Is there a “perfect” time to start a newborn photography session? Morning? Afternoon? Evening???
The short answer is: the time of day can definitely matter, but there isn’t one magic starting hour that works for every single baby.
As a newborn photographer on Long Island, I take several factors into consideration when creating a start time for a session. I try to create an environment where your baby is comfortable, your family isn’t rushed, and we have the time and flexibility needed to have a relaxing session.
So, What Is the Best Time of Day for Newborn Photos?
You may hear that newborn photography sessions should take place in the morning or that there is one ideal time for photographing newborns.
In reality, newborns don’t follow any type of predictable schedule – and that’s completely normal.
Some babies are more settled at one point in the day than another. Feeding times, your baby’s individual temperament, and even how the morning or afternoon unfolds can all affect how a session goes.
BUT newborns do tend to have their “sleepiest” times during the morning hours and tend to have a “witching hour” which tends to make them more awake and cranky in the afternoon/evenings.
The time I choose for MY newborn sessions is based on that. I personally start all my newborn sessions in the morning unless there is a circumstance that pushes the start time to the afternoon.
Here is one scenario that might affect the start time of a newborn session for other photographers.
If You Are A Natural Light Photographer – Natural Light Can Play a Role
One reason the time of day can matter is strictly because of lighting.
Light changes throughout the day, and the quality and direction of natural light can affect the look and feel of images. Which direction the light is coming from also plays a part and time of day affects that as well.
For me, being in a studio setting and using a flash, I’m able to control the lighting, which means technically I’m not completely dependent on a specific time of day for “good lighting” or whatever the weather happens to be doing outside.
For my style of newborn photography, I love creating images with a soft and warm feel. Using controlled lighting allows me to maintain that look consistently rather than relying solely on the sun being in the right place at the right time.
So, What If Baby Needs to Eat During the Session Because They are on A Feeding Schedule?
Well, then we stop and feed the baby.
It’s really that simple.
Newborn photography sessions are not a race. Your baby doesn’t know that we have images to create, and I’m certainly not expecting them to cooperate on a schedule just because we have an appointment. Pivoting and allowing time for feedings, diaper changes, etc. is important. All these things are normal parts of a newborn session.
Sometimes those pauses even become some of the sweetest moments of the day.
The Time of Day Doesn’t Determine Whether You’ll Get Beautiful Photos
One of the biggest things is that there is no single time of day that guarantees a successful newborn photography session. You could have a disastrous morning session and a phenomenal, sleepy baby afternoon session.
This is where experience comes into play – experience, patience, proper pre-session information, appropriate handling, knowledge of posing, are all things that go towards getting beautiful images.
That’s why I don’t want you worrying that you’ve somehow chosen the “wrong” time. It’s not about a wrong time, it’s about preparation, experience and knowledge.
My job as your newborn photographer is to work with your baby rather than expecting your baby to work around the photography session.
And remember, there could be legit circumstances that push the session to a different time of the day so it is all about how I, as a newborn photographer, adapt to that and how I get my clients to be prepared for their session.
There Isn’t a Magic Time – Each Newborn Photographer Schedules Differently
I can’t tell you there is a SPECIFIC time to start a newborn photography session BUT I can recommend based on the knowledge I have. My recommendation is to start newborn sessions in the morning. It gives parents that much needed time to relax (and maybe even fall asleep) after a long night and a lot of newborns tend to be more “sleepy” in those morning hours.
Every newborn photographer has their own start times. Newborn photography should be about documenting this incredibly short chapter of your family’s life, not creating another source of stress for new parents so having a definitive start time given by the newborn photographer takes a lot of stress off of parents because it is one less thing they have to ponder and choose.
Whether your session takes place in the morning or later in the day, what matters most is creating a calm environment where your baby can be comfortable and we can take our time creating beautiful images.
At Three J’s Photography, my goal is to make your newborn photography experience as seamless and relaxed as possible – from planning your session to creating beautiful images that you’ll treasure long after these tiny newborn days are gone.
If you’re looking for a newborn photographer on Long Island, my Farmingdale studio is designed to provide a warm, comfortable and safe environment for you and your baby.
Ready to start planning your newborn session? Let’s plan your session.
www.threejsphotography.com
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