I have a few last minute bookings from moms that were just so excited for the arrival of their little ones or had medical issues and did not schedule their newborn photoshoot. The first question they ask is “Is my baby too old for a newborn photoshoot?” Don’t worry! We can get beautiful photographs of your baby no matter how old they are. BUT if you want the sleepy curled up posed newborn photos, then it is better to book your photoshoot ahead of time.
WHEN IS THE BEST TIME FOR NEWBORN PHOTOGRAPHY?
If you like the sleeping posed look – ideally you should have your baby photographed within the first 2 weeks. In these first couple weeks your newborn goes into a much deeper sleep and is still used to being curled up, so it is easier to pose them.
Posed sleepy newborn photography is best achieved when your baby is still very new to the world. My preferred time is around 1-2 weeks after birth. If you’ve missed this window of opportunity though don’t worry. You can still get beautiful photos of your baby regardless of how old they are.
I’VE BEEN TOLD MY BABY IS “TOO OLD” FOR A NEWBORN PHOTOSHOOT. WHAT SHOULD I DO?
Some photographers have fairly strict requirements when booking in a baby for a last minute session. I photograph babies at all ages but do have a few suggestions depending on how old your baby is. Here is a rough guide to help!
2 – 6 weeks
You can absolutely do a newborn session. The earlier the better! If your baby is approaching the 6 week mark you do need to be aware that they will be more wakeful and less likely to go into the sleepy posed poses. I do tend to let my clients know that I will do my best to capture some sleepy poses but that it’s likely that their baby will be awake and wrapped for the majority of their session. Click here for more information about my newborn photo sessions.
7 weeks – 2 months
Your baby will be alert and awake and possibly quite fussy at this stage. For babies of this age I do wrapped-only sessions as that seems to do the trick with most of them and we will get a beautiful gallery.
3 – 5 months
If your little one falls in this age group I might suggest to wait until they are comfortable sitting by themselves as we can get more variety in your gallery that way.
6 – 10 months
At this stage babies usually start to sit confidently on their own. This is such a fun and cute time and we will be able to capture their big smiles and get lots of variety. Typically best to do this session when they are able to sit comfortably by themselves. They are usually very happy and smiley, and they are usually not yet on the move which makes taking photos of them a lot easier! Click here to find out more about my Milestone Sessions.
11 – 13 months
This is around the time that babies really start getting on the move – crawling, cruising, or even walking on their own. They are usually a bundle of energy and constantly on the go which can make getting them to sit still for any length of time for a photo much much harder. At this stage you might be interested in celebrating your baby’s birthday with a Birthday Portrait or Cake Smash Session. Click here to find out more about my Cake Smash Session.
I hope this all helps! Please remember that your baby is never “TOO OLD” for photographs and it all depends on your little one, but I promise we will get some amazing images of your baby!
Ready to book a newborn photoshoot or a milestone session? Let’s chat!
