Congrats on the exciting news of a new baby - and for being a diligent parent who’s planning to capture these fleeting newborn moments!
Our goal here is to help you with some timelines so you know the best window for newborn photos, when to schedule, and a few other helpful hints.
The Best Age for Newborn Photos
The ice age was obviously the best age for newborn photos!
Just kidding.
Realistically, the best time to get newborn photos is when your babe is between 3-14 days old.
Technically, you can get away with up to 21 days old, but we always recommend the earlier the better, for a few reasons.
1 - Babies grow and change so much in their first few weeks of life that if you extend beyond that time they don’t really look “newborn” anymore.
2- They get more “touchy” or easily stirred the older they get, whereas most newborns will be sleeping for the majority of their session. Obviously, this helps the session go smoothly for everyone!
When to Schedule Newborn Photos
Since you now know the best age for newborn photos, you might be thinking to yourself, “when do I schedule newborn photos?”
Heck, you might be staring down at that newborn baby right now, thinking, “Wow, what an adorable baby I’ve created - I would really love some photos of this her at this moment!”
If that’s you, well, you’ve obviously got to hurry! It’s a little late in the game to make sure we can get you in on time for your child’s newborn photos. We’ll definitely still try! But we’ll have to be quick.
Typically we recommend planning out your newborn session 2-3 months before your due date.
Pregnancy, as you’re probably well aware at this point, is somewhat unpredictable. Baby might come early, or might need to cook a little longer before deciding to make it’s grand entrance into the world.
Either way, let’s stay ahead of the game so we’re prepared for anything!
Here’s the general timeline/process for newborn photos:
- Style consultation - 2-3 months before due date. We’ll sit down and hear about you, your hobbies, and what you’ve got in your mind, so you’re sure to love your newborn photos. We’ll talk through all of the details and set a tentative date around your due date (with built-in flexibility) so you can be confident this part of your prep work is complete.
- Baby’s Born! Let us know when your baby arrives and we’ll get the shoot date finalized and scheduled.
- The Newborn Photoshoot - 3-14 days after your baby arrives. You’ll bring your new little life to the studio, get pampered up, and we’ll get to work! It’s a fun process, which you can learn more about on our newborn photos page.
- Picking Final Products. We’ll process all of your photos as quickly as possible (we know it’s hard to wait around after the photoshoot!), then we’ll meet up to run through all of the photos together. You get to see the photos, pick the products you want, and we’ll get your order printed for you!
Schedule Your Newborn Style Consultation
Now that you have an idea of what age is best for a newborn photoshoot and the whole timeline, let’s go ahead and set a date for your style consultation while you’re thinking about it.
Can’t wait to meet you and help you remember these exciting moments for life!
