Think newborn photos have to be stressful? Think again!

I get it, I felt the same way before I had my first baby and before I became a newborn photographer. Those first few weeks with baby can be hard. You’re not sleeping, you’re healing from giving birth, and maybe you’re taking care of toddlers on top of it. I get it! I’ve been there too! You want to enjoy the sweet snuggles of the newborn phase but you’re also dealing with all of the struggles that come from having a new baby.

My goal is always to make your newborn photo session experience fun and entirely stress free! I never want to add an additional burden onto new parents who just brought their new baby home. I want you to treasure the memories of your newborn session in addition to treasuring the photos themselves. I want to give you a wonderful experience while also capturing sweet, relaxed, natural photos.

1. Book your newborn photos while you’re pregnant

   Don’t add any unnecessary tasks onto your plate in the first few weeks after your baby is born. That includes looking for a newborn photographer. It might be difficult to find someone who will be able to fit you in on only 1-2 weeks notice, which will drastically limit the photographer options available to you. And researching photographers will take away precious time that you could be spending snuggling your newborn. Do yourself a favor and start researching newborn photographers around the time of your 20 week ultrasound. You’ll want to be able to thoroughly research the type of newborn photographer you want, read reviews, and book them with plenty of notice! Many photographers only take on a limited number of newborn sessions per month. I’m flexible with the scheduling of newborn sessions. I like my families to schedule a tentative date, but I ask that they email me within a few days of baby’s arrival so we can solidify our session date and time. Anything can happen during birth. Babies arrive on their own time. And health issues can happen for mother or baby. That’s why flexibility is key when it comes to newborn photos!

2. Choose a Greenville Newborn Photographer Who will bring everything you need

One way I like to eliminate stress for my families when it comes to their newborn photos is to have everything they need and bring everything with me! I have a client closet with over 30 dresses for mamas to choose from. You can see all of the dresses in my client closet by clicking here. I also bring outfits and swaddles for babies, bows for baby girls and toddler girls, and a moses basket for baby. I also provide an outfit guide with links and shop recommendations to help you style dad and the rest of the kids!

3. Book your newborn session when baby is between 1-3 weeks

Newborn photos are easiest when baby is between 1-3 weeks old. This is when baby is the sleepiest and easiest to swaddle. Crying at this age is minimal compared to when babies are a little bit older (crying usually peaks around 1-3 weeks). One week old babies are a dream to work with. But if mama needs some extra time to heal and recover, 2-3 weeks is great! If baby was born early or is in the NICU or if mama is having health issues, we can absolutely still get amazing photos later than this! I’ve done newborn photos for babies up to 3 months old when necessary. Don’t let your baby’s age stop you from getting newborn photos taken. But when possible, earlier is better. They change so fast at this age!

4. Book In Home Newborn Photos

One misconception that I hear a lot is that parents think in home newborn photos will add more stress on their plate. They don’t want to have to worry about cleaning their home, which I totally get! But I personally think it’s easier to declutter one or two rooms in your home than it is to pack up the whole family and go somewhere with a newborn during those first few weeks. If you really don’t want photos in your home, that’s totally fine! Some families opt for outdoor photos or studio photos. You can check out my favorite locations here in Greenville, South Carolina including both outdoor locations and studio locations by clicking here.

Hi there! I’m Michelle, a Greenville, SC based photographer specializing in capturing families, maternity sessions, and newborn photos, and I also offer seasonal mini sessions! Are you looking for family photographers, maternity photographers, or newborn photographers in the Greenville, South Carolina area? I would absolutely LOVE to work with you!

You can see all the details about newborn photos with me by clicking here.

Or, you can see all the details about family photos with me by clicking here.

You can book a photo session with me by clicking here. Have questions you want to chat through before booking? Click here instead! I can’t wait to create and capture memories for you to hang in your home and cherish forever.