An In-Depth Guide to Newborn Photography in Philadelphia

If you’re in the Philadelphia area and you’re thinking about booking a newborn photography session, you have plenty of choices.

There are many family photographers within the Philly area who have years of experience in capturing those special first few weeks of your baby’s life. You also have many different options to think about in terms of what you want your photos to look like and the expectations you should leave at the door.

If you’re not sure what to expect from your newborn photography session, let’s check out a few points to bear in mind.

Find The Right Photographer For You

You might need to talk to a few different family photographers before deciding on your final option. There are many different professional photographers around the area, and they all have different styles and approaches. Click here to check out more articles about how to effectively choose the best photographers for a newborn lifestyle photography shoot.

There is bound to be more than one out there to add to your shortlist, but you need to do your research before you make a choice. Be sure to discuss your outcome desires with each one.

What Type of Photo do You Want?

Do you want to go for a posed type of photo, perhaps with parents in there too, or do you want a set of images of your baby alone? Do you want a lifestyle shoot, i.e., a little more natural?

Think about what you want beforehand, and your photographer will be able to guide you in terms of poses and where to shoot.

What Type of Filter do You Want?

The moody black and white shot is iconic, but do you want full color? Do you want sepia? Do you want a softer tone? This is something you can discuss with your photographer to make sure you get your ideal outcome.

Hands/Feet or Face?

Do you want your baby’s face photographed? Do you want their hands or feet? The iconic photos you see of just hands and feet are an excellent addition to your collection, and they capture the innocence and size of your newborn at this very moment.

You can talk about a package of different shots, giving your photographer ideas of what you want captured especially.

Be Prepared!

Make sure you’ve fed your baby beforehand. Otherwise, they’re going to be a little grumpy while trying to take their photos! You should also make sure that you have enough of the things you might need,

e.g., diapers, milk, anything else that is going to soothe your child and keep them comfortable throughout the day.

Of course, you will have time for feeding and changing, etc., and a shoot can often take anything up to four hours with breaks included!

Let Your Baby be The Guide

Your baby is likely to make a face or do something genuinely comical or beautiful, which you want to be captured, so let your baby be your guide and don’t be too rigid in your requirements. By doing this, your photographer can snap away and come up with some truly amazing photographs for you to keep.

If you want to keep your baby calm, you could stand beside the photograph and make faces or cooing noises, which will let your baby know that you’re there and keep them in a far more serene mood!

You will, however, need to be patient and see what happens, be in the moment, and go with the flow that your baby sets and your photographer encourages. If you can do that, you really will get the most out of your newborn photography session.

It’s essential to remember that photoshoots of any kind rarely go according to plan 100%. When you have a baby thrown into the mix, a newborn at that, there are going to be moments when things don’t work out, or there are going to be wonderful unexpected moments that come out of the blue.

Know what you want but be flexible in terms of how you get it and what that outcome actually looks like. Your baby is not going to smile on demand!

Finally, let your photographer advise you and guide you in terms of what works and what doesn’t. The family photographers have years of experience under their belt – use that experience to your benefit, and you’ll have newborn photos that you’ll adore for many years to come.