If you’re curious about how to get started with newborn photography you’re in the right place, my friend! Maybe you’re a brand new or aspiring photographer. Maybe you want a flexible job so you can stay home with your kids and set your own schedule. You’re probably considering becoming a newborn photographer because you love babies and young families. That’s a great place to start!
Tips for Getting Started with Newborn Photography
In-Home or Studio?
The first step in getting started is you need to decide if you want to travel to your clients’ homes, shoot in a studio, or offer a hybrid of both. If you’re considering a studio in your own home, you’ll need to check with your state, county, and city laws as well as your community/HOA rules regarding home businesses. Some areas prohibit customers from coming to your home.
Decide on your style
The next question to ask yourself is what is your newborn photography style going to be? There are a few options here:
- Fully posed or themed with multiple backdrops, setups, and props likes buckets & boxes
- Lifestyle with the whole family
- Combination of both posed and lifestyle
All options require trial & error, skill, and doing what feels the most comfortable for you. Newborn photography doesn’t come as easy as learning how to shoot manual mode and posing clients in golden hour. Personally, I love offering my clients a combination of both fully posed and lifestyle images. I often find that parents love having those posed newborn photos of their little babies, as well as the natural, lifestyle images as a family.
Are you looking to learn how to successfully pose newborns and families, run a smooth session, follow a strategic workflow, edit for consistency and so much more? Join Lifestyle + Posted Newborn Course today to get started! This is my most abundant resource where you will learn how to effortlessly combine the intimacy of a lifestyle session with the skill of a posed session in the comfort of the client’s home.
Make sure you have the right gear
Having a DSLR or mirrorless camera that works will in low-light situations and wide angle lenses for shooting in small spaces are key. Curious what my camera bag consists of for every newborn session? Read all about it here!
Safety Training
While my first few tips are extremely important before getting started with newborn photography, this tip is a non-negotiable, must-have for all newborn photographers. I can’t express how crucial it is to understand how to safely swaddle, pose, and handle a newborn. It’s not enough to be a parent yourself. If you’re looking to enhance your newborn swaddling and safety skills, The Newborn Photographer Mini-Course would be the perfect (and affordable!) educational resource for you.
Business Insurance
Another non negotiable, must have before getting started with newborn photography is having business insurance. This needs to be a separate plan from your home owners insurance. Personally, I recommend Hill & Usher for photographers. Having yourself and business covered in all work-related scenarios (and your gear!) is a must have. Depending on the value of your camera equipment, you should expect to spend $300-$500 per year on business insurance.
Remember, newborn photography requires a lot of patience, skill, and care. Keep practicing and learning, and you’ll soon be taking beautiful photos of precious newborns! Feel free to browse through my numerous blog posts and resources for newborn photographers.
