When is the “Right” Time for New Family Photos?

Boise Family Photography or Newborn Photography?

A couple years ago I got a call from a prospective client looking for a Boise family photographer. They had just had a new baby but they weren’t looking for a “newborn” shoot per-say, just some nice photos of them all together for the holiday card. I did the session for them in mid October when their baby was about 8 weeks old. I made a passing comment about how he was so much bigger than my standard outdoor newborn session. The mom looked at me funny and said “oh, when do people usually do newborn photos?” I replied that most of my newborn sessions are booked about 3 months before baby is born and the session itself takes place before the baby is 2 weeks old. And then she said something that stuck with me- “oh, wow, I guess we screwed that one up.”

I thought about those words for weeks after that session. I felt horrible that possibly my words had made her feel that way- she DID NOT screw up. Getting photos taken with an 8 week old baby isn’t a parenting fail because you didn’t do it 6 weeks prior. The fact of the matter is that any time is the right time because kids and babies are constantly changing, constantly growing. And no matter when you take their photos you’ll look back on them and see how much (and how quickly) they have grown.

Document your kids- no matter what stage they’re in!

The biggest thing that should be considered is not the baby’s age, but the stage we are documenting. I encourage my clients to think about things that are important to them and what they’ll want to remember when this time has passed. I put together this guide to help my clients with DIY Fresh 48 Photos. Whether you choose to hire a professional or take them yourself with a cell phone camera, you can begin documenting their life from the very beginning. And if your kids are already past that newborn stage, I encourage you to join us in our Facebook Group where we focus on a variety of ways to take better pictures of your kids and some fun photo activities to do together.