Virginia Premiere Newborn Photographer | Hiring a Newborn Photographer 2021
Congratulations, you’re expecting a baby and now you want to hire the perfect newborn photographer to capture the most precious time in your life. If you have never hired one before (or even if you have), there are many factors that you should consider to ensure you get exactly what you want out of your experience. Your newborn will be little for only a short time and capturing those tiny baby features is a must. So what do you look for?
Newborn Photography as a Specialty
Not all professional photographers are newborn photographers. Just like you would never hire a Cardiologist to perform brain surgery. (Sorry, I have watched one too many episodes of Grey’s Anatomy and that was the first analogy I could think of). Newborn photographers spend the majority of their education and business around newborns. We study safety techniques, posing, and spend hours in classes or online learning. It is our craft. We practice on dolls or models and we are constantly striving for excellence.
.jpg "Virginia Premiere Newborn Photographer | Sweet Pea Studios")
Experience and Safety
All photographers start somewhere. You can’t just pick up a camera and be awesome. However, when trusting someone with your precious newborn’s safety, experience is everything. A photographer who offers a free or discounted session to build their portfolio likely will not produce the high quality images with relaxed, content babies that an experienced newborn photographer will produce. It warms my heart and confirms me when clients comment on how patient I am and how they are going to “bring their babies to me when they won’t stop crying”. Newborn photographers can read your baby and won’t force things. Relaxed photographers produced relaxed Mama’s and babies. Ask questions on posing. Make sure your baby will constantly be safe throughout the entire session. There should be hands on or near your baby ALL. THE. TIME. Safety is the biggest priority. One of the other major things to consider is a photographer’s business. Do they have a business license? Is their business insured? Do they pay taxes on what they charge? These probably the MOST important things to consider when hiring someone. Is it important to you that your photographer is up to date on their shots? ASK questions. We are happy to answer! Especially during this pandemic time we are in, it it super important that you choose a photographer that has put all the right precautions for you and your newborn in place. Ask, “Are you taking Covid- safety precautions? What are they?” There should be many answers that will help put you at ease.
.jpg "Virginia Premiere Newborn Photographer | Sweet Pea Studios")
Portfolio
Look at their work. Are the babies comfortable and relaxed or have they been forced into poses that are uncomfortable? A good photographer will be able to provide a properly lit image that highlights the newborns features and doesn’t cast harsh shadows. They will not only know lighting, exposure, and composition but they will know how to manipulate each in any given situation. Is the style of the images in their portfolio what you are looking for? You should not hire a newborn photographer who uses a lot of props if you are drawn to more of the simple, organic images, and vice versa. Make sure your visions line up. This will ensure you get exactly what you expect.
.jpg "Aldie Newborn Photographer | Sweet Pea Studios")
Price
Price is huge when hiring a photographer, I get it. I hire a photographer to photograph my own family every year. As the old saying goes, and it’s true, “You get what you pay for”. What most clients don’t realize is that a great photographer does not just shoot the session and burn them all on a disk. There is a lot of time that goes in to each and every session. The average newborn session, from the time the inquiry is received until the finished product is delivered, takes 10-15 hours. My clients may only see me for 3 hours but I spend so much time perfecting each image that was shot, building their personal gallery, placing orders, and in some cases, ordering more. I plan out their session before they arrive with planned set ups based on their desires and back up plans in case their sweet little one didn’t like my ideas. This is a huge passion and love for me but also a business that supports my family. I don’t know about you but I can’t work for free and I don’t know a single photographer who puts in that amount of time that makes money off of a full session with files for $200. It is more than just a photo or digital file that you are paying for. It is the skill, passion, and dedication, and time consuming hard work. The clients I am blessed to get choose me because they value what I do and know that it is an investment. Just as any professional “continues their education”, so do photographers. On a daily basis for sure.
.jpg "Virginia Premiere Newborn Photographer | Sweet Pea Studios")
Your newborn will only be a newborn for a short time and you deserve professional images that capture all the sweet aspect of a newborn. Spend some time finding the right professional newborn photographer as opposed to a new photographer or a good friend with a nice camera. You will not regret this investment!
If you are expecting and looking for a maternity, newborn or family photographer, I would love to chat with you! It is a passion to photograph this precious time in your life that I know all to well goes by quickly. From Belly to Baby or even a Grow With Me Package, I take great pride in providing each family with the best customer care from the first correspondence, to gallery deliverance, and beyond. I promise to treat you like family. You can find all my recent work, and what I am up to, on Facebook and Instagram! You can also learn more about me here.
Sweet Pea Studios specializes in newborn, family, baby, child and maternity photography in Northern Virginia and surrounding areas including but not limited to Chantilly, Fairfax, Aldie, Leesburg, Alexandria, Reston, Centerville, Middleburg, Manassas, Gainesville, Vienna, McLean and Washington DC.
