Baby Pictures Through The First Year
Newborn Photos Through The
First Year
Many parents ask me how often they should have their baby’s pictures done and I’m here to talk about all your options for the first year.
Here, I’ll answer some of the most common questions people have and let you decide what’s right for your family.
So let’s dive in and see what the first year of photos looks like for most families.
How Often Should You Get Baby Pictures Done?
There’s no straightforward answer to this, but I recommend having your baby’s photos taken every 3 months for the first year. This ensures that we hit all those major milestones while capturing the little details that change so quickly.
Newborn Photos
Newborn photos are the very first ones and the ones that will take the most time. You’ll want to make sure that you schedule this session before your baby is born. Most photographers have their calendar set pretty far in advance, so you want to make sure they leave some time in the schedule for you.
Newborn photos can take up to 4 hours, so if you are booking a full newborn session, plan to stay a while and make yourself comfortable. You can learn all about what to expect at a newborn session on the blog.
3 Month Photos
By the time your baby is 3 months old, they can usually hold themselves up a bit when laying on their tummy. They are also typically quite proficient at smiling at silly noises or Mommy’s voice. This is a great time for pictures because they can be propped up for sitting, but can’t quite crawl yet.
6 Month Photos
At 6 months old, your baby might be starting to crawl just a little. Most babies are very happy at this age and sit up on their own for short amounts of time. They are quick to smile, especially when playing peek-a-boo with me around my camera. They’ll still sit still for a bit, but not long. This stage is the beginning of their ability to explore the world on their own and it’s so fun to photograph. Plus, we usually get plenty of exercise with babies this age!
9 Month Photos
Most babies are masters at crawling by 9 months old and they sure do love to be on the move. At this age, they can usually stand while holding on to something for a few moments, so I’ll always have a small chair that they can hold on to or another sturdy prop to help them stand for a picture or two.
1 Year Photos
This is a super fun photoshoot to do with every baby that comes into the studio. Babies this age are on the move and there’s no slowing them down. They love to get into mischief and the love to get caught even more. This makes for some of the most adorable smiles you ever did see.
When it’s time for the cake, things get serious. Many babies don’t quite know what to do with it all and they don’t always appreciate getting their hands sticky with frosting. However, they quickly warm up to it and before long, they are covered in delicious cake and frosting.
I love the cakes at Christine’s Cake Creations.
Are Professional Baby Pictures Worth It?
Yes! Baby pictures are 100% worth every penny. The first year of your baby’s life is the one in which they will experience the most change. It seems as though every single month, they have changed into an entirely different little person. With all the changes they go through, it’s so easy to forget what it used to be like.
That’s where pictures come in to save the day! I’m an expert at documenting the details that you don’t even know you’ll want to remember, but become priceless when they’re gone.
I don’t know about you, but I struggle to take pictures of my own kids. They don’t cooperate for me, they’ll only give me their cheesy smile and they’d really rather be anywhere else. Well, that all changes when someone ELSE takes their picture and it works the same way here in the studio. Your kids can make things super difficult for you, but they do everything perfectly for me.
How Do You Prepare Your Baby For Pictures?
Essentially, you don’t. Babies don’t really understand what it means to have their picture taken and that’s just perfect. Not all babies love it. But over the course of 12+ years of photographing children, I’ve only had a handful that didn’t warm up to me by the time we were done. Kids take time and I like to give them that time.
The best thing you can do when preparing for picture day is to prepare yourself. Kids feed off of our energy and if you are nervous, your baby will be too. So just breath, bring snacks and get ready to have some fun in the studio.
Spring Floral Cake Smash
See this session from a cake smash session in the studio.
When Should You Have Newborn Photos Done?
Learn all about the best time to have newborn photos done. Don’t wait!
Lemonade Mini Session
Summer fun is the theme of this lemonade mini session.
