4 Reasons to Book Professional Newborn Photography

This is naturally the biggest reason to opt for a professional photographer. You’ll get beautiful, timeless images perfectly lit and edited. These are not just photos, but memories that’ll be cherished for years to come. When you do your research and choose a photographer whose style you love, you can rest easy knowing that you’ll be proud to display your newborn pictures in your home for years to come.

And if you’d like to be in the photos yourself, you won’t have to worry about setting up a tripod and a self-timer. And if you’re feeling a little self-conscious about your post-baby body, your photographer will do everything they can to make you feel comfortable and confident, choosing the most flattering angles and capturing the beauty of your bond with your child.

Let’s face it – being a new parent is as rough as it is magical. When you’re sleep-deprived and can hardly find time for a quick shower, worrying about camera angles and lighting on top of when your wee one has been fed, burped and changed can easily get to be too much.

So handing over responsibility to a photographer who specialises in amazing newborn photography and deals with babies every day can be a real weight off your shoulders. You won’t need to clean your house or fuss over draping a clean and creaseless bedsheet up as a backdrop. While your photographer makes sure your baby is happy and captures all their cuteness, you can sit back and appreciate… or even have a little power nap (we have the perfect sofa for this at Blue Sky)

These days, it’s very popular to pose babies in cute, intricate positions, like with their head resting on their hands or in a froggy position. The thing about these newborn poses is that they need to be executed by experts to be safe. More often than not, these photos are the result of careful posing and stitching multiple shots together with the magic of Photoshop. This means they’re simply not possible for the amateur photographer to capture.

Not only that, a professional newborn photographer has plenty of tricks up their sleeve to keep your baby warm and comfortable so they’ll be sleepy and cute for their close-up. They’ll also heat up the studio so it’s nice and cosy and be ready with the right sounds and things to distract baby if they get fussy.

Of course, one of the biggest reasons people want to go the DIY route is to save money – and there’s nothing wrong with that. But consider the following two scenarios: number one, you get a quote for a newborn baby photography package that already includes the shoot, editing and basic prints, plus clearly priced additional print options. 

Number two: you decide to go it alone. You have a good camera, borrow one or just rely on your iPhone. Maybe you buy a new macro lens to capture those little details like eyelashes and tiny toes. 

You buy a cute sheep skin rug and a couple of headbands and outfits. Maybe a reflector. You sign up for a free photo editing trial that you then forget to cancel. You go to a print shop but the first ones come out looking weird or aren’t the right size after all. And then it’s time to get those photos framed…

Basically, even the DIY route can end up costing a lot more than expected. With a pro, you’ll benefit from their access to high-end equipment and editing software as well as the perfect space to photograph your little one. And they’ll be able to print your photos to the highest quality and work with you to figure out exactly what products you’d like.

Being honest, even if you do hire a professional newborn session, you’ll end up taking up some shots yourself, too. As you should. After all everyone is going to be clamouring for images of your new little person.

So what can you do to make your DIY newborn photos look their best? Here are a few of our tips:

• Wait for baby to be sleepy – this’ll be easiest, and hopefully you can avoid tears, crazy eyes and blurry photos due to your little one moving around.
• Opt for natural light as it’s the easiest to work with as a an amateur. Mid-morning light is best as it’s soft and plentiful. Try taking some practice shots around the house with something like a stuffed toy as a stand-in for your baby to find the best lighting.
• Don’t shoot up their nose – instead of standing in front of your baby and taking their picture diagonally (resulting in pictures right up their nose and with weird distortion), carefully stand right over them. Make sure you have a strap for your camera around your neck just in case you drop it!
• Get a good app for editing your photos. For pictures taken on your phone, you can try an app like VSCO, Snapseed or AirBrush to adjust things like exposure and saturation in your photos. With the last app, you can also easily get rid of things like small blemishes if you want.

And if you’re looking for professional newborn photography in Edinburgh, you’ve come to the right place…

Blue Sky Photography has been capturing new life at its tenderest and most adorable for years now. Sarah and I are mums ourselves, and know a thing or two about creating a warm and inviting environment for parents and babies. We believe that timeless trumps trendy every time, and want to help you capture precious moments in an artful way so you’ll have something beautiful to look back on for years to come.

If this sounds like your style, send us a message and let’s chat.

#BigBlueSkyLove

Alie x