Worried you’re going to miss that special newborn photo moment due to the lockdown? Don’t be.
Let’s get the bad news out of the way first, so I can tell you all about the silver lining.
Baby is one month old
The bad news: The pandemic and subsequent lockdowns in Ontario have had a big impact on all of us, and especially for parents of precious newborns. We haven’t been living in ideal conditions for celebrating the birth of new babies for almost a year now, and it’s been hard to have to skip out on some of those traditional newborn occasions due to Covid-19.
Trust me, I feel your pain.
The pandemic certainly hasn’t made it ideal to have the pleasure of photographing these precious bundles of joy, either.
As you know, at the time of this post January 22nd, 2021, we’re in the midst of another province-wide shutdown intended to help slow the current community transmission and allow our public health systems that are reaching critical limits to recover briefly and catch-up. While the stay-at-home order is in effect, we’re advised only to leave home for essential purposes such as food, healthcare, exercise or work.
Unfortunately, this means no newborn photo sessions for your beautiful new baby during this time. This has some parents feeling like they’re missing out on an important milestone – those idyllic newborn photos of their tiny baby curled up and sleeping peacefully.
Baby is 6 months old
Ready for the silver lining?
It is never too late to capture precious moments of your infant.
Instead of looking at your newborn or infant photography session from the perspective of, “How late is too late?” Let’s change our lens. It’s best to view prospective sessions from the viewpoint of “What does each week or month of my baby’s life bring to the experience?”
So, what can you expect from your infant photography session?
Every child grows in a way that’s entirely unique and individual, and each week brings something new to celebrate. While every baby develops at his/her own pace, we can still guess when certain milestones are likely to happen.
And remember, there’s no guarantee that a younger baby will ensure a cuter picture, some newborn babies cry through the entire session – you just never know what you’re going to get!
There are endless opportunities in newborn life that are optimal for capturing the essence of tiny babies.
0-2 weeks: This is the age I typically shoot for when scheduling newborn photo sessions. When the baby is 14 days and under, I have the best success in achieving those sleeping curled newborn poses you’ve probably seen. During this time, newborns are more flexible, and tend to enjoy tighter swaddling (which is used for many of the classic poses.). You can see some classic newborn photos I’ve captured right here. Since this is such a short window of time, we may not be able to capture it due to the lockdown, but don’t worry, your baby won’t be getting any less adorable anytime soon!
Weeks 3-8: This is still a very sweet time-frame for babies. Your infant will still be pretty flexible and easy to pose. Not to mention he/she will be getting a little chubbier, which only adds to their cuteness!
Babies in this age frame are a mixed bag. I’ve had some babies at 21 days and 30 days who’ve been sleepy for most of their sessions (although it’s not as common.) For this reason, sessions at this age will go longer to give time for the baby to have some awake and sleepy photos. What’s most important is that there is a mix of photos of the baby by himself or herself as well some photos with mom and dad. If your baby is like most, they won’t enjoy being tightly swaddled anymore at this age, but we can still achieve a great photo by loosely swaddling baby on his/her back or in a basket on his back, or putting baby on his/her side in a basket or bowl.
Baby is 7 weeks old
8 weeks +: After hitting the two month mark, your baby may seem huge when compared to his/her newborn self. However, he/she is still remarkably tiny compared to when they will start preschool, or even graduate from high school. Remember that your precious baby is still a teeny-tiny human now, and every age of the baby is important to photograph. I’ve had success photographing babies that are between 1 to 3 months and the parents adore and cherish the images that are captured.
We may not be able to photograph all of the traditional curled up poses we achieve with a younger baby, but there are lots of beautiful shots we can create.
If your baby is too old to use infant props, there’s a lovely solution to this – mom and dad get to be props! For example, mom or dad’s shoulder and hands can be the prop holding the baby. Personally, I love these photos. There’s no replacement for the sweetness and loving energy between a parent and baby and this really shines through when parents are a part of the portrait.
There’s so much that you can look forward to capturing at this age. Babies are usually starting to smile and laugh, and can usually hold their heads up steadily. Three month old babies might be starting to roll and recognize the sound of mom and dad’s voice (which can be very helpful during the photo session!) At this age, your baby is likely to have a more regular sleep pattern, which will make it easier for you to choose a good start time for the session, too. Feel free to browse my portfolio of baby photography here to see some different ideas. Overall, your baby will be becoming more animated and engaging, which can make for beautiful portraits.
Every milestone in your baby’s life deserves to be celebrated. What better way to permanently document those moments than with professional photography and frame-worthy imagery? Despite the fact that you may have to wait until baby is a little older than you had hoped for their first photo session, I hope you will be reassured that you are not missing out.
Baby’s 100th day Photo Session
If you haven’t scheduled your baby’s photo session yet, I would encourage you to contact me soon to do so. Once the stay-at-home order is lifted, I will be limited with available sessions and it is better to pre-book before dates book up. Book your session by sending me an email info@boygirlphotography.com or giving me a call at 416-409-4855.
The initial investment for a Newborn as well as Family Portrait Session is $250. This includes a 2 to 4 hour portrait session, and the time and creativity needed to capture the perfect images for you and your family. Your session is unique to your baby and family, and I’m happy to offer consultation over the phone to answer any questions you have about the products and services we offer.
Once we are able to resume with photo sessions, the safety of your baby and everyone involved in the photo session will be a top priority. You can find the full list of safety measures and protocols that will be in place during photo sessions here. As always, if you have any questions or concerns please don’t hesitate to contact me and we can discuss the situation in more detail.
Baby is 8 weeks old
Remember that it’s never too late to schedule a professional photography session for older infants or young toddlers. Every stage of your baby’s life will bring something special to the mix that is worth capturing!
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