When a new baby is born, it is important to many parents to capture all of the landmark stages of the baby’s first year. To make sure you don’t miss any of the adorable milestones, here is an outline of the key ages to get photos taken of the newest member of your family.
Newborn Photos
Newborn photos should be taken within two weeks of the baby’s birth, especially if you would prefer a more posed look. Babies grow incredibly fast and most have a growth spurt around two to three weeks old. As they grow, babies lose the reflex to curl into many poses, and often become strong enough to kick out of most of them. They also no longer sleep in the long, deep stretches that make it possible to mold and position them and maneuver them from one pose to the next.
If you would prefer a more relaxed and unposed look to your newborn photos, you have a bit more leeway with the timing, but be aware that both baby acne and colic can develop around three weeks of age, and can be challenging to work around.
In order to ensure you get a photo session within the right time frame, schedule your session when you’re 6-7 months pregnant, and let me know your due date. If your baby ends up coming early or late, just let me know and we will do our best to reschedule your session to accommodate the new time frame. And if scheduling your newborn session never quite got checked off the to-do list, and your baby is scheduled to arrive any minute or has already been born, don’t worry – we may still be able to accommodate you! I have done many sessions with “older” babies that resulted in beautiful photos!
Baby Photos
Although some are under the impression that the next set of photos should be taken when your baby is 3 months old, I’ve found that this age is a bit too early. At 3 months, your baby will still be immobile and unable to sit up on his own, making posing options very limited. In just a few more months he’ll be giggling, interacting with you, holding himself steadily on his arms, and before you know it, sitting up. If you only plan to do one photo session between the newborn stage and the baby’s first birthday, my advice is to skip the 3 month stage and schedule the next session for when your baby is 6-9 months old.
There is a short window of time, usually between 6 and 9 months, where your baby will happily roll from front to back, grab his feet and put his toes in his mouth, and push himself up on his arms, or even into a seated position. It’s only a matter of time before he will be off and crawling, but it’s adorable while it lasts and it’s one of my favorite stages to capture.
Our studio offers early morning mini sessions aimed specifically at capturing this stage. It’s also a great age for mom to participate in a few photos, and capture that special mother and child bond.
Toddler Photos
The next set of photos should be taken when your baby begins “cruising,” at about 12-15 months old. At this age, your baby is mobile enough for active, energetic photos. This stage is great for photos of the whole family, and I typically advise for this session to be outside. If your baby’s first birthday is in the winter, try to take this set of photos either a bit early (late fall) or a bit late (early spring) so that it’s feasible for the session to be held outside.
With these three photo sessions, you’ll receive a wide range of photos detailing your baby’s first year. To make sure each stage is captured, I offer a Membership option. With your membership you’ll receive a full session for newborn photos and one year photos, as well as “member’s only” discounts on mini sessions. Our Membership option was designed to fit the photo needs of a family with a new baby, and I highly recommend looking into it before scheduling newborn photos. As always, feel free to contact me with questions, comments, and concerns!
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