If you've just found out that you're expecting a
baby boy or girl, you don't need me to tell you that your life is about to
change dramatically (for the better, obviously!).
Becoming a parent in the present age is definitely
a blessing.
Among the choices that you will soon have to make,
there is probably also that of the photographer who will do the Newborn baby photoshoot woodlands for
your boy or girl.
In this article I will try to give you some tips in
order not to make mistakes and choose exactly the right photographer for you.
How to
choose the right newborn photographer?
1 - When to
start looking for a photographer
If you already know that you would like to have
professional photos when your baby arrives, start your search for a
photographer in early pregnancy. The search, if done with criteria, will be
quite long, furthermore by contacting the photographer at the beginning of the
gestation period you will be sure that he will be available at the time of the
baby's birth.
By contacting him, however, shortly before the
birth or, even worse, when the child is already born, you risk running out of
photos or having to fall back on another photographer because the one you
selected is not available and perhaps you will have to settle for one of the
few photographers you will find free at the last minute and that they will
almost certainly be the fewest ones (in fact they have little work and a lot of
availability).
At this point you could also consider doing a
maternity photo shoot so as to have the opportunity to first get to know the
photographer with whom you will be working and perhaps establish a deeper
relationship of trust with him. Many photographers have maternity + newborn
packages that are cheaper than the two services purchased individually.
My advice is to not go beyond the twentieth week of
pregnancy for the choice of the photographer in order to be sure that he has
time to dedicate to you.
2 - Choose a
newborn photographer who is also a safety expert
Choosing a newborn
photographer should never be rushed. You will have to look for the
photographer who is "perfect for you" , that is, he must have similar
tastes to yours, a style that you like and he must be able to put you at ease.
But above all, he must be able to work with your
child in complete safety.
You will have to ask yourself some questions and
you will have to find the answers, if you don't find them, switch to another
photographer until you find someone who fully satisfies you.
The
questions should be like this:
Does it have good reviews? Do you know anyone who
has worked with him before? Try to inform yourself to understand how he manages
his workflow.
Show that you are attentive to your child's safety?
Sift through his social networks or his website and check that he often talks
about safety, if he doesn't do it forget it, during a newborn session you need
to prevent your baby from rolling down from a basket or scratching himself with
a prop and this will be only possible if the photographer is really expert in
his field.
Have you
attended specific courses in newborn photography?
The photo session can last up to four hours , it
depends on how collaborative the baby will be, so make sure you choose someone
who puts you at ease, you will probably have to breastfeed your baby several
times during the session, you will have to change, rock and cuddle him and
doing these things in front of a stranger who maybe even embarrasses you is not
the best, so choose carefully.
3 - Always
consider your budget but don't decide based only on the price of the photo
shoot
It is very important to always consider the budget
you have in order not to risk choosing a photographer who you won't be able to
pay. But this is not the only way to proceed.
In our catalog we have entry level packages which
are very convenient but include a limited range of products. They have been
designed for those customers who have a very limited initial budget but who
don't want to deprive themselves of a professional photo shoot . In this way
these customers can still carry out their newborn photo session by paying a
relatively lower cost and can later integrate the purchased package with other
products such as enlargements, panels, canvases, photo books, etc. Ordering
them as they have the economic availability to support the expense.
Taking into account what has been said, it is good
to choose the photographer based on the available budget but it is also good to
consider the quality and style of the photographer chosen, a photographer with
a low budget is not always able to satisfy the needs of customers who are more
attentive to the details of the service.
For this
reason the best flow to follow is:
- take a peek at the portfolio that the
photographer makes available on social media and on his website.
- Do you like the photos you see?
- Does the photographer you're observing have a
blog where he gives indications on how to prepare for photo shoots?
-Do you like what he writes on his blog and on
social media?
- Does it involve you?
-Do his photos excite you?
If the answer is yes, you are at a good point, go
and check if there are prices for photographic services on his site and check
if he has any packages that you can afford, if not, contact him and get a
quote.
If the answer is no but the prices it has displayed
on the site are within your budget, it is not advisable to choose it for your
baby's newborn service. It is more than likely that you will not like the
photos of him and you will have wasted your money.
