Will you get professional portraits?

shindylahoe

Being a professional photographer myself I place professional portraits of my pregnancy/newborn at a top priority.

I am always curious how others place photography on their priority list if things for their newborn.

So what about you? Will you get maternity/ newborn portraits done? If so how much do you expect to spend on them?

How about birth portraits?

turtles7

Yes and yes. It's very important to me to get maternity and newborn pictures done. However, I haven't thought about how much I'm going to spend though.

ChelseyColeman

I plan on doing some, but my SIL is awesome and has a great camera and likes to take our pictures
shes not a professional but I think its way better than paying an arm and a leg for them

sunflwra

I'm not a great photographer and knew that going in, so I knew we would get photos done.  I didn't care so much for maternity photos- I'm just not comfortable in front of the camera.  We did a newborn session to try our photographer out and then went on to do a first year package (3,6,9 and 12 mos) and we've since done a 2 year session with her as well. I'm actually kind of glad that my kiddos birthdays will be close together bc my plan is to do the same type of package with this baby and then use our photographer to do annual family photos in the Fall around their birthdays   It is so absolutely worth it to me!

jessa1228

I really want to have them done, I'm just afraid cost might be a factor.

mrsodonnell12

We will have a birth photographer. Last time everything happened so fast we didn't get hardly any pictures of dd. Not making that mistake again! And we will for sure do newborn pics.

Dd's 18 month pics will be in July and I'll be 25 weeks then so I'll probably do a few maternity pics with the kids at that time. I did maternity pics during my last pregnancy.

heidiliz626

We plan to do our own.

carcrashheart

A friend did our maternity. I'm glad we have them. I don't care enough to pay for them. We had a package that got us sessions throughout DS's first year. Newborn, 3, 6, 9 & 12 mos. Well worth it. Though I will be looking for a new photog this time around. I've seen enough people do pictures with the "xyz has a great camera so they will do them!" Or they feel they can do them on their own. I've never, ever seen those pictures come out anywhere close to the quality of a photographer. Don't underestimate the skills a photographer has.

TXSparky

I want a couple maternity pics just for the baby book. I'm hoping to get someone I know to do them for free or cheap. I will definitely invest in good newborn photos between about 5-10 days old. I spent about $200 last time. It was definitely worth it.

With my daughter I got nicer photos for newborn and one year then I did some other milestones at Target or JCPenny because they were cheaper.

Allisonville

I think newborn photos are creepy, I can't help it! *runs away*

abbyful

The hospital I delivered DS at and will deliver this one too has a professional photographer come around and take pictures every couple days. They were done in the room, the photographer just arranged the sheets/pillows on the hospital bed for the backdrop. 

It was a nice perk, it was so nice not to have to worry about getting nice pictures taken right away. (Of course they charged for the photo package bundles, it wasn't free, but at least we didn't have to worry about scheduling something right away after we were home.)

Here's an example of one of them. 

sunflwra

Allisonville said:

I think newborn photos are creepy, I can't help it! *runs away*

You are just wrong   Look at the smoosh, gooshy little face!

lizgrace03

abbyful said:

The hospital I delivered DS at and will deliver this one too has a professional photographer come around and take pictures every couple days. They were done in the room, the photographer just arranged the sheets/pillows on the hospital bed for the backdrop. 

It was a nice perk, it was so nice not to have to worry about getting nice pictures taken right away. (Of course they charged for the photo package bundles, it wasn't free, but at least we didn't have to worry about scheduling something right away after we were home.)

Here's an example of one of them. 

That's a great picture! We had a hospital tour today and they told us about this service. Seems great to me- one less thing to worry about. Definitely planning to use it.

abbyful

@lizgrace03 Aww, thanks!

Celticlass6

I'm hoping to do both. I haven't done much research yet, but I'd love for the photographer who did our wedding to do our maternity and newborn shots. We already are familiar and comfortable with her, so I feel like that will help us some. That being said, we have a pretty nice DSLR, so I'm sure we'll be taking plenty as well!

melissajam

Last time around my mom took our maternity photos. They're not professional quality, but I still love them. I'll probably ask if she'll take some this time around too. And the hospital we go to offers Bella Baby photography services for free. They take pictures of the newborn and the family before discharge. I love those photos too, my avatar is example of one of them. They will take pictures of this LO too. We're currently doing a first year package (3, 6, 9 and 12 month sessions) for DD with a professional, but only because there was a nice Groupon deal for it. The prints are still way overpriced, so we're also doing family pictures from JCP to supplement. We're definitely going to find a cheaper option for this LO.

ShelleyElla22

We have a good friend who is a photographer so we get a really good deal but even if we didn't, I would definitely spring for maternity and newborn photos. With my 3 yo we did monthly professional pics and with my 19 month old we do every 3 months. I cherish and absolutely LOVE looking back at those photos and couldn't come close to doing them myself with my fancy DSLR

mslynn2012

Did both with DS. This time around ill do pro newborn photos, but probably not maternity pictures. I rarely look at them (although I am glad I have them). We are still doing our weekly photo at home, so I am sure to have plenty of tummy photos from both pregnancies.

