Newborn photos

imsoexcited915 · July 2015

anyone planning on this? How far in advance do you have to set up? I've heard some crazy costs too where it's like $1000 and you have no access to the proofs. Curious what some of the deals you ladies got. And if anyone has any central/northern NJ recommendations.

jen83mn · July 2015

I set mine up in February, but I'm a huge planner and already knew who I wanted to go with (someone a friend uses), so figured I might as well get it on the books! Our photographer charges $175 for a 2-hour session that includes unlimited outfit changes and backdrops, 30-40 high resolution images, and a DVD and the rights to all photos to print them ourselves.

She does photography on the side on evenings and weekends (and has another job during the week), hence why she is much cheaper than if you went with a photographer who does it full-time. I would check with all your friends/family who have had babies within the last few years and see if they have any recommendations! Or check out your friends and acquaintances pages on Facebook who have had babies to check out their photos and maybe get some recommendations.

We also plan on signing up for the 3, 6, 9, and 12-month photo package ($500 total for all four sessions).

Hope that helps!

Mufflerlove · July 2015

My photographer is already fully booked until Christmas. I booked early in the year as soon as I hit 12 weeks. The newborn session plus maternity is $300 but I'm an old customer. I believe she said she charges $400 now. I get the photos on a disc. With my daughter it was maybe around 30 photos.

Mufflerlove · July 2015

Photographers usually take limited newborn spots each month because you never actually know when baby will arrive. Once baby arrives my photographer will pick a day within the first week or so for our appointment. My DD was 5 days.

CEW225 · July 2015

I'm planning on doing them. We can either choose to do them in her studio or at home (cost is slightly extra for home). I think it's around $100 for 60-90 minutes, rights, CD with 50-60 pictures, and parents/siblings are included.

My maternity pictures were only $50 and we got several pictures on our CD after a 40 minute session. We live in a fairly rural part of NC where the demand is not high for photographers, so I guess they feel that they can charge less here. Lucky for us!

jbettles · July 2015

Depends on where you live. I live in Kansas. The photographer I've chosen has done most of my daughter's pictures. She has a first year program - you can choose which sessions to do. Newborn is $60, 3 month is $30, 6 month is $60, 9 month is $30, then one year is $60. Again, you can pick and choose your sessions, you don't have to do them all. I would probably skip 3, but that will be Christmas time, so I'd be scheduling a session anyway

. One nice thing to check out is policy on siblings and parents. I've seen some photographers' sites where they explicitly state NO other children or people in the photos. My photographer will do newborn, sibling, and whole family shots all as part of the session.

jessababyphoto · July 2015

Quality over quantity, they're only little for so long. You are paying for the photographers time and talent. I'm sure there are other photographers in your price range.

If a photographer has little to no experience, you're risking the safety of your baby. It's really important they know proper posing techniques. Where do you live? I might be able to refer you to a photog in your area.

29jmicks · July 2015

I would definitely call/look around for pricing. Sometimes photographers post prices online and include what is in that package. I would look for a photographer that gives you access to the photos on cd or flash drive along with the print release. Also, it's hard because different areas are more expensive. I have seen prices from $500 and up depending on the package and photographer. I also rather pay a little more/drive a little longer for a photographer with more newborn experience and get the package you want.

sparklett22 · July 2015

I have a photographer a friend referred. It's $195 for two hours and she will come to my home with props. It also includes the copyrights and a dvd.

v1wwo · July 2015

$1000? I hope that includes a sweet 16 session. Lol.
Let me see what I can come up with

jmacd22 · July 2015

I live in LA and everything is more expensive here. Newborn photos run around 1000.

mrsbacz · July 2015

I'm from northern NJ. I booked with heybabyphoto.com two weeks ago. I'm not sure where you're located or how far she travels. She charged me $350 and takes 100-150 photos, edits them, and gets them all to you on a USB in a week or so.

imsoexcited915 · July 2015

I'm in Colts Neck, NJ

NATC2009 · July 2015

Chicagoland area here- 250-600 is pretty standard and I had to go through a couple before I found one that wasn't booked...

v1wwo · July 2015

@imsoexcited915 - I got some contacts that are willing to do a new born session for around $300 I will PM you.

If anyone else is interested in the list and lives in NJ let me know and I'll send you the list over.

KERJF · July 2015

Im paying $800 for ours. 25 images - both in color and b/w with printing rights.
A lot, yes but she knows what she is doing both with babies and behind the camera and I know you get one shot at these

jabeauty90 · July 2015

Oregon here. Some photographers will do maternity, birth and newborn for around $1000. Luckily my mom does all but the newborn photos. I need to find someone to do ours.

missdonnaanne · July 2015

@v1wwo can I have a copy of that list too? In jersey looking for a photographer! Thanks!!

ktbkitten · July 2015

That is really expensive for newborn pictures. We do some photography extra on the side and usually charge $125 to start, and that is usually for a friend. It's best to do those pictures in the first few weeks because that's when you get all the cute curled positions that are typical for newborn images. We're going to do our own since we can set up a studio with lighting and all. I wouldn't pay more than $200 unless you have someone who is a super awesome well known photographer for celebrities, but that is just my opinion. There are a ton of idea for DIY on Pinterest and I've even gotten some tips from there. Unless you wanted to do a lot of group/whole family pictures I bet you could get some really good pictures on your own. The cameras that you can purchase for non-commercial pictures are getting really good and worth it now.

