Professional Photos

[froggy76]

How often do you get professional photos taken of your kids? Where do you get them done?

I haven't done any with DD yet and I'm feeling bad about it. I would love to spend $$$ for a good photographer to come to our house, but I don't know when's a good age. I feel like I already missed out on the cute newborn/sleepy photos.

Also, for 1-year photos, am I the only one who hates the cake smash pictures?

[MamaMaui24]

How old is your baby? It's never too late and always a good time. They grow so fast!

We did newborn @ 6 weeks. He didn't sleep a wink but we got precious ones of him holding his head up and smiling. (I wanted to wait til his cord fell off, then waited until his baby acne went away).

[tardyfortheparty]

I do them at 3, 6, 9, & 12 mos....then at their birthday each year.

[cheese]

We did a few weeks after birth, 6 months and will be doing 1 year. We might do 18 months but I haven't decided.

[ijack]

I'm lucky enough to have an in house photographer, but we do photo shoots every couple of months.

[karinothing]

We did them at newborns. Are going for our 6 month one tomorrow (although its more close to 7 months) and will be doing a year. We hired a photographer and she came to our house for the newborn. We are doing the 6 month ones in a historic part of town outside. I am not sure where the first year ones will be. Maybe the national mall

[pugz]

We have a first year package, newborn, 6 months, 1 year. After that I think we will do them around the holidays for cards and then around brithday (August)

[Ashley&Scott]

We did a newborn session & also got the "1st year" package. (3, 6, 9 & 12mo)

So far both the newborn & 3mo session's were at the photographer's studio. We're planning to do some outdoor shots for 6 & 9 mo since it will be warmer.

[laurao11]

We are doing newborn photos, and invested in a nicer camera so we will probably only do 1 year photos professionally after that.

[froggy76]

May 18, 2012 13:28:08 GMT -5 MamaMaui24 said:

How old is your baby? It's never too late and always a good time. They grow so fast!

She is 6 months. We did buy the photos they took in the hospital, but I really need to book another session!

Is anyone cares to share, what do you pay for a session? I found an awesome photographer, but she charges $400 for two hours + $300 to buy the rights to all the photos.

[Ashley&Scott]

Our newborn session was $150, it was 2 hours with breaks as needed for nursing & diaper changes.

The 3, 6, 9 & 12mo sessions are 45min-1 hour. The total cost of the package was $350. ($100/session if you don't buy the package)

The pricing includes the rights to the photos. We usually order prints from mpix.com. Awesome quality & pricing.

[whitepicketfence]

We had a professional photographer come to our home for maternity, newborn, and 7 months (they were supposed to be 6 month pics but time got away from me) photos so far. She will also come to do one year pics. After that, I'll probably do family type pictures once a year or so.

Also, yes, I hate the cake smash pictures. We don't plan on doing them for DD2's 1 year session.

[oregonpachey]

I have a friend who is a photographer and she did pro photos of our first son at 8 weeks. Then a family shoot at about 4 months. At one year and two years we went to Picture People. Some people think they are cheesy but I have been very happy with them.

For the second kiddo, we had newborns done at 3 weeks at PP as well.

I don't care for cake smash pictures personally.

[dcrunnergirl]

We did Picture People at 1 year and then a pro photographer at 18 months. We'll probably do Picture People again at 2 years. I LOVE our pro photos, but I was also pleasantly surprised by the Picture People photos.

[bunch]

We did 6 mos and plan to have the same photographer come to dd's birthday.

[drloretta]

So far we've gotten them done about once a year. We've had someone different do it every year. The first set were when DD was 7 months, and a friend of DH's did them. Then a friend of mine got into the biz, so I had her do last year's. Another friend just moved near me, and she and her DH do pro photography. She's itching to get our girls together (they have similar outfits in their closets) and do pictures this spring.

We did not do cake smash pictures. I took pictures of her eating her first cupcake on her first birthday. That was as exciting as it got.

We got a friends and family discount for the first shots, and the second set were free because my friend was just starting out. Very MM

[savannah11]

We do them around Christmas time every other year. That way I don't feel bad about spending $$$$ on them.

[pierogigirl]

We get them monthly at a place in the mall. They have a program and it's super mm. For what they are, I'm happy - there is one photog we request when we go. I'd love to find a pro children's photographer to do beautiful outdoor/non-posed photos. I'd only do those once or twice a year.

[brit1017]

We've had a professional photog come to my parents' house to take pics of the whole family. We've tried to do it every year since DS was born, but we missed one year. I love it b/c we can get pics of whatever we want- we've had pics of them in a bubble bath, jumping on the bed, playing outside, on a swing. I absolutely love the pics- instead of being really posed, the pics have a much more candid feel. Even DH, who generally freezes up in pics and looks awkward, looks great and natural.

[SusanBAnthony]

We did portraits at JC Penneys at 3, 6, 9, 12, 18 months and then yearly. I liked doing them often to see the growth. I liked doing them cheap (aka Penneys) bc then if the kids were awful it didn't matter. DS was always fine, but DD went through a 9 month long phase where any strange people getting near her caused her to freak the F out.

I never have wanted anything fancy- just them looking at the camera and smiling, with good lighting. That is more than I can typically get at home, lol.

[dutchgirl678]

I am a professional photographer so I take pictures of my kids all the time, ha ha. But if I didn't I'd opt for professional photos (not JCP, Walmart, Sears, Picture People, whatever) at birth, 6 months and a year. I love taking my kids out to the park or let them play and like Brit said get a more candid feel.

[backinpgh]

After the newborn stage, I think when they can sit on their own is the best time to get new pics. We got pics of DD around 5 months, and she couldn't quite sit up all the way, so she looks kinda slouchy and miserable in some of her photos lol If we had waited a month they would have been even better. Personally I tend to do photos around holidays so they can be sent out as cards (the last shoot we did was Valentine's photos).