The Not-So-New-Newborn Session

Newborn photography San Diego

You’re pregnant or maybe you’ve already given birth, and you’ve learned more about pregnancy, birth, and babies in the last year than you’ve learned about any single topic since you were in school. Every week there’s more information you’re either being force-fed or having to hunt down yourself, and while you’re trying to sort through all of it and figure out what actually applies to you, newborn photos get added to the list of things you’re apparently supposed to know something about.

For your convenience, you can read about what an in-home newborn session actually looks like, but figuring out when to have one is another question entirely. Sometimes it’s asked while someone is still pregnant and trying to figure out when to get on my calendar. Other times it’s coming from someone holding a six-week-old baby who just realized they never booked photos and is pretty sure they’ve missed the window.

So, what’s the best age for newborn photos?

Short answer: It doesn’t really matter.

Your baby does not expire at two weeks old

If you’ve done any Googling about newborn photography, you’ve probably seen the recommendation to have photos taken sometime in the first 7-14 days. There is a legit reason for that. Very young newborns tend to sleep more deeply and curl up more easily, which matters quite a bit for photographers who pose babies or need them asleep for most of the session. That’s not me that though.

I’m not trying to get your baby into a particular position or keep them asleep so I can work through a list of poses. If they’re sleeping, great. If they’re awake, also great. If they decide they need to eat four times during our session and then poop through the outfit you specifically picked for photos, honestly, that tracks. I’m there to photograph what having this baby in your family actually looks like and that gives us a ton more flexibility.

So when is the best time?

If you want the impossibly tiny, sleepy, brand-new version of your baby, then earlier is better. There really is something wild about those first few weeks when they’re still curled up and scrunchy and somehow wearing clothes that look too big even though they’re literally labeled newborn.

But there are good things about waiting, too. A baby who’s five or six weeks old might be more alert. You may get more eye contact. Their personality is starting to peek through a little. Your older kids have had some time to adjust to this new person who showed up and permanently altered the household hierarchy. And you might feel slightly more like a human being. Slightly.

What if my baby is already a few weeks old?

Please don’t skip newborn photos because you think you missed your chance. I’ve photographed babies well outside that traditional newborn window, and I love those sessions too. They’re different, because babies change ridiculously fast at this age, but different isn’t worse.

That’s actually part of why I care so much about photographing this season. A few months from now, the baby you’re holding all day will already look different. The newborn clothes will disappear. The bassinet will eventually leave your bedroom. Feeding them will change. The way they curl into your chest will change. Thanks to sleep deprivation and regular old fallible memories, you’re probably going to forget the bulk of it (likely by design, otherwise there would be a lot more only children running around).

There is no single day when this becomes worth photographing and another when it stops. No matter when I end up seeing you for your newborn session, you’ll end up with a gallery full of photos that highlight all of the wonderful and messy changes that come with this new season of life.

Newborn photos aren’t only about the baby

This is probably the bigger reason I don’t care very much about hitting a perfect newborn age. I’m not just photographing what your baby looks like. I’m photographing what happened to your family when this brand new little person arrived.

I’m watching how your toddler climbs into your lap while you’re holding the baby, because last month they were the baby. I’m clocking the pile of feeding supplies next to your bed, tiny clothes piled around in the house. I see the way you can’t stop staring at your baby’s face, even while you’re talking to someone else.

The baby is obviously important, but so is everything happening around them. Your house has changed, your routines have changed. Everyone is figuring each other out where they fit and what their new roles are. There are new objects everywhere and probably more laundry than seems physically possible. This is the beginning of someone’s childhood, but it’s also a very specific chapter in the life of your whole family. That’s what I want to help you remember.

Book when it works for your family

If you know you want that super-new, first-few-weeks stage photographed, get in touch while you’re pregnant so we can make sure there’s room on my calendar. We don’t have to predict exactly when your baby will arrive; we’ll figure out the actual date once they’re here.

But if you’re reading this with a one-month-old, a six-week-old or an even older baby sleeping on you right now, you haven’t ruined anything. You didn’t miss it. Your family is already different than it was before this baby arrived, and it will be different again before you know it. That’s reason enough to make some pictures.

You can read more about my San Diego newborn photography sessions here. And if you want to remember what this particular version of life with your baby looked and felt like, I’d love to help you make it happen. LET’S DO THIS →