MrsAdventure

I have done sports photography for years for newspapers, but only done stills on occasion, and mostly nature. So I am rather anxious to try my hand at the newborn shots myself because it'll be a fun new challenge. I am, of course, assuming I'm going to feel all spry and creative for this. I think that will be the biggest factor of whether I will have them done by a professional or not.

krissykris89

I can't wait to get photos taken! New born photos are a top priority for me, this will be my first child. I'm limited on budget but know a few photographers who are starting up their business and hope to do a more intimate photo shoot with one of them rather than in a portrait studio.

Newborn photos are thee best! IMO

missnacholover

I definitely want to do this! 

DH is a photographer so I am sure that he will be taking tons of pictures of the little one, but I want some of all three of us.  I'm hoping my hospital offers it.

Not sure what the budget will be.  I'm going to put DH in charge of researching this.

hdall0807

I don't need maternity ones. I did last time and I don't like them

hdall0807

Here is my dd Newborn picture. They are only that tiny and squishy for a little while! I definitely will do it again

icaughtfire

We didn't do maternity photos last time..I was as big as a house & had no desire for that to be captured on film. I think I have maybe 5 pictures from my whole pregnancy. I'll probably take that same attitude this time around. As for newborn pictures, we just didn't have the money when DD was born. I think we'll do them this time around, but I want DD included in them & maybe a few with all of us. A family session I guess. We'll use the photographer who did our engagement & wedding pictures because she is AMAZING. It'll probably be around $250-$300.

Jpinky9

I definitely want to get both maternity and newborn photos done. This will be our first, and I can't wait to have all of the memories captured on film! I really have thought about or looked into prices yet though!

Allisonville

sunflwra said:

Allisonville said:

I think newborn photos are creepy, I can't help it! *runs away*

You are just wrong   Look at the smoosh, gooshy little face!

lol it's freakin adorable, it is. But I don't know. Something about the posing of the limp little arms and legs and stuff...I don't know!

shindylahoe

Allisonville said:

sunflwra said:

Allisonville said:

I think newborn photos are creepy, I can't help it! *runs away*

You are just wrong   Look at the smoosh, gooshy little face!

lol it's freakin adorable, it is. But I don't know. Something about the posing of the limp little arms and legs and stuff...I don't know!


I personally adore newborn photography but you aren't the first person I've heard say this!

You should look up lifestyle newborn photography. It's an awesome way of capturing your little ones newness with out the naked posing.

momtojad

We took all the money we would have spent on portraits, which here is about $600 a session, and bought a dslr.  We have way more pictures now and we bought a little lighting studio for our house so do staged ones.  

jaminjeff

No maternity, but we'll do the same as we did with DS1, newborn, 3/6/9/12/18 months, then at each birthday.  We love our photographer.

momtojad

Allisonville said:

I think newborn photos are creepy, I can't help it! *runs away*

I think newborn photography is super adorable and then there is this......

Allisonville

momtojad said:

Allisonville said:

I think newborn photos are creepy, I can't help it! *runs away*

I think newborn photography is super adorable and then there is this......

Hahaha Yes! Creeptastic.

I understand the appeal, it can just go so, so wrong.

sparklingwhit

A very good friend of mine is a photographer.  So I'm sure I will do them, although I'm not sure that I would if I weren't friends with her

She charged $500 for friends to get announcements, maternity, newborn and 1st birthday.

jf198400

I have zero interest in maternity photos. I don't understand it at all. I also don't do the hospital newborn photos. I am too much of a mess to deal with it, and honestly babies don't always look that great initially. DS had a lot of baby acne. We get newborn portraits done sometime around 3-4 weeks after birth. I will take the kids to JCPenny and spend $150 for a cd.

RedBirdFly

We plan on doing both. We have a very good friend who is a professional photographer and doesn't charge us, because we are "family." She did DS' maternity, newborn, 1yr, & 2 yr pics, and my wedding photos, and I love her work.

I also love that my kids will have the same style of pictures as they grow up

DoubleUp8

If we can afford them, I would like to do them. We are very conscious of budget with all of the things we will need to buy for baby, so as much as I want them professionally done, me and my point and shoot digital and DH and his phone, might have to suffice.

MtClod

I will be getting this lo a bundle package. Incudes newborn, sitting up and birthday session. It's a little pricey ($775) but they are only babies for a short time and it's something we both really want to do.

justjinny

MH and my sister are both really into photography and have nice cameras, so I will be relying on them to take photos. I would like to get some maternity ones done this time, and I think I'll be much more comfortable with one of them taking photos than I would be with a stranger.

We've gotten a TON of great photos of DS, and I can even sometimes take a good few with just using the auto settings on MH's camera.  I felt kinda complimented with the last batch I had printed at Walgreens because they wanted to know if I had the photographer's copyright to make prints on my own   It makes a big difference having a nice camera, good lenses and a little Photoshop know-how.

MeghanCF

I'm not doing the Maternity photos. Maybe will do baby but I'm not even sure about that.

crizz13

We'll definitely get newborn photos.... I'm on the fence about maternity. I'm guessing I won't be feeling very "glamorous" towards the end. I'm hoping my wedding photographer will do the baby photos because her work is amazing!

lmsmith1222

Newborn pics, absolutely. Maternity pics, no effin way.

wallygirl

My mom took my last maternity pics so we'll probably do that again. We will not have birth photos. We don't have anyone that isn't necessary in the room with us... no students, no family besides my husband.
We will do a newborn/first year packages with the photographer that did my daughter's.