KERJF · July 2015

I completely and politely disagree with you Ktbkitten.
Expensive, is first and foremost in the eye of the beholder. I will pay $800 (I know you werent directing AT me personally, I dont think, but I will use myself as an example) for photos but I wont for a purse. Why? Because $800 on a purse is expensive to me.
I have used photographers that are around $300 for newborn photos and while Ive been happy - I can most certainly tell a difference in their work and that of the one we are using this time around.
And there are SO many moms with cameras who start up a business with no training or care for baby's safety - they just want to make a buck or two and think its an easy way to do so.
Cameras do NOT make a photo great. Yes, some cameras give better quality photos. But I can promise anyone - you could spend $1000 on a camera and still have photos that look like you used a crappy phone if you dont know what you are doing for posing, and settings, and so forth.
And celebs hire some crap photographers - so I wouldnt even base my choice on their choices LOL.

megs1409 · July 2015

It really is as simple as you get what you pay for. Photography, especially, newborn photography is someone's job. They have put hours into learning how to properly take a great photo, position the baby safely, (normally) have the props to make each picture perfect.

I have a lovely camera that I spent a fair bit of money on. I can tell you my pictures are not even in the same league as someone who does the work on the side. We are paying close to $600 for a family photo shoot with a photographer that has done pictures for me for years AND we are doing it when our LO will be closer to 6 weeks old (so not a typical newborn).

If you can only afford a few hundred dollars, I would suggest using a service like Picture People or Target Portrait Studios when your kiddo is slightly older than the traditional "newborn" stage and a bit less fragile.

jen83mn · July 2015

There are some really great professional full-time photographers and some really great photographers who do it on the side, so it doesn't all come down to price. Likewise, there are plenty of professional photographers and those who do it on the side who don't do very good work. It's all about doing your research beforehand and getting good references.

The photographer I'm using ($175/session) is not a professional photographer full-time but has been doing newborn, child, and family photography for years, has a studio in her home with tons of backdrops and props available, has younger kids of her own, and has done photos for my friend and her family for the last 4 years which have all turned out amazing. I love her style of photography and the quality of her work, and she is really easy to work with and talk to.

I wouldn't discount someone just because they don't have a full-time photography business, but I would also make sure you've seen their body of work and they have good references (preferably referred by someone you know), and you could always set up a meet and greet to make sure he or she is someone you can trust with your newborn. This would go for both professional photographers and those who do it on the side.

Nikkilenae · July 2015

Just remember. The professionals will charge more because they pay for insurance, props, workshops, cameras and lenses, etc. Beware of the cheap photogs. They are usually just starting out and have not been educated about newborn posing safety. I'm a newborn photographer and have been well aware of "the moms with a camera".

Also, if you take the $1000 shoot and break it down hourly, you'd be surprised at how much the photographer actually makes after paying taxes. I paid $900 for my maternity shoot and didn't bat an eye because I know the professionalism behind the camera.

Nikkilenae · July 2015

v1wwo said:
$1000? I hope that includes a sweet 16 session. Lol.
Let me see what I can come up with

It's all about the cost of doing business. Some photographers spend $1000+ per month on rent alone. It's very expensive.

cjstats87 · July 2015

I do my own newborn photos...I have had someone come in and do the kids but I fully feel like I know the poses I want and I have the editing software to make them look the way I want. I have also taken on doing twins (friends babies) newborns and they were perfect for what she wanted.

chelseajeanene · July 2015

If anyone wants to save a little money, there's a million things on Pinterest that teaches you everything you need to take you own newborn pics

Blang2014 · July 2015

Our Wedding photographer said that our gift was a free newborn session. The prints are not free and of course I can only get them through her, but I plan to take advantage of the free session and only order a couple, cause I have a great camera and editing software and plan to take a ton of pictures myself with all these cute props I've been collecting.

sidskinner · July 2015

Im having someone in the first week do mine for $200 for a 3 hour session and that includes a CD with all images. It all depends on where your located and who you know. Some ppl i checked with were much more expensive.

kalina27 · July 2015

Does anybody know of any photographers in the Phoenix, AZ area? I found one but she is pricey at $500 for 2 hours.

v1wwo · July 2015

kalina27 said:

Does anybody know of any photographers in the Phoenix, AZ area? I found one but she is pricey at $500 for 2 hours.

