uniorMan oh man! Do I ever get some requests that I think, well no….your baby will not be safe doing that.
I get it. You are anticipating the arrival of your sweet baby. You want to have a creative and unique photo session planned that exceeds expectations, makes your baby unique, and lives up to the dreams you have of capturing these first moments.
Please understand that the words in this blog are not meant to criticize in any way the sweet newborn parents that come to me with their requests, but merely is a means to help with understanding that while I will strive to provide styling that matches your requests, I am not always able to meet them all for a variety of reasons.
If you want a lifestyle session in your home, that’s not something that I do.
If you absolutely want a picture to look like a picture that you send me (even if I took it), I can not guarantee it can be done, because all babies are different in what they will allow a photographer to do in session.
I have a smaller photography studio, do not have an assistant and make it my goal to keep my pricing affordable so everyone has an opportunity to have professional photos of their newborn.
With that said, I don’t have the space to safely use a ladder to stand over a baby for some overhead shots. I simply won’t do it and risk the safety of your baby. I won’t chance falling on your baby. Some overhead shots I can do by standing over the baby, but not the ones from high up on a ladder.
The froggy pose is a very popular pose that I’ve been trained to do, but I will not do it without an assistant. With my affordable pricing, I don’t have the extra budget to hire an assistant to hold baby’s head and then under the chin to then edit and composite the 2 pictures needed to create a beautiful froggy pose memory.
I’ve had people send me a variety of poses where baby is inside very expensive props that I do not have. I have social media posts that show the many props that I do have and can offer for a session, but for cost of some props in range of $100 to $250 I’m not going to buy a prop just because it’s been requested. Considering the fee I charge for a session, I can’t justify buying a prop for every inspo picture that is sent to me.
The same is true of fabrics, florals, plants, pillows, etc. that may look beautiful for inspiration for your session, but if I don’t have it, I can’t use it.
I’ve also been sent requests to put a baby inside a wreath (scratchy and not comfortable for your baby), inside a Dad’s cargo short pocket (definitely not safe without an assistant holding baby in place and some time consuming editing), and using animals. I won’t use animals. It’s a liability and you never know how an animal will act with a baby no matter how much someone tells me “they are nice”, “they are friendly”, or “they won’t bite”. There are other photographers that will do this and I’m ok with you choosing them instead of me to get what you want.
I also have clients sending me 15 different poses they want for one session. Please understand that all babies are different and I will try a variety of poses, but some babies will not lay on their back at all due to acid reflux, some babies will not bend their legs in a pose we want to try, some babies will not allow me to put their hands under their chin, and some babies have even more challenges as we attempt poses. I will never force a baby into a position, so I can’t guarantee every pose requested. 15 poses is not always attainable for a 3 hour session. Some babies take a very long time to settle into a position. It could be 30 to 45 minutes or even an hour for 1 pose. The babies, not their parents or even myself can dictate a session. A baby will tell me what I can and can’t do, regardless of how many set ups I prepare for or hope to get in their session. I am patient and will wait for babies to settle, but that time of 3 hours for 15 poses doesn’t add up if your baby needs some extra love, time, and attention between poses.
The idea is to create a variety unique to your baby, and I send out a questionnaire to parents that will allow them to choose colors and choose between the props I currently have in inventory. I won’t use outside props, because they haven’t been safety tested by vendors that I rely on to keep my client’s babies safe from tipping in a prop, getting scratched, or being put into an unsafe position. I truly want my client to love the styled choices, so I will work with parents to have them tell me colors and themes they prefer, so we can get a photo gallery delivered that will have a parent gushing over the final edits.
Some of the props that I do have are flokatis, bowls, cage, bucket, crate, and beds. All of these can be seen on posts in galleries on my website and on my Facebook and Instagram pages. I let the parents tell me which props they prefer that I have in inventory. They can choose 2 props for their session and depending on how the baby reacts, we can sometimes add a third option. This is in addition to table poses, sibling shots, and parent pictures that may be requested.
What is a flokati you ask? A flokati is a rug made out of beautiful, high quality wool that looks kind of shaggy. It is placed over either a round prop or another prop I use to lift the baby, so baby is photographed for an overhead picture with beautiful texture . At the moment of writing this blog, I have a large white and a large pink flokati. I also have smaller round cream, rust, and lavender options. For my Christmas wish list this year, I’m asking my husband for a large blue flokati to add to my inventory. The photo used for this blog is one taken with my white flokati as an example.
Communication is key with my clients as I let them know in advance what to expect. I’m not a $1,000, $500, or even $300 session fee newborn photographer. My #1 goal is safety. #2 goal is providing lasting memories at an affordable price. With that said, the expectation should be that I won’t have every prop that comes up on your Pinterest inspo board and I don’t have an assistant to help me with some of the poses that require extra help to pose a baby safely while I’m working a camera. Realistically some of the most unique and beautiful pictures that clients request of me may take even a seasoned photographer all day and I simply don’t charge prices for that kind of time in a session.
I can appreciate what a customer may love seeing online and request of me before we meet, but I’m sure there’s lots to love when looking at the photos I provide as well. I encourage my clients to check that out, and in the end my Google reviews are such that I know I’m making my clients happy and that’s motivation for me to continue to provide different styled looks for my clients that match as close as possible to the inspiration pictures they send me. If it’s the $1,000 shot you want, it doesn’t hurt my feelings if you can afford that and want to hire that type of photographer.
Let’s talk and see if I’m a fit for you. I’m happy to check out the photos you send, but I’ll also be honest in telling you what I can and can’t accomplish. I love meeting new babies and their parents with the goal of keeping everyone safe, while achieving beautiful photos that parents love based on what I am able to offer.
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