Post by awkwardpenguin on Mar 31, 2015 12:34:39 GMT -5
Did you do a professional newborn photography session? About how much did you spend? Any tips for choosing a photographer?
If you didn't do pro pics, do you wish you had? How do you like the pics you have of your newborn? Did you do anything special to get pics or just snap them during day to day life?
We did a newborn session at home. I wanted a photographer that came to us. I think it was $500 for the session and CD of images. I basically asked on FB for recs and contacted a bunch for pricing/info.
We did them with both boys. The first one was $400. The second one I actually won so it was free.
I prefer more photojournalistic style so that is what we went with. I'm not crazy about super posed photos with lots of props so I just avoided photographers who did that kind of session. Both sessions were in our home, primarily in the nursery, and are pictures of us just cuddling, me nursing the baby, regular stuff with a little artistic direction.
I am really glad I have them--the tiny infant phase is so fleeting and sweet it's worth capturing. They change so fast at that age.
We got a newborn session but she was several weeks old at the time due to a medical issue. I'm really glad we did it to get some pro pics of her so tiny and cuddly and they were the first family pics we had where I didn't look horrible. We did the lifestyle type in our home. It was $300 for 16 digital files. I had luck searching on pinterest. Google just showed very $$$$ photographers.
I am. My photographer is an old friend, and she did my wedding photos. She is also doing my maternity photos. I'm not sure what we'll do as far as setting, at home or outdoors (with shade). She doesn't have a studio. Her style is very photojournalistic, and DH and I love that.
She is charging me $100 session fee (each session), plus cost for prints or digital rights.
Post by mellimel19 on Mar 31, 2015 12:51:39 GMT -5
Our hospital offered professional photography sessions where the photographer came right to your room and did a 20-minute photo shoot. I believe the session was $100 and we paid $150 for a DVD of approximately 25 photos. The photos are nice and I love that we have these pics of her from when she is only 2 days old. However with the next kid, I think I'd prefer to hire a photographer to come to our home so we can do more of the cute prop type of photos.
Post by Queen Mamadala on Mar 31, 2015 12:56:00 GMT -5
I didn't hire anyone. I took LO's pictures myself, and ds2's. They turned out great (used to be a photographer). I didn't go all out or use props or anything. It wasn't really planned out. DH came home with a camera a friend let us borrow since I sold my cameras and gear a while back.
Post by charlotteandwilbur on Mar 31, 2015 12:57:40 GMT -5
We did them for DS and they are some of my favorite pictures ever. It was a really expensive session though (gifted) so we are going with a different photographer for DD. I wanted a different style, too, so the photographer we are using this time is much more photojournalistic in style. The session is about $400 with a CD of all photos.
Yes, we did. I think we paid $350 and that included some prints and a CD of 12 images with print release. We did them in-studio with very simple props - just some neutral wraps and hats. My house wasn't ready to host anyone, much less serve as a backdrop for pictures.
The next baby I think we will hire a lifestyle photographer since (hopefully) our house will be better decorated. I've found that most will do posed shots in-home as well.
I looked around online for highly rated photographers and contacted a few. I only considered the ones who got back to me quickly. I ultimately chose one based on aesthetic and bang for the buck.
Post by shellbear09 on Mar 31, 2015 13:04:11 GMT -5
Ours was gifted but I think it was about $150. They are ok but not amazing. A lifestyle family shoot would have been better I think. It was at her home and I didn't get around to taking dd until she was 2 weeks. She was just not one of those sleepy newborns that you could just pose how you wanted. She cried a lot and we ended up with some of me and her.
Post by estrellita on Mar 31, 2015 13:10:05 GMT -5
I took some pictures at the hospital with our nice camera. I wasn't going to do any pro pics but decided that I wanted pictures of the 3 of us, so we went to JCPenney and got some done (that's where my siggy pic is from) when he was 3 weeks old. We paid a little over $100 or about 20 photos because we got the CD and there was a deal on it. Part of me wishes we would have gotten pro pics done earlier with our wedding photographer (would have gotten more pics) or even at the hospital, but I was in no shape to do that the first couple weeks. I think we will do that for his 1 year pictures!
Post by bananapancakes on Mar 31, 2015 13:12:10 GMT -5
We did them when L got home from the hospital so he was 2-3 weeks old. Our photographer came to our house and did a more photo journalistic style. I'm not crazy about the poses and props. He was with us for 5 or 6 hours. It was a gift from my BIL but I think he charges around $200. We got a CD with close to 100 images on it. He also did photos at 6 months and he's doing them again at a year. I love him!
We did at our house. I didn't want studio pics and wanted some with H and I. I loved them. $250.
