When Is the Best Time for Newborn Photos?

When is the best time for newborn photos is one of those questions that new parents ask after the entire fuss is over.

Okay, well not right after that, but after a few days/weeks once all of you settle in.

And this comes (the question regarding the best time for newborn photos) as no surprise since you’ve just welcomed your newborn and you know that that phase will end very soon.

That’s precisely one of the reasons why parents want to speed up this whole process and capture the memories before their newborn grows up.

So one of the most common questions regarding this is when is the best time for newborn photos?

Is there any time frame, or should you do it spontaneously?

Since I know you are currently drowning in a sea of chores and many other tasks (that involve your newborn), I would like to simplify things by going straight to this topic.

So let’s uncover the answer together!

When Is the Best Time For Newborn Photoshoot?

A vast majority of new parents believe that there’s a specific time frame when you’re supposed to take pictures of their newborn.

And they normally want to speed things up believing that once that time passes, they will not be able to take newborn photographs, since their newborn will no longer be “that little”.

What a silly thing to say!

Just because your newborn is no longer two weeks old, it doesn’t mean that your best time for newborn photos is over!

On the contrary! In fact, no one should ever draw a line when it comes to the best time for newborn photos! (of course, this doesn’t mean that you should wait until your newborn is a teenager)

You can take pictures of your newborn during the first week of newborns, or you can even wait up to six weeks and your newborn will still be considered a newborn.

So What Is the Best Time For Newborn Photos?

Babies are very “busy” in this period of time because they constantly go through different changes, particularly in the first few days, and weeks.

Consequently, taking these pictures will be a fascinating and dynamic process. Your baby will not look the same when he/she is just a few days old compared to two weeks old. (my appearance changes as well within a few weeks)

But the point is, each time frame is special in its own way; remember that!

Is the First Five Days the Best Time For Newborn Photos?

Even though I told you, when I was discussing the best time for newborn photos topic, that you shouldn’t put a specific time frame, there are still some parents who believe that the first five days are the best time for newborn photos!

Why is that?

The first five days are the best time for newborn photos because you as a new mother will have some time to properly rest, plus your baby’s skin is going to be in great condition.

Of course, this window can be expanded if necessary, but generally speaking, the first five days are for sure the best time for newborn photos, at least according to more experienced parents.

In case you didn’t know, some parents define this period as the five days of magic (when it comes to their baby), and it certainly is!

So what are the reasons behind this conclusion?

Bye, Bye Umbilical Cord!

After five days, the umbilical cord is likely going to fall off, which is a great thing because you won’t be forced to take a million pictures of your baby to have one where it’s not visible.

But what are you going to do if it doesn’t fall off?

No biggie!

Even if something like this occurs, you can still make the loveliest pictures of your baby in the world. Even if you notice some dried blood on the photos, who cares? Your baby will still look as lovely as ever, particularly if you capture some cute poses in the photo.

It’s not like you’re going to put these photos on exhibition. However, if you’re that bothered by it, then just use some Photoshop to get rid of it.

Acne & Jaundice Are Gone Too!

Your baby will be doing great in this period of time, and it’s highly unlikely that there’ll be any jaundice.

Of course, I cannot guarantee you that it won’t appear, but it’s supposed to be a general rule.

Apart from that, your baby will also be clear of any baby acne which is amazing because then you won’t have to spend lots of time eliminating blemishes from the photo.

Mommy Is Not That Tired!

You cannot be fully rested when you have a newborn baby (who am I kidding, that’s even the case with older babies too!).

However, you will definitely feel much better now, than right after giving birth. Am I right?

At least you will get the opportunity to recover both physically and mentally and prepare yourself for your baby’s photo shoot. Just remind yourself of all those cute poses newborns tend to make.

Of course, this entire process will most likely be very tiresome for you, but I believe you will take it like a champ; plus, once you see all those beautiful photographs, your fatigue will immediately go away!