If, on the other hand, the answer to all the
questions is no and its prices are completely out of your budget, you can move
on and choose another one . It seems obvious and useless advice but there are a
lot of people who let themselves be influenced by the notoriety of the
photographer even if the latter has prices that are very far from what they can
afford , and then delay the collection of the photos or, worse still, ask for discounts
and beg for preferential treatment.
Believe me, it's a mortifying attitude for both the
client and the photographer who will have to chase you in order to deliver and
get paid for the work done.
4 - Choose a
photographer whose work you love
Having overcome the obstacle of the budget, you
will finally be able to dedicate yourself to observing the photos on the
websites and social networks of photographers in your area.
At this point, if you are an attentive observer,
you will notice, for example, that some like to use props, wrappings, baskets,
bands. Others, on the other hand, prefer more natural and unposed shots,
including parents and other family members in the scenes.
For example, I don't really like swaddling babies,
they look like sausages to me and that type of photo doesn't excite me ( I talk
about it here ), I prefer to do mixed photo shoots where I try to give the
right weight to the whole family as well as also take some shots of the
sleeping baby, as in the classic newborn.
So, do you like the images you see on your chosen Woodlands Family Photographer? Would you like to have something
similar of your child to decorate the walls of your house? Then you have found
your photographer, you can make an appointment with him/her as soon as
possible.
5 - Check if
the photographer does the photo shoot in the studio or goes to the client's
home
Some photographers shoot exclusively in the studio,
while others also go to the client's home and set up a miniature studio by
bringing objects, backgrounds, lights, etc...
What is the
difference between the two possibilities?
In the studio there is a very wide range of
possibilities between accessories, backgrounds, lights... but there is also the
disadvantage of having to transport a baby born just a few days old in an
environment which, however comfortable it may be, is never like home.
At home, on the other hand, there is the
convenience of not having to move the child, staying in a known and comfortable
environment, with the temperature to which the child is already used and
therefore everyone can be more relaxed. On the other hand, we will have to
settle for a more limited range of props. Which is not so serious if you agree
beforehand on the type of photo to take.
As far as I'm concerned, I adjust according to the
season. In the summer I encourage the client to do the photo shoot in the
studio while in the colder months I organize myself to go to the client's home.
The cost will not change and you will not have to give up anything because we
will already have the definitive photos to take .
There are also some photographers who refuse to go
to the client's home or if they do, they charge a different rate.
What's the best choice? I can't tell you. It's all
very subjective. When choosing the photographer, think about whether you would
prefer to move or would you prefer the comfort of staying at home.
Maybe you could ask to do an inspection of the
studio to figure out if it's worth moving the baby or not. Perhaps the best
choice is to do the maternity service in the studio first and see for yourself
if the studio is comfortable and suitable for the newborn service you want to
do. If in your opinion it is not, then you can arrange with the photographer to
do the session at your home.
6 - Do you
prefer digital photos or printed photographs?
Another important thing to consider before the photo
session and which may affect both the cost of the service and the choice of the
actual photographer, is the type of support on which you want the photos to be
delivered to you.
Some photographers, for example, never deliver
digital photos but only deliver printed photos, while others, not being
equipped for printing, will only deliver digital photos.
Before choosing the family photography woodlands tx, also decide what you want to
do with the photos you take. Do you just want to share them via chat or social
media with friends and acquaintances? Then choose a photographer who delivers
digital photos to you.
Do you want to print the photos to hang them on the
walls of the house framed or collected in a beautiful photo book to keep and
browse with pride? Then you should choose a photographer who offers this
service, otherwise you would find yourself having to think about it
independently using an online service or by contacting another photographer,
thus incurring an additional expense.
For me, I have basic packages that don't include
digital photos and more complete packages that include prints, photo books and
digital photos.
I don't give digital photos to anyone, neither in
low nor in high resolution, this is because I value my work very much and I
don't want my photos to be badly printed without any care from amateur printing
labs.
Other photographers, on the other hand, even give
away high-resolution digital photos probably because they don't appreciate them
, or don't give them any value. So if they don't value their work why should
you?
Are you sure you want to buy and pay for something
worthless? Think carefully.
Choosing the
photographer for the newborn is an important decision!
I hope that these tips on how to choose the newborn photographer have given you
some food for thought and have seriously helped you in identifying the most
suitable photographer for you, but if you would like more information or if you
need more specific information, do not hesitate to contact me, I will be happy
to answer any questions as I hope to see you in my studio soon.
