When should we book our family session?
There is never an ideal time to photograph your family; after all, the kids are constantly growing and every age has its sweet spot. There are, however, certain unofficial guidelines you could follow to time your family portrait session. Below you will find my suggestions on when to book your portraits depending on the age of your little one(s).
Newborns – I suggest photographing newborns in the first three weeks of life. During this time they are mostly sleeping (which is a good thing) and don’t have noticeable baby acne. This session can sometimes take up to 3 hours. My recommendation would be to book a tentative date for your session and reschedule if the baby arrives early or late.
6-9 Months – We want them to be sitting but not yet crawling; once they learn to crawl they are FAST and it is difficult to photograph them. I also love capturing babies at this stage because they are very interactive and we can achieve a variety of poses (they can finally hold themselves up!).
First Birthday – What could be sweeter than the first birthday? This is a high-energy session since your baby might be walking or at least crawling at an impressive speed. Babies at this age are also very interactive which allows me to capture memorable candid shots.
Kids – After the first birthday you can really photograph your kids at any age. Sometimes two-year-olds can be a little tough but with a little patience and playtime they too warm up to having photos taken.
More than one – If your family consists of more than one baby I would encourage you to email or phone me before booking a session. This way we can figure out the best time to shoot, iron out the details and discuss your expectations.
Maternity – Many women decide to capture their gorgeous pregnant bellies before the baby arrives. I would recommend having portraits done sometime between 32-37 weeks. You want to have a nice bump but still be mobile! You can show as much or as little of your body as you feel comfortable with.