When I do maternity photoshoots, at the end of the session, the most common question is: «when to take newborn photos?»

Mothers-to-be who understand how important is having memories of those moments always want to make sure they get the best outcome, so they try to be very organised, planning everything in detail.

To me, it is always a beautiful feeling when I meet a pregnant mother and then she comes back after a few months with no bump, but with a gorgeous baby in her arms. I can see the joy in her eyes and, being a mother myself, I empathise a lot with her.

The answer to that question, however, is not univocal: it depends on what kind of photos you want to have with your baby.

The only suggestion I can give is planning ahead, and contacting me four to six weeks before the due date if the new mom is planning to take some shots of the first days after the birth.

Being the first few days, you will likely feel stressed and tired, but being organised will help a lot. I will make sure you feel comfortable during the photoshoot and we will take some breaks.

That being said, I think there are three best moments to take stunning photos.

The first days

As soon as you and the baby are back home, you can consider yourself ready. When to take newborn photos? Now!

During the first few days after the birth, the baby sleeps a lot, so this will give us the chance to try a lot of different poses, including artistic nudes.

As I said above, I love to see the difference between a pregnant mother waiting for her baby and a mother who welcomes her baby to the world. During my newborn photoshoots, I strive to capture your emotions, rather than just taking photos of the baby: the real subject of a newborn photoshoot is still the mother, and how she holds and looks her baby. That beautiful smile on her face…

The first weeks

The period between two and twelve weeks after the birth is another lovely moment to shoot.

During this period, the baby still tends to sleep a lot, so there is still the chance to try a lot of different poses. This is a great advantage, because a session can last up to two hours, and often the baby does not wake up at all, and even if they do wake up, they won’t be nervous, and we can easily take all the shots we want.

If the baby needs to familiarise with the unusual environment of my studio, we will let them take their time.

This is also the moment when the baby starts to change their skin tone, going from a pale complexion to a vivid pink, which allows us to use the lights in a different way, highlighting your touch on the baby’s body.

After the first 3 months

Do you feel it is better to wait a little bit longer? It is totally fine! After the third month of baby’s life and before the end of the first year, there are still many chances to take splendid photos, especially if you want to focus on the baby’s character.

After a few months, the baby sleeps for shorter periods of time, and it is possible to take some shots while they are alert, so we can capture their eyes in the camera.

Make sure they are well fed and rested, before the photoshoot, otherwise it will be very difficult to take wonderful shots with a nervous baby!

As you can see, there is no ultimate answer to when to take newborn photos: it is all up to you and what you want to achieve. Whether your choice, I will always be there.