Well, at least that’s the case with most moms when they see the pics of their newborns.

What About Other Time Frames?

Now that we’ve gone through those first five days (when we were talking about the best time for newborn photos), it’s time to mention other time frames.

6 to 14 Days Old

This is generally a good period, due to the fact that your baby is a bit older and is slowly getting used to a specific schedule of feeding (which is usually every two to three hours), so you won’t have to stop this session every fifteen to twenty minutes so you can feed your kid.

Although I mentioned parents who believe that the first five days are the best time for newborn photos, there are the ones who think that precisely this time frame (6 to 14 days) is the best time for newborn photos.

Who to believe then?

I can agree with them too (6 to 14 days- parents) because the truth is, during this period of time, newborns sleep a lot, which means that you will be able to quickly get adorable, sleepy poses. 

10 days to 12 Days Old

This is probably not the best time (10 days to 12 days) for a newborn photo if you ask me.

Why is that not the best time to focus on baby photography?

Well, that’s because newborns can become very grouchy for various reasons. And these mood swings typically last up to two days, which can negatively impact a newborn shoot.

During this period of time (which is less than 2 weeks), they eat more frequently and want to be fed continuously. And then you won’t be able to put your little one in a desirable pose during a photography session.

Still, if you’re resourceful enough (or your baby is an exception to this rule), you just might be able to have beautiful pics!

What Are You Going to Do If Your Child Is Past That 14-Day Mark?

Just because you didn’t take pictures in these aforementioned time frames (2 weeks is not a bad time frame) it doesn’t instantly mean that you are “too late” or anything like that.

Remember that there’s always an exception to a particular rule. At the end of the day, many babies were photographed beyond these abovementioned marks.

And there are various reasons behind it. For example, maybe the baby was having some health problems, (which frequently happens when they are younger than 2 weeks), which is why the newborn photoshoot was postponed.

Or, parents simply didn’t have enough time (or have forgotten) to schedule a session. As simple as that!

But don’t give up just because your little angel is two weeks old.

So Can You Take Pictures Of an Older Newborn? (Older than two weeks)

You most definitely can!

Although the best time to take newborn photos has passed, it doesn’t mean that you cannot have your own best time to take newborn photos.

Just bear in mind that (when considering the best time to take newborn photos) this period of time is going to be a bit trickier because your kiddo will no longer act like a typical newborn.

How come?

Well, that’s because he/she is not in the womb anymore and has started to uncover their limbs.

Once something like this occurs, your little angel will start to stretch out more and will no longer stay curled up for a more extended period of time.

Not to mention that he/she won’t sleep as much. These are the things that can negatively affect the session, however, who knows, maybe the pictures turn out to be so amazing that you’ll realize that precisely this period was the best time to take newborn photos!

Every knowledgeable and seasoned photographer will first talk to parents, just to let them know that they should level their expectations and not be surprised if something unplanned happens.

However, if you want to have breathtaking pictures then you must make sure the baby is in a comfortable position.

What Is the Best Time of The Day To Take Photographs?

Now, that you know roughly when is the best time to take newborn photos, you probably want to know when is the best time of the day for a newborn session.

The answer to this question (concerning the baby photoshoot) depends on several factors, including your newborn photographer.

Once you pick a newborn photographer for your newborn session, you need to take other factors into account.

For starters, how much time will you spend on the road, in traffic, and the availability of your newborn photographer?

Can you take photos of the baby at home, or is it necessary to take new baby pictures at a photography studio?

Both of these options (home & studio) are acceptable and they mostly depend on you and the mood of your baby boy/baby girl.

Keep in mind that if you decide to take pics of your baby boy/baby girl at home, then you won’t be as flexible.

How come?

Well, that’s because (at home)  you need to focus on having enough sunlight so you could get the best pictures in the world.

