Best Age for Newborn Photos

March 14, 2016

Your baby will be gorgeous no matter what age, but the first two weeks are ideal for newborn photography. Babies are still curled and sleepy, making those classic posed shots easier to achieve. That said, beautiful newborn images can be captured anytime up to three months and you have not missed your window.

Best Age for Newborn Photos

Getting baby pictures can be quite an undertaking when it comes to traffic and nap schedules. And when you consider that parents JUST had a baby, asking them to leave the house at that point is a really big deal…especially when you find out that a newborn session can take up to 3 hours!

A good photographer will be able to get beautiful images of any baby, no matter how old they are. The ultimate decision of when those images are taken should be up to the parents, not the photographer.  The newborn stage is up to 3 months of age so parents have time to decide.

Why do most newborn photographers say that images should be taken within the first two weeks of baby’s life? 

There are a few reasons:

1.  As soon as babies are born, they want to uncurl and spread out:  The older they get the more active they become, so the first 2 weeks of baby’s life is the easiest time to get these sweet curled up shots we imagine when we think of newborn photography.

2. Babies can wake easily:  Because very young babies are able to get into a deep sleep a little easier than older babies, they are less apt to wake because of their startle reflex.  The advantage of photographing babies when they are very young is that once they are in a deep sleep, they usually stay there.

3. Positioning.  As I mentioned earlier, once babies enter the world they start uncurling and taking up more space.  As they grow they don’t want to be squished up anymore!  It can make getting the perfect shot a little harder but should not prevent your photographer from getting beautiful images of your sweet new baby.   While there are some advantages to having photos taken early in the very early weeks of baby’s life, we can get lovely images no matter what baby’s age.  

I will never forget a new momma who called me on the verge of tears because a photographer told her that she missed her window to get newborn pictures of her baby and that photographer refused to take the session.  I was so mad for that mom. Her child was barely 20 days old!  So don’t let anyone make you feel like you missed anything.  You are doing a great job and we can get great images for you to treasure.   -Dorie Howell, Newborn & Family Photographer in Northern VA

Be sure to bookmark 50 Things to Do in the First Year once you feel like venturing out with baby! And if you need some support overnight, the Let Mommy Sleep team of night, nanny, and newborn care specialists is here for you. Find your local team!