MANCHESTER NEWBORN PHOTOGRAPHER // When should I book in my newborn shoot?

Manchester Newborn Photographer’s thoughts on when to book in your newborn shoot - how far in advance, at how many days old, the flexibility of your shoot, and at what time of the day.

Eekk you’re having (or have just had) a baby - HUGE congrats! The early days are beautifully chaotic; filled with snuggles, constant googling, questioning everything, checking their breathing, breathing them in, introducing them to their loved ones, establishing your new role, all the feeding, and all the love. It is a really special time to capture - especially as these days, as long as they may seem, are gone in a flash. Before you know it they’re progressing through the stages, becoming more and more interactive and turning into little chatterbox whirlwinds (like my toddler, Marnie)!

So you’re wondering when is the best time to have your newborn shoot?

I like to photograph newborns when they’re between 7 and 14 days old. Newborns are only super new, teeny and sleepy for such a short amount of time. So if you’d like those sleepy newborn shots, pre-2 weeks old is best. 

Less than a week old and you might not feel like you’ve had enough chance to start the recovery from the birth and settle into the groove of things (as far as you can with a newborn). 

Whilst I don’t do the posed newborn shoots and I keep things very natural, I do have a newborn “posing” cushion (as you can see in the photo above) which is great for capturing those sleepy newborn photos whilst keeping things natural - baby all cosied up, their little toes, their tiny features. If baby is still really sleepy, it will make things easier to capture those details.

They become more and more aware as they becomes weeks old - so whilst they’re still technically newborns after 3-4 weeks, they start to have longer wake windows and you might not get the sleepy shots and have more chance of periods of unrest. But that doesn’t mean we can’t still capture those hazy newborn days.

So, when should I book my photographer?

It’s definitely a good idea to get your session booked in before baby is born to make sure you can secure a session in that short period of time. Either after your 20 week scan or as soon as possible after that.

I usually open my diary season by season. So, in April I’ll release by summer (June to August) diary, then in July I’ll release my autumn (September to November) diary etc. There are a couple of exceptions to this - and one of those is for newborns!

I remember what it felt like to want to get all my ducks in a row before Marnie was born. I held off doing anything until after my 20 week scan due to my own anxieties, but after that it was lists and spreadsheets galore! If you’d love a newborn shoot for your new arrival, pop booking in your photographer on the list.

Unlike other shoots, newborn sessions have to be flexible as most babies come whenever they are ready! So what I do is book in your shoot for 7-14 days after baby’s due date, then you can check in with me if you go overdue and when baby is born, and we can jiggle that date around if necessary. I always make sure I keep enough time in my diary to accommodate newborn date changes, so you won’t miss out if baby rocks up 2 weeks late (let’s hope that’s not the case for you though!).

My girl, Marnie, was a lockdown baby - so I missed out on having newborn photos which still upsets me. If you’re on the last minute and baby is due any minute or has already arrived, and you’d love for me to capture your newborn bubble, please do still get in touch as I will always do my best to fit in a newborn shoot. You never get chance to capture those early days again, and I am acutely aware of how special that time is, so I’ll do everything I can to squeeze you in!

Lastly, what time should you book your newborn shoot in? In the vast majority of cases, I find newborns are at their best in the morning. So I’d recommend booking it in for early morning - just allowing yourself enough time to make yourself feel comfortable before I arrive.

Would you love for me to photograph your newborn and family? Get in touch here to enquire.

Thanks so much,

Laura

Manchester Newborn Photographer.