Go on Facebook and see if you can find a photographer group in AZ. Or ask a wedding photographer... some of them do NB sessions.

Here is a link to get you started

v1wwo · July 2015

Nikkilenae said:

$1000? I hope that includes a sweet 16 session. Lol. Let me see what I can come up with
It's all about the cost of doing business. Some photographers spend $1000+ per month on rent alone. It's very expensive.

Sure if you just get one client a month than yes you have to charge $1000 for a two hour photo session. But IMO that is still toooo much... and I am a wedding photographer.

Nikkilenae · July 2015

What about the $80 bowl, $40 beanbag blanket, $50 outfit, $20 tie back, $150 wood backdrop, $15-20 wraps, $160 fur, increased insurance to protect baby, hiring an assistant at $12 an hour. Newborn photography is not cheap, and is just as important at wedding photography. If a photographer in my area can charge $6,000 for a wedding, surely a newborn session at 1,000 is reasonable.

MiromiM · July 2015

In the Austin area (Texas), you can find a few that will give you the rights to your proofs for under $500 per session (~40 photos).

CEW225 · July 2015

I'm sorry, but I just have to say this. So because my photographer only charges $50 for a 30 miaternity session and $100 for a 60-90 minute newborn session, she doesn't do a good job? Even though she is probaby the most popular photographer in the area? I know nobody was directing anything at me personally, but in reading some of these comments, it seems as though a cheap photographer(despite location, reputation, etc) can't possibly be a good photographer and I have to disagree.

Edit for clarity: This is not directed to anybody in general but the issue of pricing has come up in both this thread and the maternity photos thread.

KERJF · July 2015

CEW225 - nope. If you are happy with her work - that's awesome and all that matters. Though I would be really curious to know if she pays taxes and is running a legal business. Because it costs a LOT of money to run one. It isnt a free for all. She could be the most popular simply because she is cheap.
Photography is a total person to person thing - I think most of us were just pointing out that saying someone is overpriced when they are close to $1k - is ridiculous. Most times it just means they are running a legitimate business, have had training, pay taxes, have great equipment, ect.

jbettles · July 2015

I still say it is regional. I live in rural Kansas and there are LOTS of the "mom with a camera" types (who charge $20/session and you get all the digital rights included in that price), but a few legitimate, high quality photographers in the area who have the training, insurance, props, etc. Very few charge more than 600-800 for a wedding, and around 50-100 for a newborn session (you pay additional for prints and copyrights to digital images). Anyone charging more than that would quickly be laughed out of business - the cost of living is simply much different here than even the urban areas of Kansas. To put it in perspective, the average annual HOUSEHOLD salary where I live is $53,000. If a home sells for over $100,000, it's a very unusual occurrence. So some of the numbers being thrown around don't really match my experience - I'm not trying to single anyone out or start more arguing, just pointing out that $1,000 in New York City, for instance, isn't the same as $1,000 where I live.

CEW225 · July 2015

@Kerjf As far as I know, she runs a legit business. Never questioned that due to her recommendations from others.

I agree completely with jbettles. There are plenty of people around that just buy a camera and look to make a quick dollar. However, pricey photography is not the norm on my end of NC either. In looking around at newborn prices previously, I rarely saw anybody who charged more than $300 for a "sitting fee" for newborns, even in the surrounding cities (45 mins to an hour away). Most of the time, that fee included the disc with images. If not, the total between the fee and the digital files was around $500, give or take, usually less. A lot of what I saw was around the $200 range, including disc with images. I believe mine happens to be very cheap because of where I am specifically located. I'm in a very rural part of NC with very few photographers to pick from, which is part of the reason I think it's so cheap. There is not a great demand and the cost of living is not expensive. To me, location and demand seem to be the biggest determining factors in prices because those things can also determine the cost to the photographer themselves in rent, equipment,

Crook251 · July 2015

I'm a beginner newborn photographer! These sessions can get quite expensive. For my area $200 to $400 is the going price and even more in other areas. It does require lots of time and skills to do this type of photography, so you get what you pay for. It's best to do the photos within the first 2 weeks of birth! I recently did my 4th newborn and it was the longest session I have ever done! The mother paid me more after see saw how much time And hard work I put in.

In most cases you can find a decent photogo for a reasonable price, I would definitely do lots of research and get to know the photography before you choose! Best of luck to you !

Photo is a recent newborn I did she was a tough one but we made things work!

ginaannechelan · July 2015

chelseajeanene said:
If anyone wants to save a little money, there's a million things on Pinterest that teaches you everything you need to take you own newborn pics

This. I'll be doing pretty candid photography with my baby. I also want my mom to take photos in recovery for me in the same fashion. I know there are professionals I could hire, but it's not a priority for me and I love dabbling in a little creativity myself.

We will hopefully do family photos for our Christmas cards and I'm happy to pay for those.

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