Maternity and Newborn Photos

kitandcat · January 2016

Hey Folks! Happy Monday!

I did a search to try and avoid double posting... and I didn't see anything out there for May 2016, but I apologize if I missed it!

I'm wondering what your thoughts are on Maternity/Newborn photos? I live in Columbus, OH and I have been doing some research... okay I have been doing A LOT of research... and it seems like it's pretty average for the maternity/newborn combo to come out at like $500 or so (or more!)... whether you have someone who includes digital rights OR they charge to order prints .... Is everyone experiencing similar pricing in their search?

Any Moms out there who have done these and recommend them/think they're worth it or vice versa? I'm pretty convinced that it will be worth it to have beautiful shots of my baby boy, but my husband doesn't seem so sure after finding out the costs.

Also - I am thinking it will be most beneficial to go with someone who's package includes the digital rights to the photos, as the "a la carte" prints are so, so expensive. Thoughts?

Thanks for your comments and all your help in one of the many decisions to make in the coming months!!

gorgeousariel · January 2016

As a maternity/ newborn photographer that is pretty average to low end of cost. Anyone worth while has educated themselves on the subject of newborn photography. Many of the low cost photographers have not done so and do not know the proper way to handle/ pose a newborn. Whatever you do PLEASE make newborn safety your number one concern when picking a photographer, not price.

swflJD · January 2016

I was just researching newborn photo sessions in my area this past weekend. @pooputtette As a photographer, how soon would you suggest booking a newborn session? I'm trying to get a general timeline for when I need to do it so I can budget for it accordingly.

finnybooboo · January 2016

They're going to be pricey, for sure. I would always choose the option with the photo rights so I can do as I please with them and will always have that digital copy.

We didn't do maternity last time because frankly, I hate the way I look pregnant. I'm already over weight so I don't have that cute bump and my face breaks out like crazy. I just don't feel pretty, and thus, don't really want to take pictures.

I was so stressed out in that first 2 weeks after my first baby that we ended up canceling our newborn session. It's definitely something I regret. We set up a session around a month later, but we decided to do them outside and it happened to be crazy cold and windy that day and they just turned out awful. Lesson learned big time. This time I hope to be a little bit more relaxed and plan to do a proper newborn/sibling/family session after baby is born.

countrygrl5533 · January 2016

The price keeps us from doing it. We live on a very tight one income. $500 is a huge deal. Heck, $200 is a big deal for us. I'm not a huge fan of newborn shots but we have decided that we will try to do a family photo shoot sometime before this baby is 3. A full family shoot is more important to us than maternity or newborn photos.

js8812 · January 2016

I think for a newborn/maternity combo that is an extremely good deal. I live in the midwest and photography prices aren't astronomical here, but that seems pretty inexpensive for both sessions. From what I hear, newborn sessions can take a LONG time.

I would opt to have the rights so you can print as you wish, make photo books, etc.

I have a question... what is the best time to take maternity photos/when are all of you planning on taking them (if you are).

kitandcat · January 2016

@pooputtette Great response, Thank you!! You are absolutely right... the safety of my newborn is of the utmost importance and I'll have to consider the experience level of the photographer. I've looked at many sites and viewed a lot of newborn galleries... there are people out there that are cheaper but you can tell by looking at the photos that there are certain levels of experience and quality of photos that come with the price tag

The pictures are all so beautiful, it seems worth it to me!!

gorgeousariel · January 2016

@swflJD I would suggest booking as soon as you can. I know some people who book right after they find out they are PG. Most photographers limit how many sessions they will take in a week/ month. @js8812 I take maternity photos between 34 -36 weeks, depending on health and how big belly is. Be sure to do them before you become completely uncomfortable.

kitandcat · January 2016

@js8812 Based on what I've read online, most photographer's sites recommend between 5-14 days for newborn photos, and 34-36 weeks for maternity - so your big belly is captured but you're not too uncomfortable/swollen/about to burst

kitandcat · January 2016

@countrygrl5533 Yes, it's so tough on the budget!! We've made a very strict budget to help prepare us for the baby and to make it a possibility for me to stay home - but it doesn't include a lot of extras, and because we didn't do research until now we didn't include it in the budget during pregnancy... $500 is a lot to add on out of the blue!!

