When you’re expecting a baby, you have a lot of decisions to make. Pediatricians. Strollers. Car seats. Somewhere in that pile is newborn photography — and it’s easy to treat it like just another box to check.
But here’s the thing: your baby’s newborn photos are one of the only things from those early weeks that actually lasts. The tiny fingers, the curled-up sleepy poses, the way they fit perfectly on your chest — all of that disappears faster than you’re ready for. The photos are what bring you back.
So how do you actually choose the right newborn photographer for the job? Here’s what I tell parents to think about.
Start with reputation
Word of mouth is your best friend here. Recommendations from friends who’ve been through it are great — but I especially love when parents find me through their doula or another birth professional. These are people who work with new families constantly. They’ve seen how photographers handle babies. They know who’s good.
Online reviews matter too. Skip the five-star-no-words ones and look for reviews that actually describe the experience. Did the session feel calm? How did the photographer handle the baby? Was the whole process easy? Those details tell you a lot more than a star rating.
Look closely at the portfolio
A portfolio tells you everything. Do you see a wide variety of babies and families, or does it look like the same few photos on repeat? Experienced newborn photographers have a deep body of work — different babies, different poses, different families.
Check social media too. Is there recent activity? Are they consistently photographing newborns? This is a very specific skill set, and you want someone who does it all the time — not someone who photographs newborns occasionally when it comes up.
Be careful with “on-demand” photographer services
Some services let you book a newborn photographer who comes to your home — but you don’t find out who that photographer actually is until they show up. I’d be cautious with that. When someone is handling your brand-new baby, you should know their experience, have seen their work, and feel confident in them before they walk through your door. A random assignment doesn’t give you any of that.
Ask about safety
Newborn photography involves handling and posing a tiny, days-old baby. Safety isn’t a bonus — it’s the baseline. A photographer should be able to explain how they use composite images for certain poses, how they keep the studio warm, and how they let the baby set the pace. If a baby needs to eat, you stop. If they need a diaper change, you pause. The baby is always in charge of the timeline.
Anyone who seems rushed, or who pushes a baby into a pose that clearly isn’t working, is a red flag.
Pay attention to how they communicate
After your first conversation with a photographer, you should feel reassured — not confused. They should be able to clearly walk you through what the session looks like, how they handle the baby, what to expect, and what happens after. If they can’t answer basic questions confidently, that’s information.
The session should follow the baby, not a schedule
Every baby is different. My sessions are completely baby-led — if they’re hungry, we feed them. If they need a moment to settle, we give them that moment. I’m not rushing to hit a shot list.
Parents in those early weeks are exhausted, so I design the experience around that too. Sessions are in my studio, where everything is already set up. You don’t need to clean your house, gather props, or figure anything out. You just show up. That’s it.
Why experience actually matters (a real example)
I once had a session where both sets of grandparents came — which is really special, and I love when that happens. But the room got loud fast. Everyone was excited, passing the baby around, and he just couldn’t settle. We’d already fed him and changed him, and he was still unhappy.
So I asked a parent to step out with him to help calm things down. When that didn’t do the trick, I took him myself and spent about twenty minutes just quietly settling him — explaining to the family why a calm, low-stimulation environment matters so much for newborns. Once things quieted down, we picked back up and got beautiful images.
That kind of situation is exactly where experience shows. Knowing how to read a baby, how to manage the room, how to keep things calm without making anyone feel bad — that’s not something you can fake.
Don’t choose based on price alone
Newborn photography is specialized. It takes real training, patience, and experience — and the photos you come away with are things you’ll have forever.
One thing a lot of families don’t think about upfront: what you actually want to do with those images. If you download digital files and leave it at that, there’s a good chance they’ll sit on your phone for years while you mean to print them. That’s why I work with families to turn their images into albums and wall art — things that actually live in your home and get looked at, not just stored on a device
The right photographer makes it easy
You’re tired. Your baby is new. The last thing you need is a photo session that adds stress to your plate. The right photographer guides you through everything, keeps your baby safe, and makes the whole experience feel calm.
These are photos of the very beginning of your baby’s life. Choose someone who treats that with the care it deserves.
Now that you know how to choose the right newborn photographer for your baby – are you ready to book?
Contact REL Portraits today to find out more!
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