If you’ve just found out that you’re expecting a baby, huge congratulations! What an incredibly exciting time for you and your family! You won’t need me to tell you that life is about to change pretty significantly (for the better, of course!).  Becoming a parent is a huge, huge blessing!

Among the decisions you’ll soon need to make as a parent-to-be is, ‘Who will you choose to take professional photos of your newborn once they arrive’?

In this article, I’m sharing my top tips on how to choose your newborn photographer. I’m also highlighting key things that you should consider as you go about trying to find the perfect newborn photographer for your family.

How to choose your newborn photographer

1.       Start researching baby photographers early in your pregnancy

If you know that you’d like to have some professional baby photos taken of your newborn when he or she arrives, then it’s a great idea to start researching your options early in your pregnancy. They’ll be more likely to have availability if you’re contacting them well ahead of your expected due date.

Even though there are many newborn photographers in Aberdeenshire, typically they get booked up many months in advance.

Many families book late on in their pregnancy but then struggle to find someone with availability in the weeks after their baby is due.

My advice would be to choose your photographer around the time of your 20-week scan to avoid being turned away from your preferred photographer later on in your pregnancy.

2.       Seek out a safety-trained newborn photographer (and someone you like!)

One thing I must stress is that choosing a baby photographer to hire is not a decision that should be rushed.

You’ll want to find the perfect photographer for your family because you’ll be entrusting that person to handle your new bundle of joy when they are just a few days old. You must feel that you can trust your chosen photographer to handle your baby safely.

Have they demonstrated their experience and credentials to your satisfaction? Do they talk about, and demonstrate on their website, that they are safety conscious? Have they been trained in newborn photography? Can they demonstrate how they create baby photography poses safely, without leaving the baby at risk of rolling or falling from props such as baskets and buckets?

You’ll also be typically spending up to four hours with your chosen photographer on the day of your newborn photoshoot so it’s important that you’ll feel comfortable being in their company for this amount of time.

3.       Consider your budget for photography (but don’t make your decision based on price alone)

Some families may have a limited budget and are looking to hire a photographer in their price range, accepting that they may not be able to afford the best in their area. Other families are less price-conscious and are more driven by factors such as image quality, excellent customer service, and the range of wall art products that the photographer offers.

Start by considering what are the most important factors for you and make a shortlist of photographers based on this. Be sure to rule out photographers that you can’t afford to avoid wasting theirs and your time.

Not all photographers offer the same quality of photography and service, so it’s important that you make the decision not just based on price though…

4.       Hire a photographer whose work you love

Once you start reviewing the newborn photographers in your local area, you’ll find that the style of photography varies a lot between them. For example, some photographers like to use props, wraps and headbands. Some will create more natural, unposed baby portraits.

It’s important to decide what style of newborn photography you like, and that you only consider hiring photographers whose work you love.

Do you like the images they show on their websites and would you love something similar of your baby for your walls at home?  

5.       Look at their studio space (if they have one)

Not all photographers have a private studio space as we do here at Kingshill Studios.

Some photographers come to your home and set up a studio there. These photographers typically bring a limited range of props and lighting equipment. Others, like us, have a dedicated photography studio where we do all our portrait sessions, and where we have everything that we may need close at hand.

So, when you’re deciding which photographer to choose, think about whether you’d prefer having the session done at home or whether you’d prefer the convenience of going to a photographer’s studio.

There are pros and cons for each, but with a visit to a studio you won’t have to worry about tidying your house beforehand or clearing up any mess afterwards! 

If they do have a photography studio, feel free to ask to view it before you book so that you know what to expect on the day of your baby’s photoshoot. We invite all of our prospective newborn and family photography clients to our studio in advance as standard. Please get in touch with us to express your interest and we’ll arrange a convenient date and time for your design consultation and visit to Kingshill Studios.

6.       Will you want digital photos or photo wall art?

Another important consideration which may impact your decision on which newborn photographer to hire is what you plan to do with your newborn portraits after your session.

Will you want to have your favourite photos printed and created into framed or mounted wall art for displaying around your home? Or, are you simply looking for digital files that you can share on social media and with friends and family?

Here at Kingshill Studios, we offer packages which include wall art products and digital images. We also offer digital photo packages as a standalone offering, so this is something to think about when considering whether to choose us to take your baby’s photos.

Our clients know from the offset that they plan to purchase wall art and then choose the most suitable package for their needs based on their unique requirements. We offer several packages to suit different budgets. Here you can view more information about our newborn sessions and packages. 

Choosing a newborn photographer is an important decision!

I hope that these tips about how to choose your newborn photographer have been useful, and have given you some food for thought?

If you’d like any more information from us to help you choose whether Kingshill Studios could be the right newborn photographer for you, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. We’d be happy to answer any questions that you have and hope to see you in the studio soon!

Related reading: Introducing new baby photography services at Kingshill Studios

A day in the life of an Aberdeen newborn photographer

Kingshill Studios Newborn Photography: Frequently Asked Questions