Mine also usually did them within 3 weeks. Since they were in the nicu they were 5 weeks old. DS was awake for most of them which I actually loved. She was only there for 2 hours. I know some that take longer but it was plenty of time.
No, we did not do it. No regrets whatsoever. My sister was visiting and took some pictures of our day to day moments with her "good" camera. Good enough for us. We're not into professional photography at all. The pictures all look artificial and everybody looks pretty much the same, if you ask me.
We did not do them with my first daughter. However we did with the second as it was included in the first year package. (We did a first year package with my first but it only included 4 sessions) This time around it was 600 dollars for 5 sessions and a CD with all images. (about 50 -70 images). The nice thing about doing a year package is that you only pay half up front and then at each session you owe 1/5 of the remaining cost.
She came to the house and spent a long time getting sots because my baby was not cooperative the day she was here. I think she stayed about 6 hours. We ended up with 70 pictures.
The hospital had a company that came in and I bought those pictures for $150.
My sister is a former wedding photographer and took some when DS was 2 weeks old as well. I had the energy to take a shower and put on make up for those:)
My BIL is a photographer and charges $450 or $500 for a portrait session which could be newborn photos, family photos, etc.
As a shower gift, my cousins got me the NB session and one 8x10" print. My aunt gave me a GC for the same photog when Caramini was born. We pooled those and chipped in some more for a year-long package with NB, 6 month, and 1 year photos, several prints, birth announcements, and albums. The NB pics were studio/outdoor space (porch/garden of a victorian house cum art gallery local to the photogs studio loft). 6 months were studio and 1 year was at a local horse farm.
The NB photos they took in the hospital sucked and the ones from the child/baby photog were awesome.
Post by crispnclean on Mar 31, 2015 13:37:00 GMT -5
We did them when DS was 8 days old. We hired the lady who did our wedding photography and she came to our house. I think it cost about $250 which included a CD with rights.
I love them and am so glad we did them. There are some shots of DS and H, DS and me, all of us (plus the dog), and then a lot of just DS. She shot some in the nursery, some in our bedroom, some on a fluffy blanket and some on a blanket that was made by MIL.
My suggestion for finding a photographer would be to ask your friends on fb for suggestions or see if any of your friends had newborn shots done that you really love. There are a lot of mom-tographers out there, which is fine if you're ok with that, but I personally wanted someone who actually studied photography. I did a lot of research for our wedding photos and was happy to give our photographer the repeat business.
Post by ilikedonuts on Mar 31, 2015 13:40:20 GMT -5
We did for both kids and spent a lot. I think it was worth every penny we spent.
I love our pictures and like knowing that we have them.
I basically searched in google and then looked at FBs and websites. I've found that asking for recommendations from people usually gets me a ton of "mom-tographers" who are not great.
The hospital did newborn pics for both kids, but I wish I would have gotten professional photography. I have tons of pictures from those first days, but it is one of my regrets. If we have a third, I am going to spring for it as it will definitely be our last.
Post by cricketwife on Mar 31, 2015 14:53:00 GMT -5
I saw photos on Facebook that I loved so we used that photography. I love the pics! It was $300 for an hour . We got the cd of pics and the rights. I felt fat and ugly and the pictures that include me are so beautiful I'm so glad I have them. For $300-500 , I decided I would rather spend the money and be disappointed if I didn't like the pics, than to save the money and forever regret not having those photos . Additionally, the birth didn't go as "planned" so we don't have any really good photos from the hospital, which makes me even more glad we did the professional newborn session.
Our photographer was $150 for the session but it included no pictures. The packages were separate, which is fine, we got exactly what we wanted print/image wise. In the end we spent about 800 on canvases, prints, images, and a small book containing one of each pictures.
$450 for 2 hours and all pics on a CD. I love our photographer! We've done newborn, 3, 6, 9, 12, and 18 month photo shoots for all kids. Our photographer used to be cheaper and she's more than I would like to pay but we get s lot for what we pay for. I get anywhere from 80-120 pics depending on how well my kids behave and cooperate!
ETA: she comes to our house or we pick a location for the shoot.
We spent $450 for her to come to our house and a cd of the images. I have fallen in love with another photographer who is $1000. Dh is going to kill me if I ask for that.
We had a photographer come to our home for about 2-3 hours and paid $450 which included the rights to all the pictures.
We also had the hospital photographer take some pics which were pretty good and that was around $100.
This is exactly my answer so I will just quote it! I wasn't planning to buy the hospital ones too, but I couldn't resist pictures of my one-day-old peanut! Our NB photos are on Saturday and he will be 10 days old. She does a mix of props and more natural photography.