jessiedee13 · January 2016

I haven't done maternity or newborn photos before. I'm considering maternity this time because I actually have a bump and I think it would be cute to include the boys in it. Newborn photos have to happen this time because my hospital no longer does hospital photos and I cried for a good hour when I found that out. Babies look so different so fast at young ages, and I want the very first newborn age captured professionally, just like the other 2. But if we could still get hospital photos I wouldn't spend the money. Just me personally since we live on a tight budget and I'm a SAHM and would like to keep it that way.

As for the price. 500 for both with printing rights sounds like quite a deal. I also live in Ohio, just an hour north of Columbus actually and those prices sound very reasonable. We've had several different photographers photograph our family over the 2 years since my oldest was born. We only had 1 bad experience. I'd recommend meeting with the photographer first to make sure they're actually comfortable with kids, not just saying they are. True story: my MIL got full family pics done (MIL, FIL, SIL, BIL, DH, DS and myself) by a local photographer that came highly recommended. We told him we would have a 3 month old in the photos. He said that's great I love kids! We get there, he was crabby he couldn't sit on his own, his studio was ice cold, and he actually got pissy when my poor baby spit up (very little) on his suit and a prop pillow that we brought because it got on his floor. He was also crabby we had to stop to feed him because our session took 3 hours. He was not a good photographer for kids. Had we met with him, we probably would have noticed that before hand. Lesson learned. I'm very lucky now and my cousin does professional photography. She's just out of college but she's done an amazing job with my boys 2 year and 1 year birthday photos, so I'm confident in her ability.

As pp said though, don't let the price be the deciding factor. Make sure they're good with kids and they have experience with newborns!

JennyS86 · January 2016

I didn't do maternity pictures with my previous pregnancy because I delivered early. I am considering doing them this time around. I am not going to spend that much money though, as a friend of my SIL recently took up photography after working in art design. She took beautiful pics of the twins at 18months old.
One thing that I wish I would have done was take nursing pictures. Just for my own private stash!

araecasey · January 2016

Newborn pics are important to me. They're only tiny for such a short time, I want that memory to last forever. Last time I got the hospital ones because it required zero coordination on my part and it was cheaper, but ya get what you pay for! I'm not happy with them. We're paying about $600 to do a lifestyle newborn shoot in our home a few days after we return from the hospital. I can't wait to see how our first family pictures turn out!

araecasey · January 2016

And another strong rec to take nursing pictures from the beginning if you choose to breastfeed!

TXmamatobe · January 2016

$500 is actually a great deal around where I live. I didn't do newborn pictures with my first and I definitely regret it. This time I hope to do newborn pics that include DD and I'm definitely wanting to book sooner rather than later. I'm not that into maternity photos for myself but think they are great for others!

Pascal86 · January 2016

If you're on the fence about it, find a friend with a nice camera and have them just take a few family shots before you're due. It won't be anywhere the same, but at least it will capture the memory of that time, if not be amazing quality.

A friend who's into amateur photography could also be good for a newborn shot. Obviously look into safe positioning and all that, but with a friend you could have unlimited time, and they might be happy for the practice (I would be!).

Word of caution: a friend just gave birth, and a photographer whirled through her room a while after birth, offered to take some nice pictures... and then later they had to decide if they wanted to pay like $100 PER PRINT to get their newborn shots. Maybe have someone swing by after delivery too to take a cute nice pic (make them do all the planning for this - they had a cute basket/nice sheets), so you can have something cute right away without spending $$$$!

ETA: *A hospital-sponsored photographer, not just some random person wandering through the hospital!

Merciel · January 2016

I'll chime in and agree that $500 for a maternity shoot would be very reasonable/on the low end for what I've seen (I'm in Philadelphia though, so East Coast city pricing and all that).

I'm not planning to do a maternity shoot. I guess it's possible I might reconsider, but my feeling right now is that pregnant me is not "really" me, and I don't care to have it recorded beyond bump progression selfies. I do not love this version of my body and I can't imagine I'll want to keep seeing it forever.

I don't know about newborn pictures. I suppose not having those is something I'm more likely to regret down the road, so those might be worth doing.

zekesmommy611 · January 2016

I found a photographer on Facebook who isn't necessarily a professional/ she didn't have a lot of experience but she only charged $60 a session for an hour! She edits the photos and then we receive all rights to the pictures to print out whatever we want. We tried her out for our maternity session when I was pregnant with DS and then she offered to come to the hospital to take newborn pictures for free. She was great and we continue to use her to this day!
Check around for photographers who do it on the side or are just starting out, will definitely save you lots of money!
Edited for wording.

avalentine81 · January 2016

I have also done a lot of research in The Denver area and there are several people who specialize in newborn photography. From what I see it's about $200 sitting and $25 per pic for the rights. Friends of mine say they usually get about 15 pics so that's in line with what you are seeing. We have decided to do newborn and 1 year professional pics and bought a nice camera in hopes of capturing the rest ourselves

doozer1345 · January 2016

I am so thankful we did it with DD and will be doing it with this one too. Our package is $550 which includes a certain amount of digital shots free and then we can buy the rest a la carte or she gives us a discount for the whole batch (usually around $200 or so...she takes tons of pics). The $550 also includes the session with LO once we get home from the hospital but not the digital shots. She isn't too outrageously priced for those either. DD loves looking at my maternity pics as well as her baby pics from the session. They were so beautifully done.

NinnyJean · January 2016

I know a lot of photographers too will offer a first year baby package, with newborn and then I think 3, 6 and 12 months as well. That usually helps justify the cost because it's one price for the whole year.

I luck out because my sister is a photographer so I'll do maternity and newborn through her for free, or most likely a bottle of wine

drablnd · January 2016

Around in northern Michigan I'm looking at just 225 for newborn photos. Although the photographer I'm going with wants to start branching out into birthing photos and offered us a super cheap price for the labor shoot and new born photos. 400 total.

hellogoodbye2 · January 2016

I actually live in the same area. I highly recommend "We Heart Photography." Marissa is amazing and very affordable. $200 for 100+ images on a CD you have the rights to.....hour-ish long sessions, but she isn't really focused on time. We have used her for at least 6 photo shoots now!

https://www.facebook.com/WeHeartPhotography/

angc4 · January 2016

I have to agree with using "amateurs" for the price, they still do great work and are often eager to please. Plus in these days, let's face it... Pinterest has a million and one ways to pose baby, so if you don't feel like the person can handle that... Just take charge of that part yourself.
I just got a canon power shot, it's a "point and shoot" with 16 mpx... So I will likely take my own and have a friend or cousin do my maternity.

emma+karen · January 2016

We're going on a beach vacation with my family in July, and my mom actually booked a photographer that will do our whole extended family, plus each individual family, so I'm excited for that. We'll pay for the prints that we want from that shoot. Earlier, we may just do a shoot at a place like JCPenney or Portrait Innovations to get the brand-new baby shots, plus some cute big brother/little sibling pictures.

dsmith211 · February 2016

Piggy backing on this a little, but DH and I are looking at newborn photographers right now and wanted to get some input from people if they had any.

We noticed a lot of photographers in our area do either newborn lifestyle photography - where they would come to your house and take photos of situations, real-life events or milestones in an artistic manner OR there is the typical posed newborn photography.

We were thinking of getting the lifestyle type done as we would really like photos of us interacting with the baby, experiencing things as first time parents, the nursery, interactions with possibly other family members and our dog, etc. We found a photographer who's photos we really like, has great reviews, they are available in our timeframe, and they only cost $250 which includes a 2 hour session with all the edited images on a flash drive with photo release for us to print at will... which in this area is phenomenally cheap.

Just looking to see if anyone might have any tips or experience on how these types of shoots might go to give us an idea of maybe additional questions we should ask the photographer and things to possibly expect.

furbabymom2007 · February 2016

Hello! I hope you don't mind... But I am lurking from TTGP (I'm bored, what can I say).

I am a photographer who does families, newborns and weddings in my spare time and I'd like to throw a few suggestions in that may help.

@dsmith211 and others...

1. It sounds like you've found a relatively new photographer, which is perfectly fine! Everyone has to start somewhere! If you can find a relatively new photog that you like you can also have a great place to go back to for photos in the future. I have families I have been shooting (with a camera haha) for years and I always cut them a dea for their loyalty. Plus already having an established relationship with the children is a plus.

2. As was said previously... Newborn safety is always first. Always act as a spotter whoever the baby is placed somewhere (cute shots on chairs, changing table, etc). Also, please remember that all of those cute photos of babies hanging from branches or with their heads propped up on their heads are composite shots.

3. Lifestyle newborn photography is a great way to go! In order to have a good session... It is best to make sure a few key areas in your home are picked up and well lit. I prefer natural light and usually will immediately open all blinds and curtains. Windows that get a lot of indirect light are great! Also... Do a little Pinterest searching for some lifestyle newborn shots and you will usually see baby on the rocker, or in the crib or o the changing table with a cute setting. if you have a cute set up, that is great! But try to keep simple. We realize that you may want a photo of baby next to all of your childhood stuffed animals, but the photog will probably cringe and maybe try to set up one or two. In the corner of the crib or changing table. Again, less is more

4. There are things you can do to try to make a lifestyle (or even a posed) session go smoothly... First, I would recommend keeping baby awake and hungry for at least 2 hours prior to session. You should feed baby right before the photog shows up or even right after. Ask the photog for their preference. That will help make sure that baby is good and sleepy and milk drunk

. Second, make your home warmer than normal, maybe upper 70s. Warm babies are sleepy babies. If you are doing naked baby shots, then I would consider a space heater (alot of photogs bring one with them). Third, get baby used to swaddling. Swaddling will typically help them sleep through a session. Plus they look ardorable all wrapped up.

And finally, as I have seen mentioned... Keep newborn photos to 7-18 days or so. This way they are hopefully not cluster feeding and will still sleep pretty well for the shoot. Plus they may have less baby acne for your photos to edit out..... Painstakingly... By hand.

oh and one more... If your baby has flaky skin, Ask your photog about whether they prefer your leave it or put lotion on it to try to clear up. Sometimes shiny greasy skin is harder to edit than a few flakes.

5. Keep in mind that most photogs will not ever sell you a copyright. Instead you are usually purchasing a print license. I call it a "personal use license". The photog will always own the rights to the photos.

These are just a few thoughts you may find useful. Obviously always do what is best for you and baby and family... These are suggestions purely from the photographers point of view.

Also... Apologies for rambling and typos... Bumping mobile when I should be working

helleebellee · February 2016

I can't afford any of this, either, so it's a good thing I can do my own. I'm more of a nature photographer, so I don't excel at newborn photography. But, I don't need anything special. I'm good with just everyday life shots, I don't need fancy posed shots. One day, though, I'd love to do a family shoot. Kind of hard to get us all together when I'm the photographer.

thycapa · February 2016

We have been debating on newborn photos, but they are anywhere from $500 to $1500 in my area and some of those prices don't include rights or digital prints, just the shoot itself. I told my husband that i'd rather take a portion of that money and buy a really good camera (mine has been broken for some time) to be able to capture all of our family moments, story time,first baths, baptism, cuddling, milestones etc. I know it's not the same as a professional, beautifully posed newborn photoshoot, but I thought this could be a good compromise for us. If we go this route we said we would get a family photo shoot done when he is a year old.

emma+karen · February 2016

I'm so excited I just had to share. We got a recommendation on a photographer from another family at daycare; I talked to her on the phone yesterday and she is awesome. She offered to do a maternity shoot for no sitting fee (we'd just pay for the pictures we want) if we do it when she gets her spring/Easter set up and allow her to post the pics on her website. Her other fees are all very reasonable and she seems super friendly and easy to work with. I'm so pumped! With DS we only ever did shots at JCPenney, so I'm excited to have a real professional do maternity/newborn pics for us!

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