Is My Baby Too Old for Newborn Pictures? (2024)

FAQs

Is My Baby Too Old for Newborn Pictures? ›

Usually newborn photo shoots take place before your baby is two weeks old. The suggested age for newborn photo shoot is typically between 5-14 days. I usually suggest that my clients book their newborn photo shoot before their baby is born (typically around your 20 week scan).

Its never too late to photograph your baby. You will never regret having photos of your baby from when she 1 month old, 2 months old, or 3 months old! Yes, babies who are 1-2 months old are more alert and have longer awake times, but a few perks to this age? There is a high chance we can catch a smile!

In fact, it's also ok if your baby is two or even three months old! Listen, I get it. Life is chaotic. Maybe you never got around to contacting a photographer while you were pregnant or you didn't think you wanted a photo session until after you brought your baby home or until they were a few weeks old.

Other good time to photograph newborns: 3weeks to 8 weeks

For these reasons, the session may look a little different and we won't be able to get ALL the poses that you hoped for, but you will still love the session the same because it's still your precious baby.

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.

Newborn Posing

Certain poses can cause harm to your newborn baby if not done correctly. Some poses need to be done as a composite. By this, I mean that the image is taken twice, one where the baby is supported under the head, and one where the baby is supported at the top of the head, and then edited together.

5-8 week old babies

I love photographing 5-8 week old newborns. This gives you more time to rest and recover from birth. Babies have woken up a bit and are more alert, meaning there is a good chance you can get photos of your baby's open eyes.

Consider waiting: 2 months

Your baby will no doubt still look super-cute, but it's a slightly in-between age for portraits: not quite a newborn, but also not yet a plumped out baby. If you can, hold out and arrange your booking for when your baby is 3 months old!

Side pose

Baby is laid on his side and his little hands are placed under his face. You will capture his sweet face while sleeping in the most natural position. This position will photograph the baby in his entire length, the baby's face will be in focus but his body will be in the foreground.

At 2 months, baby is about the size of a raspberry. They still look a lot like an alien, but some human features are starting to develop: eyes, a nose, a mouth, and ears are growing on the outside, while important body systems — like the respiratory organs and nerves — are rapidly growing on the inside.

What is the best time of day to take newborn photos? ›

The best time of day for in-home newborn photos is 10 am.

It isn't overpowering nor is it still too dark of those early morning hours. Later in the day the sun is too far overhead to provide nice light inside.

Meltzoff & Moore (1992) suggested that two- to three-month-old infants are still capable of facial imitation, but prefer new kinds of social interactions.

Each baby's development varies, however, you will typically see pointing develop between 10 and 15 months of age. If your baby is not able to do the following by 18 months, seek out professional help. Look at objects you are pointing at – nearby initially and far away by 18 months. Whole hand pointing (10-12 months).

If you want a baby who is a little more interactive and can usually grab eye contact, one month old is perfect. Newborn photos are great up to 6 weeks old. Either way you won't regret capturing these memories.

It is especially important for me, to capture newborn images with parents. This is the best visual reminder of how little they were at the very beginning. Newborn sessions can also be a nice escape for parents too.

It's around 18 months that experts reckon that they realise it's actually their own reflection. And that's when they will start recognising themselves in photographs. And then looking at photographs with them just takes on a whole new meaning.

You'll likely be showing a pretty decent-sized bump between 28-36 weeks, especially if this isn't your first baby. But depending on your photographer's availability, the longer you wait to schedule your maternity photos, the more likely you'll be pushing the end of that prime 7-8 month window.

In conclusion, if you're wondering when to take newborn photos, the ideal time to hold your session is within those first two weeks of life, but don't worry if your little one is older – some of my most favorite newborn photos were taken with older newborns!

The best time of day for in-home newborn photos is 10 am.

By 10 am the light indoors is beautiful. It isn't overpowering nor is it still too dark of those early morning hours. Later in the day the sun is too far overhead to provide nice light inside.

We did it at 3-4 weeks and I highly recommend doing one like that. The baby is still tiny, but you're a bit more recovered.