Now, if you decide to do this when your baby is less than a week old (this refers to the ones that are 10 days old, or even 2 weeks old) then you need to remember that your little angel will most likely be very sleepy.

Therefore, if you want to know when is the best time to take newborn photos during the day (this refers to both home and studio), the answer is (at least according to experienced photographers) in the mid-morning to early afternoon.

How to Properly Prepare For a Newborn Photoshoot?

First and foremost, you need to hunt down an amazing newborn photographer. You do not want just about anyone to take pictures of your baby.

You can always consult with other mothers who have already done it or consult your friends, and family.

If none of them has any recommendations, then you can always browse social media to try to uncover who is the face behind some top-notch newborn photographs.

Another major factor that should be considered is the budget. If you haven’t determined it yet, then now is the perfect time to do so.

It doesn’t matter whether you’ll be doing a photoshoot of older babies or not, bear in mind that this venture can be pretty pricey.

So what’s the price range?

It all depends on the experience and skills of a certain photographer.

Some of them charge a few hundred dollars, and then you have those who can charge more than $1000.

It would be advisable to contact a photographer while you’re still pregnant since most of them have a pretty tight schedule and cannot be booked easily.

So when is the best time to call them?

If you ask me, I would do it during the second or third trimester.

Also, it wouldn’t hurt to discuss various specifics with a photographer, like the length of the session, potentially adding a family member to the photographs, certain poses, etc.

What Is the Best Thing to Wear During Photo Sessions?

When it comes to you, it would be nice to wear something elegant and embellish your outfit with some lovely jewelry.

As far as your newborn is concerned, I would suggest bringing several relatively basic outfits for your little angel.

Of course, if you want to make your baby even cuter, then feel free to bring some headbands, cute bows, and why not even hats, and swaddles.

Now, if by any chance you have a particular theme in mind, then make sure to buy additional costumes for these purposes.

Should You Include Other Family Members In Newborn Photoshoots?

There’s no general rule that states that you are, or aren’t allowed to do so. It all depends on your personal preferences and wishes and whether your family is in the mood for that.

If you ask me, I would most certainly add everyone I love to newborn photoshoots.

After all, you’ve just welcomed a new family member, and since that’s a very special moment, it would be great if you decided to put other family members.

After all, no one is more important than your family.

Discussing Some Safety Rule During Photo Sessions

In these types of situations, the safety of your little one must always come first.

Even though there are no specific rules when it comes to this, you should take some steps to ensure the safety of your child isn’t jeopardized in any way.

First and foremost, choose a photographer who has done this in the past, a person who specializes in this type of photography.

You cannot pick an individual (no matter how great they may appear to be at first glance) who hasn’t “handled” newborn babies before.

And this doesn’t refer to photographers in general, but to anyone you know.

Just because someone you know and love (for instance, your siblings) generally takes amazing pictures, it doesn’t necessarily mean that he/she knows how to take pictures of babies.

Keep in mind that baby photographers are special sort of photographers.

Their experience has taught them then when working with babies (particularly newborns), you must be very patient and aware of the baby’s needs.

These people didn’t just wake up one day and decide they were going to become baby photographers. On the contrary.

They’ve had a plethora of experience and training to become professionals in this line of work.

Don’t forget that babies most likely won’t understand what is going on (referring to the photo shoot) so you cannot explain to them, or (even worse) force them to be still, or be in a particular pose.

These things are simply not natural to their bodies.

That’s why it’s of huge importance to select somebody who understands that and who is going to do whatever it takes to make your baby feel safe and comfortable.

Conclusion

I know that this topic (concerning the best time for newborn photos) is confusing to many parents (especially the ones who welcomed their first child to their family).

They want to make things right and create some of the most memorable photographs in the world.

But I honestly hope that this article has managed to successfully answer all (or at least most) of your questions and that after reading it, you’ll know exactly what to do next.

Whenever you decide to do it, I am positively sure that you’ll create memories that you will cherish for the rest of your life!