What is the Best Age for a Newborn Portrait Session?
Is my baby too old for a newborn photography session? This is a question I am often asked.
One of the main reasons we newborn photographers like to photograph babies before the first two to three weeks of age is that they are very flexible and sleepy during this time, making it easier for us to safely position them into those adorable, curly newborn poses. At this very young age, they also tend to have less in the way of skin issues.
However, every baby and every birth experience is different. What if you or little one has been poorly and you’ve spent longer in hospital than planned? What if you are taking time to adjust to sleepless nights and just not feeling up to having a session so early into your new parenthood? Have you missed the opportunity to have some lovely newborn images?
The great news is no, of course you haven't!
You may find that some newborn photographers will only work within the two to three week 'golden window' however, many others will have experience of working with older infants. If for whatever reason you miss an early newborn photography session, it doesn’t mean you can’t still have your photos, you may just have to adjust your expectations and accept that your finished images might include more candid moments and expressions rather than intricate poses.
Due to the Covid lockdowns, I photographed many newborns who were older at the time of their sessions than originally planned. My clients still received beautiful images of their new arrivals, I just worked with whatever my tiny models gave me on the day. If they were awake we took a more natural, lifestyle approach. If they fell asleep, I was able to include some gorgeous sleepy images. All of my post-Covid newborn clients received a full gallery of images, and I am pleased to say I was able to re-schedule every one of them to a later date. I've written a blog on the subject of babies who aren't keen on sleeping during their newborn photography session which you can read here.
In summary, if you are interested in newborn photography but your baby is already a bit older, contact your chosen photographer and have a discussion about what you’re hoping for. They will be able to guide you based on their experience and hopefully reassure you that you will still get some beautiful, memorable photos of your baby.