Best Ages for Baby and Infant Professional Photography
A baby’s first year is an important time to start documenting their life with professional photography. Even though the parents may be snapping away, a portrait professional can capture the baby in unique, artistic ways and produce professional archival prints that will last for generations. Understanding the importance of the task, many parents wonder when are the best months in the first year for professional infant photography. The following are some guidelines that identify what can be expected at the different stages of the baby’s first year or so.
Newborn - The first 5 to 10 days is the best time for newborn baby photography. During this time they are less fussy and their skin will be more clear. Baby acne usually sets in around day 16 and lasts for a couple of weeks, so having the session done before this will work in your favor. Newborn sessions often involve naked baby’s laying on soft blankets or in the family’s arms. Whether the baby is awake or asleep, these pictures should not be missed as they are an incredible way to begin documenting a person’s life.
2 to 3 months - This time is still considered newborn, but the babies are often much harder to work with at this age as they tend to be very fussy. They will have better head control than in the first month, and they usually can smile at this point, but do not count on getting a smiling portrait at this age. Most posing will involve the baby laying down on back or stomach, being propped up, and being held in arms.
4 to 5 months - By this time most infants have really filled out and they look very different compared to their newborn images. This age is much better at smiling, but still not totally reliable. Still not able to sit up on their own, these baby’s are much better at interacting with people and toys. This is a good time to capture close up’s of facial expressions, hands and feet in mouth, and bare bottoms.
6 to 7 months - Finally! The baby can sit up and has much better body control, and there are more option for posing. Sessions can be done outdoors for the six month old portrait, but choose the location carefully as these infants love to put everything in their mouths. Because they do not tend to be mobile yet, this is a golden age for infant portraits to capture them sitting and smiling with pets, siblings, and a great age for family portraits too.
8 to 10 months - Babies often start crawling at this age, and sessions become very active! Studio sessions with white backgrounds can be a great choice for this age. Bring some toys to interact with the baby and get ready to keep resetting the baby. Home sessions are another great choice so the baby can really roam and the photographer can chase.
11 to 14 months - Within this age range, most babies are pulling up, standing, “cruising” along furniture and then walking. This is a great age for location sessions to give the baby more room to move around than in the studio. A One Year portrait session should be done sometime in this age range to document the milestone of turning one and starting to walk. This is another key session to document a baby’s development.
Now then - what are the best ages for professional baby and infant photography? Based on my experience as a baby photographer, I would recommend doing the newborn session (5 to 10 days old), a 4 month session (chubby baby parts), a 6 to 7 month session (sitting), a 9 month session (crawling, expressions) and then a One Year portrait session when the baby is standing and just starting to walk (12 to 14 months). The one to skip would be the fussy 2 to 3 month old. If you only do three - make sure to do the newborn, the 6 month baby portrait and the One Year Baby Portrait. When ordering prints, order professional archival prints that will last for generations. This is the best gift you can ever give this baby (they will treasure them as an adult) and your future generations.
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