The safety of your newborn is by far the most important factor when considering your next newborn photographer.  Above all things, safety needs to be their number one priority – – above getting the shot, above getting a full gallery, above getting a bunch of likes on Facebook or Instagram. You should choose someone who not only knows/practices basic newborn safety (knowing how to handle and care for your newborn) but also more advanced newborn safety (using advanced photoshop to capture challenging poses, monitoring baby’s temperature and comfort level).  I remember when I had my first child I researched the best and safest car seat, strollers, cribs etc . . . I felt at a loss though to know how to find a safe newborn photographer.  A couple of things to ask:  Do you use photoshop to capture challenging poses, did you take any classes/workshops from experienced photographers?  Getting referrals also goes a LONG way!  Ask your friends who they used and what their experience was!

Are you an aspiring newborn photographer?  Check out this newborn photography course that I created.  In it I talk extensively about newborn posing and safety:  Newborn Posing Workshop

Years of Experience

Yes, everyone starts somewhere.  But if it were me, I wouldn’t want someone to practice on my newborn!   And yes, just because someone has called themselves a photographer for X numbers of years doesn’t make them a good newborn photographer!  A couple of questions to ask:  How many years have you been a newborn photographer?  How many newborns do you photograph each year?

Knowing the above two things will help you know if your photographer is experienced.  The more newborns a photographer photographs, the better equipped he/she is to handle babies of all different temperaments.  Lots of photographers can handle sleepy, calm, content babies.  But I can tell you . . . not all babies come that way!  I photograph hundreds of newborns each year and I can tell you that no two are alike!  You need to find a newborn photographer that has a lot of experience dealing with all the baby personalities!

Let’s face it, every mom/dad who buys a fancy camera thinks that they can be a newborn photographer.  That never ends well.  Please do not take the chance with your newborn – –  take your photographer’s level of experience into consideration when booking.

Variety of Images

When looking at a photographer’s site, look at each blog post.  Is the photographer only showing 1 or 2 images from a session?  Or, are they showing 7 angles of the same pose?  One or two angles of a pose is totally fine.  If all of the pictures you see are of the same pose then that might mean that the photographer is not skilled at a variety of poses.  Questions to ask:  How many pictures & set-ups can I expect of baby alone?  How many pictures & set-ups can I expect of our family?  Are family images part of the session or are they extra?

Investment

Ok, so I hesitated to put this one as one of my top 5 things to consider because I hate talking about money.  Since I quite often see people post online about looking for an “affordable photographer” I thought I would touch on it .  When people say “affordable” what that translates to is “cheap”.   But let’s be honest.  Good photography isn’t cheap and cheap photography isn’t good!

Yes, the cost for newborn photography can vary greatly. After all, different cities have very different costs of living.  But generally, what you are paying for goes far beyond the 3 hours the photographer is taking pictures.  What you are are paying for includes (among other things) your photographers years of experience, years of training, equipment, insurance, business expenses etc.

When people comment photography is “so expensive” I always like to ask them how much they paid for their cell phone (that will be gone in 2 years) . . . or what they pay for their cable tv bill each month.  I can guarantee that you won’t remember (or care to remember) how beautiful your new iPhoneX was . . . but your baby?  Yep, that is something that you are going to want to have tangible memories of!

When booking your session, always remember, you get what you pay for!

Personality

Finally, if you can, meet the photographer and check our their studio before booking,   Or at the least, talk to him/her on the phone. It’s so important to feel at ease with the person who is going to be handling your newborn!   It is always a lot easier to relax around someone you know a little!

If you are looking for a photographer in the Pittsburgh area I would love to meet you to show you my studio and talk to you about what a newborn experience with me is all about!

Give me a call (412 519 4830) or shoot me an email (juliekulbagophotography@yahoo.com).