Your six questions about newborn photography – answered!!
Rebecca Danzenbaker is the premier newborn and family photographer in Northern Virginia. Here, she answers some of the most frequently asked questions about newborn photography.
1) When is the best time for newborn portraits?
Newborns are very sleepy in the first two weeks of life, which is the best time for their portraits to be taken. They sleep through most of the session, usually waking up only for a snuggle and snack before heading back off to sleep again. In addition to having a full belly, the babies love the warm studio and white noise, which keep them super relaxed, feeling like they’re back in their mommy’s belly. However, don’t wait until your baby is born to schedule your session! I’m usually fully booked about three months in advance, purposefully keeping flexibility in my schedule to move around babies who arrive early or late. 
2) Can we do newborn portraits with my baby’s eyes open?
Babies at this age have very little control of their bodies, including their eyes and expressions. They’ll often go cross-eyed and will sometimes look worried, confused or frightened, which is why we strive for sleepy babies. Still, there are sometimes babies who are awake for part of their sessions. When this happens, I swaddle them up so that their arms and legs are secured and wait patiently for nice expressions. If you really want photos of your baby with his/her eyes open, I recommend scheduling the session for 6-8 weeks old when your baby can smile and hold eye contact for short periods of time. 
3) Some of the poses that you put babies into are pretty wild! How do you do those?
The poses that I do are very comfortable for the babies since they’re used to being curled up in their mommy’s belly. However, there are some poses that are done by compositing two shots together to ensure that the baby is supported and safe the entire time. For example, for the “frog” pose, shown below, the baby’s parents are supporting the baby the entire time, and I erase the parent’s hands later. Your baby is precious, not a prop. No photo is worth endangering them! I have my own safety guidelines and will not photograph babies in even what look like un-safe conditions, even if the photo was safely taken. Please ask the photographer you choose what safety precautions are taken with your baby, and remember that your baby’s safety is ultimately your own responsibility. Speak up if you ever feel uncomfortable and trust your instincts!
4) Tell me about the props! Do you have your own? Can I provide some as well?
I have dozens and dozens of hats, blankets, wraps, baskets, and buckets. I like to make every session different, so I’m constantly adding to my collection. I also love it when parents bring their own props to the session. This helps to make the photos more personal and meaningful to them. Some of the things I’ve incorporated into the photos are blankets that friends and family have knit, mom’s jewelry, a great-grandmother’s wedding veil, and a parent’s favorite stuffed animal from their childhood. 
5) Can I be in the photos as well? What about my other children?
Of course! I highly encourage it! Think about how wonderful it would be to have a portrait of your mom and dad holding you when you were a baby! These are always the photos that bring tears to my eyes. I only photograph new mommies from the chest up, so you needn’t be worried about a post-baby belly. We always start the session by doing the family and sibling photos for around 15 minutes so that you can relax for the rest of the session, which usually lasts about 2 ½ hours total. 
6) Eek! My baby was born with acne/stork bites/goopy eyes… should I reschedule my session?
Absolutely not! All of those things are corrected during the careful retouching of your photos after your session. A little known secret is that baby skin is actually pretty terrible! In addition to all of the common flaws you asked about, babies could also be jaundiced, blotchy, have purple hands and feet, peeling skin and cradle cap. All of those usually resolve themselves by the time the baby is a couple months old, and also in the magical world of Photoshop. J The only things that I don’t usually edit away are birthmarks, peeling/flaking hands and feet (massaging lotion onto them before the session will help to minimize the flaking, but otherwise I feel it is actually kind of precious), and cradle cap, which we instead cover with newborn hats. 
Have more questions about newborn photography? Please contact me! I’m currently booking sessions for late November and beyond.
