I’m often asked this question and I believe you have a couple of options, each with pros and cons…

  1. Newborn up to 6 weeks old- great for capturing that new born feel. Most newborns spend most of their time sleeping, so you will find most images reflect this! If you have a baby that isn’t settling well, or you are tired and worn out, don’t pressure yourself and bub. Leave it a month or so and see how things are going.
  2. 6-12 weeks- by this stage you are hopefully getting to know bub and their sleep routine a little better. They are spending a little more time awake and begin to smile. At this age we are more likely to get an image of them awake and smiling, plus a few sleeping photos.
  3. 3-6 months- a good age for photos because bub is really starting to develop a personality. We can make them giggle and they can hold their head up.
  4. 6-10 months- probably my favourite age for photos. By 9 months they can sit up and some can crawl and move around. They are full of personality and facial expression. By 9 months we can easily do the shoot either on- location or in the studio.
  5. 12-18months- bub starts to walk sometime around now and becomes a toddler. Always a great age for photos, but they have moved on from the baby stage and you now have yourself a walking talking person!

During the first 12 months of a child’s life you will see enormous changes in their appearance and personality. If you can only budget 1 shoot, I would recommend sometime between 4 and 9 months. If you can do a shoot at 6 weeks and then again around 10 months you will see an enormous change in your baby. At any stage you can choose to have just photos of bub, or include the entire family and various combinations. Each sitting allows for a variety of set- ups.

From here on, try to have your kids photographed every couple of years. Perhaps some years you will include the whole And don’t forget the dog!