But, when it comes to baby’s first portraits that will hang in your home and be passed down generations, a professional newborn photographer is worth every single dime. In this article, I’ll answer all of your questions about hiring the right professional newborn photographer, why it’s so important and how to make sure they’re the right fit for your family.

1 . Your Newborn’s Safety Matters Most

In professional newborn photography, your newborn’s safety matters more than anything else. Real professional newborn photographers spend hundreds of dollars and countless hours training and learning everything they can to keep your baby safe. Newborn photographers must receive extensive training in newborn safety because babies are incredibly fragile and have tiny airways that can collapse or become restricted. It is also incredibly important that all props, posers, fabrics and swaddles used are designed for newborn photography. A photographer’s formal newborn safety training is what truly separates the professional from the amateur hobbyist, and is always my top priority when working with little clients.

As a professional newborn photographer of over 8 years, I have received extensive newborn safety training from the Accredited Professional Newborn Photographers International. This training includes newborn reflexes, positional asphyxiation, temperature regulation, circulation and so much more.

2. I am invested in YOU and your experience with me

I take my career and business extremely seriously and I pride myself on my five star reviews on Google and Facebook. When clients reserve their newborn photos with me, their experience also includes a session planning consultation – a meeting between myself and the client and their family to discuss props, color palette, wardrobe, poses – every detail of their session to help me match their vision and style perfectly.

I’ve found that investing time into getting to know my clients allows me to create beautiful artistic pieces that they can proudly display and love for years. You are more than just a client or a paycheck to me – once your session is booked, you are part of my family.

3. Newborn photography is a once in a lifetime opportunity

Have you ever heard the saying “the days are long but the years are short”? As a mom of four myself, this saying is so incredibly true. We only have four short weeks with a newborn, and those four weeks will be spent exhausted, learning new routines and figuring out all of the ropes of parenthood. One morning you’ll wake up and see a pudgy, smiley two-month-old and you’ll wonder how you got here. Wasn’t she just born?

The newborn stage is full of newness and wonder. It’s full of joy and fear and excitement – and it goes by incredibly fast. Once your newborn is no longer a newborn, the time for classic newborn photos is gone and you can never get it back. It’s absolutely crucial for these photos to be scheduled well in advance – preferably during the second or early third trimester. My clients know they are guaranteed a spot on my calendar – regardless when baby comes – as long as their session is reserved in advance.

4. A Custom Experience

In addition to safe posing and professional images, my clients also receive a completely custom experience. During the planning session, we discuss preferred colors, props you love, poses you’d love to see, family portraits, sibling portraits, wardrobe and everything in between. Clients are also welcome to bring in their own personal items to use as props too. Using this information I plan and curate a completely custom session, which gives you a variety of images you are sure to love and cherish forever. I am constantly acquiring new props, outfits and accessories so my sets are always changing and clients always have plenty of options.

5. Premium, Archival Wall Art with Unmatched Quality

As a portrait photographer, my favorite part of the job is seeing my artwork printed and hung on my client’s walls. For this reason, I’ve created a list of products that are absolutely stunning, made with the highest quality and designed to last for generations. Clients have the opportunity to view their images at their in person Image Reveal and Ordering Appointment, where they can choose the products that are their favorite and place their artwork order.

Now, I know as parents we love having the digital files to share on social media and to reprint for grandparents and friends. My solution to this is to include a matching digital file with each piece of artwork ordered. That way clients get the best of both worlds – premium, high quality artwork to enjoy in their homes and digital files to share with the world.

Photos by Ashleigh is a professional Newborn, Child and Family Portrait Artist located in Oklahoma City, OK. Photos by Ashleigh serves clients from Moore, Norman, Tuttle, Newcastle, Oklahoma City, Edmond, The Village, Yukon, Mustang, El Reno, Blanchard and surrounding areas. For availability and booking information, please email the studio at ashleigh@photobyashleigh.co or call 405-237-6206.