Top 10 Reasons I Love Photographing Newborns
This week I have four newborns coming into the studio. Can we say baby boom, lol!?!? It seemed like a fitting blog topic for this week considering, so….
Why are newborns my favorite subject to photograph?
1) Photographing newborns requires skill. Really, its almost a science. After handling hundreds and hundreds of newborns over the years, you start to be able to identify the different types of babies that exist. If you’ve ever had one of your own, you know these little ones come out with an opinion and are not a blank slate- how they prefer to be held, rocked, sushed, patted, etc is some of the first of their opinions you’ll discover. With experience, you can identify quickly which things are triggers and preferences for each baby. Some babies have to be swaddled, others hate it. Some babies have to have their hands by their face, others won’t bend their arms. Some startle every time you touch them, others would sleep through an earthquake. While I love that many of my clients refer to me as “The Baby Whisperer”, really its just knowing how to read the cues after years of handling many babies….but I guess that does kind of make me a baby whisperer in a way. Figuring out what type of baby I’m holding is just one of the psychological scientific aspects I love about newborn photography. Posing is also a part of the science - knowing how to get a baby into a pose, use proper safety precautions to hold them in that pose, and reading cues and anticipating sudden actions is all a part of being a successful newborn photographer as well. I’m sure you’ve seen some photos of a proud Momma who thought they would play newborn photographer - there are some hilarious side by side memes for the results- Click here for example. If that doesn’t help prove that there is a science to capturing the sweet little babes in all the sweet little poses, nothing will.
2) Set creation is my passion. A lot of you know how much I love putting together sets - in fact, I rarely do the same thing twice. I usually spend at least an hour putting together sets prior to sessions, and it is an hour of pure bliss for me (on top of all the hours I spend shopping for set pieces and accessories to make every session perfect). And since I usually get to put together 2-4 sets for every newborn session, I get to spend a lot of time doing what I love most before I even get started with the session. People tease me because it seems like no matter what store I go in, they always find me asking, “think I can fit a baby in that?” Picking out the best newborn props is always on my mind!
3) I love a good challenge. I’ve mentioned this as being one of the reasons I love wedding photography as well. Newborn sessions can be unpredictable just because you are dealing with a tiny human who can’t talk or communicate any of their needs. The fact that no session is ever the same keeps me from ever getting bored of photographing this subject matter.
4) The obvious reason - they’re adorable! No explanation needed. I get to cuddle cute babies and hand them back when they need a diaper change.
5) I get to use one of my natural born talents - patience. If there is one thing I get told time and time again as a photographer, it is that nobody believes the level of patience I have. Being born as a naturally patient person comes in handy with this job, and also is part of the reason I probably enjoy newborn photography so much. I think we all get satisfaction out of using special skills we have.
6) Building on #5, it is infinitely rewarding. Even if it takes two hours of rocking a baby to get it to sleep, the payoff in the end is always worth it. A newborn baby changes so quickly. It is amazing how within a month of birth, a baby can develop into a totally different “person”. Being able to capture this quickly fleeting time period is a definite perk of the job. I’ve never walked away from a newborn session and thought, “remind me why do I do this again.”
7) They don’t talk back. I’m only slightly joking about this one. A newborn baby knows not what they do….they have no control over emotions and actions yet, and for that I have all the patience in the world. But when you give me a backtalking seventeen year old with an opinion on everything, well, it may even test my level of patience….just a little bit.
8) I like crafting. I get to build a lot of my own set pieces and I’ve been known from time to time to sew my own outfits for newborn sessions. Photographing newborns gives me an excuse to take time out to do something else I enjoy and not feel guilty.
9) The hours. Not going to lie….but not having to photograph these in the evening or always on the weekend is a nice bonus. Photographing newborns gives me the ability to take some time off and enjoy life outside of work.
10) This one is a personal one, which many of you know so I don’t mind sharing. As a Type One diabetic, I determined a long time ago that having kids would not be a smart decision. Being able to love on everyone else’s babies has been a blessing. While newborns are my absolute favorite, kids in general are where my heart is at and what I am most passionate about photographing.