When to Book Your Newborn Shoot (And Why I'm Already Thinking About It Before Your Baby Even Arrives)
If you're reading this while heavily pregnant, first of all — respect. You're growing an actual human being and you're still here researching photographers. I see you, and I love you for it. Let's talk timing.
The Golden Window: 5–14 Days Old
Here's the thing about newborn photography that I've learned over more than a decade of doing this: newborns are a little bit magic in those very early days. Tiny, curly, floppy, sleepy. And that last one is the key.
Between five and fourteen days old, babies are at their most poseable — they'll curl up, stay still, and sleep through almost anything. It's a brief, beautiful window that makes those dreamy wrapped-up poses possible. After about two weeks, they start to wake up to the world around them (as they should!), and getting them to hold a pose becomes considerably more... let's say athletic.
So ideally? We want to photograph your baby in that 5–14 day sweet spot.
But Life Doesn't Always Follow a Schedule (Shocking, I Know)
Here's what I want you to hear: it's okay if that window passes.
Birth complications happen. Recovery takes longer than expected. Some days getting out of your own house feels like an Olympic event — and it is, honestly. No judgement here whatsoever.
Newborn shoots can absolutely still happen after that 14-day mark. The images will look different — your baby will be more alert, their poses will shift — but they will be beautiful and they will still be yours. Don't panic if life had other plans.
What I don't want is for you to feel like you've missed your chance. You haven't.
The Real Secret? Book Before Baby Even Arrives.
This is where I'll put on my Official Photographer of Ten-Plus Years hat and give you some genuinely good advice: book your newborn session during pregnancy.
Specifically, around 30–32 weeks is the sweet spot for getting everything organised. Here's why that matters:
Newborns are unpredictable. (Understatement of the century.) If you wait until after the birth to find a photographer, there's a real chance your 5–14 day window will fly by while you're exhausted, overwhelmed, leaking from places you didn't know could leak, and trying to figure out why your baby sounds like a tiny angry goat at 3am.
Booking ahead means your spot is locked in. You know who's showing up. You know what to expect. And when baby arrives, the last thing you have to worry about is scrambling to find someone to photograph them.
Why I Offer a Free Maternity Shoot With Every Newborn Session
This is genuinely one of my favourite parts of what I do, so let me explain it properly.
When you book your newborn shoot with me, you automatically get a complimentary maternity session at 30–32 weeks — included in your $200 session fee. Not a bonus. Not an upsell. Just part of the deal.
The reason? By the time you bring your newborn in to see me, you've already been in my studio. You know how I work. You know I'm not going to make things awkward. And for me, I already know you — your vibe, what you love, your little family.
When you walk back through my door with a tiny new person in your arms, it honestly feels less like a professional appointment and more like showing off your baby to a mate. That ease, that comfort — it comes through in every single image.
So, What's the Move?
If you're currently pregnant: get in touch now. Lock in your spot. We'll do your maternity session at 30–32 weeks, get to know each other, and when your baby arrives, I'll be ready and waiting.
If your baby is already here and under two weeks old: contact me today. Like, right now.
If your baby is already past that window: reach out anyway. It's not too late — it's just a different kind of beautiful.
I've been doing this for over ten years, and I promise you: there is no bad time to capture your baby. There's just better planning for the ideal time. And I'm here to help you do exactly that.
Ready to lock in your session? Head to the contact page — I'd love to hear from you.