The journey to making a baby is not overrated! It is exhausting yet rewarding, and for new parents who are grappling with keeping a little human alive, healthy and happy, a photoshoot may be the last thing on their mind. But the hours, days and months will pass before you know it and when you little one becomes independent, holding her own spoon or combing his own hair, there is a 99.9% chance that you will want to look back to the days when they were teeny-tiny helpless darlings who just looked adorable even when they did nothing!
To save those moments for posterity don’t miss out on a new-born photoshoot!
It can only happen before the baby turns a month old;
so you have a small window of 20 days to make it happen:
and that window further reduces with appointments for vaccinations, traditional ceremonies and visits from family & friends.
This blog post is not to convince you to book a shoot, as we know you may have enough excuses not to opt for a newborn shoot; but if you’d like to know what to expect at a newborn shoot, read on:
Expect the photoshoot to go on for long hours
Remember a newborn is a newborn; not prepared to pose, smile or even cooperate in front of the camera. And you cannot force it on them. So when you do decide to go in for the shoot, it can take time to prepare the baby, put her to sleep (the best shots of babies are when they are in siesta mode) and get her in the right positions for the shots!
Go in with a lot of patience!
Expect your baby to be unruly
Yes, she maybe an angel at home, but when you take your baby to a new place, or even a new setting, they are bound to react differently. As adults, we find it difficult to sleep in a new place or even poop in a different loo right? But with the help of a professional, where making the baby comfortable is part of the job, your baby will soon be at ease and you do not have to feel guilty or blame anyone!
A pro tip would be to be prepared to feed the baby in between the shoot, and be ready with diaper changes.
Expect another person to handle your baby & be ok with it!
You are the mommy/daddy and yes you are always the best when it comes to your baby. But you aren't a specialised newborn photographer & definitely cannot swaddle like a pro yet! So be ok with the person you have chosen to take care of your baby and handle the shoot. You will be asked for help as well as suggestions when needed, but refrain from interfering in the creative aspects that will just make the shoot longer & uncomfortable for everyone involved including your baby!
Expect to be wowed by how your baby reacts to different things
Many moms say their little ones’ don’t like to be swaddled, they cannot sleep on their tummy or they don't allow you to put on any headgear, but allow the photographer to try their charm (they have done it before for many other non-cooperative babies & have succeeded). And, if it works, use the photoshoot to learn a couple of tricks from the professional as well!
Expect the photographer to take time to give you the final pictures
You spent 9 months making the perfect baby, maybe upto 3 hours shooting the tiny human, but ready to spare only 1 day to have those pictures in your inbox?
Doesn’t sound fair right?
If you want value for the money, time and effort put into the shoot, please allow the photographer to select the right shots (out of the 100s clicked) & rectifying the details before they share them with you! Yup, baby acne, clogged tear ducts, yellow skin tone & red patches are very common in newborns.
Also, there is really no sense in asking for the 100 RAW images that were clicked because there is a reason why all of them were not edited!
Newborn shoots aren't only about clicking. There is a lot that goes into making the final image even after the photo-session.
Expect pictures that will make you want to cuddle your baby again & again!
This is probably the only expectation that everyone is already aware of, but yes, when you pick the right photographer and spend your time and money, you will not be left disappointed! You may have clicked pictures with your phone during the shoot, in the very same setting & lighting, but there will be a big big difference, from your clicks to the professional ones.
While these are expectations, there is also a list of frequently asked questions around newborn shoots that may cross your mind. Make sure you ask and understand everything in detail before your shoot :)
You must be ready to jump into the session now! Book your slot, if you already haven’t, by writing to hello@prettypictures.in
Do let us know in the comment section if your photoshoot lived up to your expectations and if there’s anything else you would like to add to this list and advise other parents about.