Choosing Your Pittsburgh Baby Photographer
When you are searching “baby photographer near me,” what kind of photographer are you really looking for? Are you looking for a newborn photographer or is your baby already sitting up and you want to capture this awesome milestone? Baby photographer is such a broad term and there are several types or styles of photographers that this term includes. As your experienced Pittsburgh baby photographer, I am here to help you navigate it and figure out what to look for when you are ready to hire a professional. Knowing which service you're interested in will save you time as you begin looking for and contacting specialty photographers.
There are several different kinds of photography sessions you can have just with infants. These are a few we are going to learn more about:
Hospital & Fresh 48
Posed Newborn
Lifestyle Newborn
Infant Milestones
Cake Smash
Hospital & Fresh 48
Some parents want to capture their baby's very first moments of life. This can be done with birth photography either at home or at the hospital. Some parents want to avoid photographing the birth but still want very, very early photos in the first 48 hours. A birth photographer typically is on call around the time of your due date, to come and begin taking photographs from the time that your labor starts through the baby's actual birth. This is a documentary-style shoot, and can be long, depending on the length of your labor and delivery.
Fresh 48 sessions, which take place in baby's first 48 hours, are unposed, lifestyle sessions. The first 48 newborn photographer is a trained and experienced birth photographer who will come to your hospital room or home during the first 48 hours of baby's life. They'll take beautiful, unposed pictures that capture an important time in your family's history.
Fresh 48 newborn photography is becoming more and more popular. Here are some of the photographers in Pittsburgh who offer first 48 (in HOSPITAL) newborn sessions:
Posed Newborn
Posed newborn photography is done between days 3 and 14 of baby's life. This is the time period that baby is sleeping more and is more flexible for safely posing. Depending on the photographer's accommodations, these sessions may take place in a studio or in your home. With posed photography, the photographer uses wraps and props to bundle and position your baby in those beautiful, sleepy poses. Photographers often use props for newborn photography. It can be anything from headbands and stuffed animals to bowls, crates, buckets and baskets. I think that bowls and baskets are slowly going out of style and natural and organic feel of posed newborn photography is gaining popularity in 2021. Check out my portfolio of newborn photography for examples of the type of photographs that are not only more popular nowadays but will also go with any décor if printed and displayed in your home.
Lifestyle Newborn
A lifestyle newborn photographer will take less formal photographs of your family enjoying your new baby, usually in your home or studio. These sessions are intended to capture your family's sweet interactions with your new bundle, rather than focusing just on the baby herself. Lifestyle sessions include the baby's immediate family, but grandparents and even pets can attend and be involved in the photos. This genre got popular after the pandemic because parents don’t have to let the photographer handle their baby too much. It is worth mentioning that your home may or may not have the best lighting available so its important to discuss and plan the style and feel of the photos you are looking for with your photographer. If the photographer you are interested in hiring is offering in-studio sessions, I recommend this highly. In my personal experience, the sessions in the studio tend to be shorter and less stressful for all parties involved
Infant Milestones
Infant milestone sessions take place during baby's first year to document her growth and changes. The goal is to capture those important milestones, like holding up her head or sitting up for the first time. They are commonly done at 3 months, 6 months, 9 months and 1 year. From 3 to 6 months they're often referred to as tummy time sessions, and from 6 months to 1 year, you'll hear them called sitter sessions. Lots of photographers offer a bundle deal of newborn session plus all the infant stages. This is usually cheaper and scheduled out for the entire year of your baby’s life. I personally do not offer this because I believe that parents should not be “locked in” with one photographer for the entire year of their baby’s life.
Cake Smash
Baby's first birthday marks the end of the realm of baby photography. To celebrate this big occasion, many parents want to have a cake smash session. Often times, this is the baby's first time ever seeing a colorful, sweet tasting dessert set before her. As she digs in for the very first time, her experience is caught on camera. Although the popularity of this type of session is fading, it is still a fun time for the parents. The cake is often either brought to the session by parents or ordered through the photographer. If you order through your photographer, he or she often will place the order with the baker and will even pick up the cake for your session. Some photographers do not offer cake smash sessions as it is often a messy and drawn-out experience for everyone involved. With this session, often the baby is photographed alone or joined by his or her siblings.
Which ones are for your family?
The first thing to consider when trying to decide which kinds of pictures you want taken professionally is whether you want posed photos or lifestyle. They both have their merits and yield equally great photographs, but you may have a preference or inclination towards one over the other. There are photographers who will take both posed and lifestyle photos, but there are also photographers who specialize in just one and only offer them. Starting with this decision will help you narrow down your list of photographers to look into.
Next, you can decide when you want your baby's first photographs to be taken and if you want any milestones during infancy photographed. This will help you further narrow down your base of photographers to research, and then you can also prepare any questions you may need to ask and schedule your sessions for baby's first year in advance. Remember to do your research early, preferably while you are still carrying. Many photographers are booked for months in advance.
Your Pittsburgh Portrait Photographer
As a Pittsburgh portrait photographer, I know making these decisions will help guide you in choosing your baby's first photographer. All of the wonderful photographers to research and call can seem overwhelming, and narrowing that list down as much as possible will help alleviate a lot of that overwhelm for you.
If you're in the Pittsburgh area and looking to have your baby photographed, please contact me. I can share more information with you about scheduling and preparing for these session types, and then together, we can capture wonderful memories of your new baby.