When should I book my newborn session? | Newborn Photography, Jackson Michigan Photographer

You're expecting a baby! This is one of the most life changing experiences in your life! Not only are you growing a living human being inside your womb, you are about embark on becoming a parent to this tiny human. It's normal to feel all sorts of emotions, from excitement to fear among other feelings. Excited to grow your family and expand your family line but also the fear of becoming responsible for another life other than your own.

This moment undoubtedly will be a time when you might be considering having portraits taken. Newborn photography is definitely beautiful and special. At no time in your life will your baby be so small & so precious. Those tiny hands and feet will quickly grow by the day and before you know it, your baby is grown and headed to college. Believe me, it happened to me! So it makes sense to have the desire to freeze this moment in time in photographs.

You might be wondering when is the best time to book with a newborn photographer? Should I wait until my baby is born or do I book prior to my baby arriving? When should I start to think about booking a newborn session if I am expecting?

From past experience, it is best to book your session before your baby arrives normally around the seventh month of pregnancy. At seven months it is also the perfect time to have your maternity portraits taken along with booking and planning your newborn session . Here are the reasons why: Newborn photographers may not have the availability after your baby arrives which might make you miss out on capturing this special time. There is a lot of planning that goes into creating a successful newborn session. With our studio for example, we want to meet our newborn client in person prior to the baby's arrival. We want to be sure that we are the right fit and want to get to know you. It's important for you, as client, as well, to feel safe trusting the photographer you are selecting as they will be handling and touching your baby to photograph them. There are selections that need to be made on your favorite colors schemes for set-ups, to discuss wardrobe & outfits, will baby just be wrapped or clothed in something from our wardrobe closet and what poses do you most desire to have captured? Will the baby be the only one being photographed? Would you like to have family images captured in addition to your baby? We also go over how you would like to heirloom your newborn session. What products do you most love? Where will you display your images from your session? This initial consultation solidifies all of your wants and desires and allows for planning and preparation so that when your baby arrives we are ready to capture these meaningful moments.

The newborn consultation is vital because it prepares us for the day when we come together to document this important moment in your life. So, you might wonder, what if I book after my baby arrives? Can I still have a newborn photography session? Yes, you can still have a newborn session but you may find that it is more difficult to book a newborn photographer after your baby arrives vs. before. The photographer you most love might not have any availability once your baby arrives and you might have to settle for another photographer based on availability. There is also the change that there might not be any availability at all with area photographers to capture your baby. Newborn sessions are normally performed right after a baby is born within 8-12 days from birth so waiting til later might prevent the photographer from the ability to capture those sleepy poses that most new parents just love because your baby will be more and more alert with each passing day and therefore more awake then sleepy. After your baby arrives you will be so preoccupied with this new life change that thinking about planning a newborn session might seem to be a daunting task to even consider. So by planning ahead, you not only insure that you have secured a photographer but you have everything planned in advance so all you need to do is show up to your session and enjoy capturing these moments.

In conclusion, if you are on the fence about booking with a newborn photographer because of the time to plan or the expense to book a professional let me finish by saying this. There are certain moments in life that we always want to remember, the day you get married, the time you were pregnant and the birth of your child. These moments are once in a lifetime events. Once these moment occur, you can't relieve or recreate them again. You only have one chance to photograph those moments as they happen. These moments are the ones we will always want to remember because they are life changing. Looking back at these moments in a gorgeous album or a stunning photograph that is beautifully framed that can be passed down from generation to generation to tell you story, your legacy to your own family. These moments are priceless and are worth the time and investment. You won't ever regret having hired a photographer but you will regret not having hired one. These moments deserve an expert to ensure that your families history can be continued to be told to generations years from now. When you look back at this time in your life, holding a photograph will be even more valuable and will allow to relive this moment forever.