Professional newborn family portraits are one of the best ways to capture and preserve the special moments of your baby’s new life. But when is the best time to schedule newborn family portraits? Here, I’ll share with you the ideal timing for newborn family photos (plus I’ll provide tips on how to make the most of your session).
Interested in a free Newborn Session Prep Checklist?
I put it together with simple, no-stress guidance to help you prepare your home and family for a calm, in-home newborn session.
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How Scheduling Works Before Your Baby Arrives
If you’re pregnant, you’ll pick a tentative date based on your due date, and a retainer makes it official — that’s what holds your spot on my calendar. From there, we stay in touch as your due date approaches, and once your baby arrives, we lock in your actual session date and time together.
The Best Time for Newborn Family Portraits
The best time to take newborn family photos is within the first two weeks of life.
During this time, babies sleep a lot (but let me tell you they may be wide awake during our photo session, and this FINE!) and are still so tiny. They may still have those newborn baby details like little hairs on their shoulders, their umbilical cords, and the pin pricks from initial vaccinations (if you went that route).
Capturing this phase means you’ll have sweet newborn images to share with your loved ones and your baby (and one day your baby’s baby!) when they’re grown. And, of course, you will also have them for yourself so that you can marvel at your little one and at the miracle of life.
Tips for Preparing for Your Newborn Session
I’ve created a fair amount of blog content that shares things you can do to prepare for your newborn family portrait session.
Some of these posts can be found here:
What to Wear for Newborn Photos
6 Tips for a Successful Newborn Photography Session
How to Prepare Your Home for a Newborn Photo Session
For more detailed answers, my Newborn Photography FAQ covers everything from house prep to what happens if your baby cries the whole time
What To Wear for Newborn Family Portraits
Yup, I’ve created blog posts on this too (see above), but it is definitely one of the most common questions, so I’m addressing it here too. When it comes to what you should wear for your newborn family photos, there are no hard and fast rules.
It’s generally best to stick with neutral colors so the clothes don’t distract from the focus of the photo – your baby! Still, I am a sucker for red dresses and I love patterns, so don’t fret too much–be yourself. And if you are feeling self-conscious, you can always text me outfit ideas or we can rotate through a couple different looks during the photo session.
As for baby, many outfits are too big and can hide their face. If you want a photo of your baby in a specific look, please consider this. (I love photos of babies with minimal clothing to increase the focus on their faces and tiny limbs.)
Final Thoughts
The takeaway: don’t overthink the timing. The first two weeks is ideal, but reaching out while you’re still pregnant means one less thing to figure out once your baby arrives.
” />Ready to book? Make it official here. (Of course, we’ll stay in touch about your final session date/time–pick a tentative spot based on your due date!)
Questions? Fill out my contact form or give me a call.
