How to Choose the Best Newborn Photographer for Your Family

You’re looking to document one of the greatest adventures of your life, becoming parents. This is a moment far too meaningful and too important to simply hope things will turn out okay. We’re talking about preserving the details of the very first few days of your baby’s life, and that deserves so much more than “meh.”

You should absolutely love both your portrait experience and your artwork. How do you make sure that happens? You can’t go wrong when you look at these three things:

Style
Artwork Quality
Customer Care

Before we go any further, I need to let you in on a little secret that’s not so little. Not all photographers are created equal. What it takes to document a wedding is not the same as creating exemplary maternity or newborn portraits and vice versa. Now that we’ve got that out there, let’s jump in to the big three I mentioned above.

(1) Style

I bet you’ve had a moment when you looked at something and thought, “Oh! I like that!” We might not know exactly what “that” is, but it makes us happy when we see it. Even if we don’t think we have a style, we all do. We have aesthetic preferences, and are drawn to a look, a feel, an appearance. Our homes are proof of this. Light and airy, neutrals, vibrant colors, industrial, farmhouse, bachelor pad. They’re all styles, but with a totally different look and feel to them.

When you contact the studio, one of the first things we ensure is that the artwork we specialize in and it’s look/style is what will make your heart truly happy.

My tips for style: Always, look through a photographer’s portfolio on both their website, blog, and social media (especially Instagram). Every photographer tells a story a bit differently. If you want your story to highlight motherhood, family connection, the simple and natural beauty of new life and it’s details, soft and muted tones, relaxed posing with a natural feel, and flattering light versus costumes, props, and sets…then I’m your girl. There’s no right or wrong style, but if you love what you see in a photographer’s portfolio, reach out to them. If you don’t see what you’re looking for in their work, keep looking for someone else.

(2) Artwork Quality

We all have Pinterest boards with plans, ideas, and beautiful rooms we hope to create (someday), and at the same time we want to hold onto and enjoy our memories with those we love.

My first “baby” is now a teenager and nearly as tall as I am. It seems like moons ago, but I can promise you the very last thing I wanted to do during those sleep deprived days was attempt to DIY his newborn portraits. It simply wasn’t going to happen. I knew I needed someone with the skill set to (1) create something meaningful that I would cherish and (2) create art pieces for me so that I didn’t accidentally let my baby’s memories forever live on a tiny electronic device.

My tips for quality: As you search and talk with photographers, learn about what they provide for you. Do they have the style and the skill set to create something you can’t wait to display in your home or is it just DIY quality? Are you paying them for digitals that you probably won’t do anything with for a few years? If you’re looking for handcrafted albums with thick page after thick page of your favorite portraits, I’ve got you covered. If you’re looking for beautiful, quality framed art pieces that are designed just for your home, I’m ready to design something just for you. If you want those digital files for your family archives, you’ve got it! And to top it off, find someone with the skillset to help you look and feel your absolute best during your session.

(3) Customer Care

This is so important. In today’s world of all things instant, what you don’t want your maternity or newborn sessions to feel like a quick stop at your local fast food drive through window. (Name. Order. Toss some photos out the window at you. Hope it’s hot. Hope it’s fresh. And hope your order is what you really wanted.)

The big question is, will you genuinely be taken care of or are you thought of at someone’s 10:00 on Tuesday appointment and combo meal number 8?

My tips for customer care:

(1) Read their Google Business Reviews

(2) Find out more about what they actually provide:

• Do they offer complementary wardrobe that you can wear for your session?

• Do they offer styling services for your family to help you find the sizes and styles you need in stores, so you don’t have to?

• Do they provide everything for your baby or will you be required to provide it all?

• Do they offer the ease and comfort of a studio, so you don’t have to clean your home to be magazine ready?

• Is their communication with you prompted, professional, and kind?

• Do they help you each step of the way or do they leave you hanging to take care of too much on your own?

• What other complementary goodies are there along the way (lunch during your session, complementary custom wall art design, etc)?

(3) Are they likable:

• Do they put you at ease and make you feel comfortable?

• Are they genuinely kind and professional at the same time?

• Are they communicating with you personally from the get go or dragging their feet and it feels cookie cutter?

• Do you get the feeling that you and your baby will be cared for as a family and not just a number?

No matter whom you choose, promise me you’ll be choosy. Look at style. Look at artwork quality. Look at customer care. With over a decade of experience in photography, above all I want you to be happy. I want you to remember how amazing it felt to hold your little one in your arms while at our studio, and I want you to grin from ear to ear each time you see your images.

If this is the type of experience you’re looking for, it’s never too soon to reach out to our studio.

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Julie Brock Photography is a leading Louisville, KY newborn photographer, maternity, baby, and family photographer. Her signature photography techniques and natural style are sought-after and celebrated by families throughout Louisville, KY, Crestwood, KY, Prospect, KY, Mt. Washington, KY, Lexington, KY, Floyd Knobs, IN, New Albany, IN, Southern Indiana, and surrounding areas.