The photography business has changed a lot in the past couple of decades. It used to be the case that a typical photographer handled every type of session under the sun. We’re talking newborns to weddings to school portraits and everything in between. These days most photographers specialize in a certain style and session. Wedding photographers usually do engagements and sometimes maternity but usually that’s where they stop. Raleigh family photographers will typically do maternity, newborn and family shoots, but that’s not always the case. I know many photographers that only do newborns and some families but not maternity, or other that do families but not newborns.
So, when deciding on a Raleigh Newborn Photographer choose someone who specializes in newborn photography. You want to look for someone who has a few newborn sessions under their belt. Look for someone who shares a lot of newborn work, who shows that that is their focus and passion in their business. You wouldn’t go to a dentist if you had a broken leg, right? It’s the same idea.
Photographers spend thousands of hours in training to not only learn how to use their equipment, but also how to photograph different subjects in different situations. Just because someone has experience photographing couples or events, doesn’t mean they will be good at photographing newborns, and vice versa.
Here are some things to consider when looking for a Raleigh newborn photographer:
Location: Do you want a studio setting or do you want to shoot in your home? Choose a photographer who shoots in the location you want. Not every photographer uses a studio, so make sure the photographer offers the type of session you want. Some studios are white and bright, and some use dark backgrounds for a more dramatic look. I am a natural light photographer who does newborn sessions in your home. I do not use a studio or studio lights. Everything is done with the light from your windows. This means if it is very cloudy or rainy we will have to reschedule… but I guarantee waiting for sunshine is worth it!
Style of the poses Does it mesh with what you like? Do you want your baby in buckets and other props, or do you like the style that is more natural in nature? Are you expecting only photos where everyone is looking at the camera or do you like photos that incorporate more movement and connection (snuggling, hugging, playing). It’s important to look at the work of the photographer that you are booking and make sure you like style of the images they post because that is what you will get. If the photographer is posting mostly documentary/candid images they probably don’t use props and if they use props they will not usually photograph in a natural style.
Overall colors of the images There are several ways that a photographer expresses their style. Other than poses, photographers also control how the final image looks by the editing they do in post-processing. Cameras naturally take images with more muted color tones so photographers have to edit the pictures so they don’t look dull. But how they edit them is completely up to their personal preference and style. Take a look at the images they post on social media and their website… Do you like the overall look of the images? Some photographers edit their images to be bright and bold, while some use muted tones. Some photographers love dark and moody images, and others only like light and airy (this generally means the image doesn’t have a lot of dark tones even in the background). Some edit their images to have more yellows and golds, while others keep their images more natural looking. You might not know how to describe what you are looking for, but you will know it when you see it! I like my photographs to be true to natural colors, but bright and happy! I like some shadows, so the bright colors can pop, just like in this session below.
Want to learn about my approach? I talk about why I do lifestyle newborn photography in this post. Read enough? Interested in booking a session? Great! Contact me here and we can chat!