When are Newborn Photos Taken?

This seems like a nonsensical question at first glance - when are newborn photos taken? 

When your baby is a newborn, of course! 

However, people’s opinions of how long your baby is a ‘newborn’ for does differ wildly.  In this article, we’ll discuss this from a newborn photography perspective so that if you are planning a portrait session for your baby you can be well prepared.

How old is ‘Newborn’?

When it comes to newborn portrait sessions, most photographers will prefer your baby to roughly be 7 - 10 days old. If that’s not possible we try our best to book you in before 21 days.  And we refer to this stage as ‘newborn’.  The reality is your baby is in the newborn phase for a few weeks until they start to smile and become more alert.  However, from a photographer’s perspective, babies under 21 days old have some very unique traits which allow us to create stunning portraits.

Why Are Newborn Portraits Best Under 21 days Old?

A lot of the reasons that the typical newborn portraits you see are so adorable is that babies this young are still very ‘curly’.  They naturally take up the position they held in the womb for months - it comes naturally to them to curl up in the foetal position.

Brand new babies are also very sleepy.  It may not seem that way to you but some newborns can sleep up to a total of 18 hours per day.  This means they are very easy to pose, they remain comfortable and sleepy whilst I can gently turn and pose them without disturbing them.

Can I get Newborn Portraits If My Baby Is Older?

Of course you can!  Each stage your baby moves through is unique and it’s lovely to capture all of those milestones.  However, if you have your heart set on sleepy, curled-up poses then you’ll need to understand, the older your baby gets, the harder these are to achieve.  I’d never promise I could create those poses for you if your baby is older than 21 days but I have been able to achieve them in babies as old as 6 weeks on the rare occasion.   If your baby has been born early, it’s slightly easier to extend the ‘newborn’ window too.

How do I book when I don’t know when my baby will arrive?

I’ve been managing a newborn diary for many years now so have become pretty good at scheduling!  You can book your newborn portraits once you have had your 20 week scan. 
Let me know your due date and I’ll pencil you in roughly 7 days after. We then stay in touch in the weeks before and after your due date and move the date if necessary. At a guess I’d say around 90% of shoots don’t happen on their original planned date due to babies arriving early/late, which definitely keeps my diary interesting!
I only take a limited amount of bookings each month to make sure I have room for all the newborns I have booked in.
Click below to find out if I have availability around your due date.