What’s The Best Age For Baby Photos?
The first year of your baby’s life is such a special time. They change and grow so rapidly, and there are lots of little milestones to celebrate along the way.
If you’re anything like me, you’ll have thousands of photographs of your baby on your phone capturing these daily and weekly developments.
But when it comes to investing in professional photographs of your baby I’m sure you’ll want to be sure that you capture the best moment.
So what is the best age for your baby’s first photo shoot?
In this article I’ll share:
- The best times during your baby’s first year to have a photo shoot with me.
- What you can expect from a shoot with me depending on your baby’s age.
- When to get in touch to book your shoot.
A 7 month old baby girl photographed at my studio.
When is the best time for a photo shoot during your baby’s first year?
The truth is that whenever you have a photo shoot during your baby’s first year the photographs will be incredibly special.
Each time you look at them you’ll remember just how your baby was at that age, and all of the lovely memories you have from that time.
But, there are some ages and stages that I recommend as being better than others for a photo shoot. These stages are:
- The newborn stage, when your baby is just a few days or weeks old
- 6-8 months when your baby is can sit up unsupported but isn’t yet crawling
- Around 12 months to mark your baby’s first birthday
Let’s have a look at why these are the best ages to have your baby photographed.
A newborn baby girl photographed in my studio at 9 days old.
Having A Photo Shoot With Your Newborn Baby
I specialise in posed newborn photography. Although the style of my work is very natural, I pose babies and families for each photograph.
The best time for a newborn photo shoot with me is when your baby is less than two weeks old.
During this time babies are very sleepy and will usually be settled through most of the photo shoot. Many babies enjoy being curled up in the foetal position they were in in the womb, and this allows the photographer to capture lovely curled up poses, and all of the tiny details that make your baby unique.
After the first two weeks babies usually start to uncurl, stretch out and become more alert. This means that your baby may not be able to manage all of the poses, and may spend a larger portion of the shoot awake.
For this reason it’s best to book your newborn photo shoot before your baby is born. When you book I make a note of your due date, and ask you to let me know when your baby is born. This means we can confirm the exact date of your session after your baby’s birth to ensure it’s within the 14 day window.
- Learn More: Newborn Photography Sessions
A 16 day old baby boy, photographed at my studio.
What If You’ve Missed The Window For A Newborn Photo Shoot?
I’m often contacted by families when their baby is already a couple of weeks old. They’ve just started to think about a newborn photo shoot at this stage, but then find that they’re already at the end of the 14 day window.
If you’re in this situation please get in touch with me as soon as you can; I may be able to offer you a shoot close to the 14 day mark if other babies have arrived a little earlier or later than planned.
I also offer Older Newborn Sessions for babies aged up to 8 weeks. These sessions are tailored to older newborn babies who may not be as sleepy or ‘curly’ as they were during the early weeks, and captures a beautiful set of family and baby portraits.
- Learn More: Older Newborn Sessions
A baby girl, photographed at my studio at 9 months old.
Having A Baby Photo Shoot At 6 To 9 Months
Between 6 and 9 months is a wonderful age to capture. Babies can usually sit quite confidently by this age but aren’t yet crawling.
This means that they’re quite happy to be in one place for a while and interact with me whilst I photograph them at one of my Baby Milestone Sessions.
At this stage we can also capture a much bigger variety of pictures than before they could sit up; I’ll be able to photograph them sitting, lying down, on their tummy, and perhaps even on all fours if they’re starting to explore how they can move.
Babies are also full of personality at this age, which makes for wonderful pictures – enormous gummy grins, long serious stares, quizzical looks and big belly laughs!
It’s best to book your milestone session at least a month in advance to make sure I have availability, and to organise things like haircuts and outfits.
At my busiest times of year weekends can be booked up a few months ahead. So if you’d prefer a weekend session it’s best to book as early as possible.
A baby boy photographed at my studio a few days before his first birthday
Having A Photo Shoot To Mark Your Baby’s First Birthday
All birthdays are special, but first birthdays are even more so!
Many families choose to have a milestone session around the time of their baby’s first birthday to create a record of how they were at this age.
This age is especially popular for families who had a newborn session with me, and come back for a milestone session – their baby has changed so much between the two sessions and it’s wonderful to document this!
Milestone sessions can take place when your baby is between 3 and 13 months, so you could schedule it to be very close to your baby’s first birthday, or a few weeks before or after.
If you would like to have the photographs before your baby’s actual birthday I recommend scheduling it at around 11 months if you’re planning to buy digital images, or between 10 and 11 months if you’d like to purchase printed items and have them ready before your baby’s birthday.
Ready To Plan Your Baby’s Photo Shoot?
I hope that this guide has helped you to decide when you would like to have your baby photographed. If you have any questions about choosing the best time for your shoot please do get in touch here. I’d love to hear from you.
You can learn more about booking a shoot with me here:
