The Best Maternity and Newborn Photos Ever – How and When to Get Them!
By: Jenny Wheat, Photographer - www.wheatphotography.com

Okay, so you’re pregnant (hurray!) and you’re doing all the right things.  Get a crib… check! Oodles of tiny clothes… check!  Even more diapers… check!

And one more huge decision… who should take the photos?!!   Thinking back, you may have had senior photos taken and you probably had beautiful wedding photos, but since then… well, not so many. 

The most exciting time of your life is here, and there will never be ANYTHING you’ll ever do that you want to capture in photos and keep forever more than your precious new baby – and you have no idea who should take them!

Here are some tips to help you find the photographer and style that will make you say “these are the best photographs in the world!”

First of all – know your style.  What is your home like? How do you dress?  Just like you, photographers can be casual or formal, contemporary or old school, “out there” or super traditional.  Know what you like! Look at some books, look at lots of photographers’ websites and ask your friends about their experiences!

Here are some elements that make a maternity session and a newborn session truly outstanding.

First, maternity photos… Just do it!

You’ll never be more beautiful – or feel so large!  Maternity photos should be about soft light and gorgeous curves. They should be full of emotion (both sweet and silly), flattering while showing off that bump during the 8th month, and most of all UNIQUE!  Who wants the same old “staring at your belly” shot you’ve seen a hundred times? 

Side note: If you are one of those expecting moms still asking “why would anyone want maternity photos taken of themselves”… let’s back up.  How much would you treasure a beautiful portrait of your mother when she was young and glowing and had YOU growing in her belly?  I know I would LOVE to have that photograph.   You are doing these for the baby, who will treasure them one day.  So do it!  You will never, ever be sorry that you had maternity photos taken, no matter what you may think you look like!  You don’t have to hang them up in frames – have them made into a lovely keepsake album and go through it often with your child as she grows up.

Moving on…why not think about some really unique and gorgeous location for your maternity photos.  How about an intimate session in your home with your nursery in the background, your guy in jeans and bare feet, etc… Are you a nature girl? How about walking through the woods or a field of flowers or standing on a snowy hillside?  Are you a gorgeous, free spirit?  Rock that hot pregnant bod in some stillettos by the pool!  Maybe you’re a city girl and want some chic, urban shots with your coolest black maternity turtleneck, funky cap and stylish jeans.  Be creative!  BE YOU!  Be sure you find a photographer who shares your vision and has some really creative ideas of their own!

Okay, so let’s say you have your maternity photos and you love them. Now it’s time for the big arrival and soon after -- the baby session!

As a photographer, I sometimes hear “we don’t want to spend too much on the newborn photos- we’ll do a full session later when the baby is bigger”.  I also often hear, “we want to wait until the baby is a month or two old to bring him in”.

I always think, “WHAT?” 

This is IT, people! This is the MOMENT!  If you are ever going to spend some extra money on a photo session – this is the one!  And don’t wait until that tiny, wrinkled, sleepy, fit-in-your-hands creature is a month or two old!  You really must get those first shots taken in the first 7 to 10 days of life before the fuzz on her back is gone, before that teeny body starts fattening up and stretching out (within the first month!), before those wrinkled size zero feet get pudgy, and before a crop of baby acne pops up because of a dip in hormone levels not long after the birth! 

Make sure you have a photographer who LOVES babies, who understands newborns and how to make them comfortable.  Be sure you have 90 minutes set aside just for you so you can nurse or bottle feed the baby in peace during your session, soothe him if he gets crabby and wait for him to fall asleep for some sleepy shots.  Don’t worry a thing about clothing and shoes and tights and hats and outfits for the baby.  This session is about tiny toes and fingers, squinchy faces, barely-open eyes, dimpled bottoms and the joyous faces of mommy and daddy! At my studio, I recommend that both parents wear a really simple black or white top and bring almost nothing for baby. Make sure dad has a good haircut and you both have manicured, non-painted nails.  Take extra time for yourself to put on lovely but natural make-up.

The newborn session can easily be in your home or a studio- it’s not at all about location, it’s about close-ups.  Emotion and love should shine through and you should be comfortable enough with your photographer to forget about the camera and focus on your sweet baby.  Remind dad that this is a lot like the delivery room- he has do WHATEVER is asked of him and do it cheerfully for as long as it takes!!!

When you finally do get those stunning newborn shots and your very first portrait as a FAMILY, blow them up huge and make them the primary art in your home for years to come.  Even in twenty years, you will never get tired of looking at a large fine art portrait of the tiny person that turned your world upside down!

Photographer, Jenny Wheat owns Wheat Photography with studios in both De Soto, KS and downtown Kansas City.  Please feel free to contact her with questions at photogurl32@yahoo.com or at 816.695.9542.  Visit her website, www.wheatphotography.com to view many different galleries of her work including galleries called “maternity/newborn”, “babies” and “familes”.