When Ari’s mom contacted me to inquire about a Newborn shoot for her daughter, her baby was already about 4 months old. Now if you are new to the Newborn Photography World you wouldn’t know that we typically schedule these sessions when baby is about 2 weeks old. “Why?” you may ask? Well, there are a number of reasons for this. First of all, when babies are first born they are easily posable. They literally just came from an environment where they were folded over and squished up and so it makes it easier for us to pose them in those sweet little squishy poses. Also, it’s when they are sleepiest! As time goes on babies become more alert, dare I even say “nosy”? HAHA! But seriously, alert babies can be very difficult to pose! Another reason? The older they get, the more they eat. Cluster feeding and growth spurts are REAL and they can make newborn shoots very long and difficult.
Why won’t photographers shoot “older” newborns?
Believe it or not, many newborn photographers will quite literally put a hard stop on newborn sessions after a certain age. I honestly don’t blame them for doing it. It’s their business and if they only do newborns up to a certain age, it’s really just being honest with the family that they do not believe they will be able to get the newborn poses that they are hoping to get. It’s actually commendable in a way.
Hey, Joan…do you have an age limit for newborns?
I don’t have a limit on age for my newborns. Of course I prefer to shoot at around 15 days. I encourage expectant mommas to book their newborn sessions 3 months in advance. But I am a mom myself. I know that life happens, that this isn’t on everyone’s radar, that sometimes families have complications or other life things happening that prevent them from booking ahead of time. And so I will never turn a baby away for being “too old”. However, I will be upfront and honest and real that the session may be more difficult, baby may not let me pose them certain ways, etc. But I know that I will always be able to walk away with something…I make it my mission lol! I guess that’s just the artist in me.
Momma had a difficult pregnancy. She spent the last bit of it bed ridden before ending up in the hospital. Baby Ari was born early. I think she was 2 months early? And she had to stay in the NICU for an extended period of time after she was born. Ari is a rainbow baby. Incase you don’t know, a rainbow baby is a baby that is born after a loss. And she is a warrior!
Collaboration is my jam…
Mom and Dad had some amazing ideas for the shoot. And collaboration is where my heart is. They had envisioned certain shots and I was there for it! This might be my most favorite session I have ever done. Why? Certainly because of the meaning behind it. Mom and Dad wanted to include their COMMUNITY in this session. They wanted to include the people who supported them, who helped them, who were there for them. And these people SHOWED UP! I mean they showed up for this mom and dad when they needed them, but they ALSO showed up with about a days notice to the shoot the day before Thanksgiving. My Heart <3.
I could go on about this session and this family forever, so I’m just going to end it here and let the images do the rest of the talking…
Thank you Crystal and Lamar for trusting me with your Little Lion, Ari <3 And thank you for giving me the artistic freedom to help execute your vision XOXO