Before I had my son, newborns made me nervous. In fact, my girlfriend had her baby 3 weeks before I had mine and I still felt he was too small and fragile for me to hold. Of course, all that changed after holding my son for the first time. Safety should always be the number one priority during a newborn session. Personally I like to start with images of the parents holding their newborn in a few different positions for variety and so the parents get comfortable with me. They are often my favourite images from a session – I melt at the look of pure love on a new parent’s face. I also try to pose the newborn on their own and prefer simple, natural poses without too many props. Newsflash, many newborn poses that are really popular right now (like baby perched on their elbows and propping up their head) are composites. That means someone is holding the babies’ little arms in one shot, then holding just the top of the head in another and then in Photoshop they are sandwiched together and the hands holding them are eliminated. They are also really tricky to get. You need a newborn that is very new (under 10 days) and in a very deep sleep. I’m sharing this in case you hire a photographer and see them try to do this pose without assistance. If at any time you feel the photographer is not acting in the best interest of your baby, speak up! At the same time, a qualified pro should be trusted and some request that mom doesn’t help move the baby because the smell of her may cause the baby to stir and want to feed. So do your research and don’t just choose based on price. Love their style and make sure you feel they have enough experience. I’ve worked hard to become accredited in Children and Infant Portrait through the Professional Photographers of Canada. Another association that requires a portfolio review is the U.S. based National Association of Professional Child Photographers. If you want to help a new photographer build their portfolio, ask for more simple poses. Sessions typically take up to 4 hours, mainly because the baby wakes up and is upset and needs to be soothed, or nursed. I also keep the studio very warm so make sure you wear layers or have a t-shirt handy. I try to tell parents not to feel stressed if their baby is not cooperating. I often hear that they slept so well the day before but it is likely they were not handled and disturbed while trying to sleep. By starting with pictures of the new family, I know I will get priceless images that both the parents and the child when it’s older, will treasure. The images of baby on their own are like the icing on the cake. Below is one of my favourites from a January session with little Oliver. Newborns don’t smile but if they have a bit of gas, it sure looks like it and this was a such a great moment to capture. Newborns are unpredictable but it only takes a fraction of a second to capture something priceless. Just remember that the window to capture newborns in that sleepy curled up state is very small, under two weeks old is best. The older the infant, the more alert they become and the less they will want to curl up. You can still get some great images but the session may take longer and don’t expect to get some of the trickier poses. As I’m sure you’ve realized (or will realize) once you have a baby – they are in charge!

I hope this helps give you a little bit of insight on the realities of a newborn portrait session. I know the first 2 weeks are a crazy time for any new parent so adding a portrait session in the mix can be tough but it is an investment you will not regret as they change so very quickly at this stage. More often than not, I hear parents regret they didn’t take the time. I am one of them. I didn’t even realize how small the window was and first did a proper session when my son was 2 months old and only got a few useable images. So if you know anyone who is expecting a baby and thinking about doing a newborn session, please share this post with them. If you want to schedule a session with me, please contact me with your expected due date. Gift certificates are also available and make great shower gifts. I also offer a special if you would like a maternity session as well. Please click here for details. After the newborn session, maternity is the other type of session many people regret not having done. Don’t worry if you have stretch marks (I have Photoshop!) or don’t feel you have that perfect basketball belly, pregnancy is an amazing time and having images done professionally where you will look beautiful will be worth it.