I didn't pay for newborn photos
I read a lot about newborn photos while I was pregnant. I researched photographers in our area and went back and forth about if I thought it was worth the expense. Pretty much everyone seemed to agree that they were glad they had bitten the bullet and paid up. These are moments you can't ever get back, they all said.
But I wasn't sure that I wanted to spend several thousand dollars. For 10 photos.
I am not a person who likes only having the perfect shots. I like having the messy shots, the selfies, the everyone is looking the wrong way, someone is sneezing, my hair is a hot mess and I'm glaring because I'm fighting with the husband shots. I like to remember life how it is. And I like a lot of photos to do it.
I eventually decided to skip hiring a professional photographer. The husband has a cousin who likes photography and is great at it, so we asked her if she would come and do them instead. She agreed, so we paid her an enormous amount less than we would have paid for one of the local photographers I had researched, and also bought ourselves a mid-range camera on Black Friday. All of that... and we still were nowhere near touching the expense of some of the places I had found.
The big question is... do I regret it? Do I feel like I robbed my future self of the special memories captured and preserved forever?
Nope.
Our cousin did a fantastic job. When I look at the photos they are everything I hoped for; they captured her perfect little features, our happy and tired expressions and the massive amount of hair that still sits on top of our little tot's head. Best of all? There is a hundred of them. Not 10. Which is perfect for someone like me.
The only things I would have done differently:
- I would have kept it warm. Babies are often naked in photos, so for some reason I assumed she would be ok even in short sleeves... but she was upset and its probably because she was cold. I would have cranked the heat, busted out the space heater and made sure she was toasty.
- I would have not expected her to sleep as much. The tiny human has always been a little more awake than the average bear. So the shots of happily sleeping kiddo? Pretty hard to snag.
- I would have limited the outfit swaps and kept things simple. I had ideas about this outfit on this backdrop with this bow... and it probably would have been quite a bit easier on her if we had kept it really simple instead. I would have also started with my favorite outfit, in case she ended up being a fussy pants (hint- she did).
I don't regret not hiring a professional photographer, but that doesn't mean that you should follow in my footsteps. You know yourself, you know what you like, what will put you at the most ease, and what sort of memories you want to preserve. Newborn photographers are amazing and very loved by their clients, and I fully support you pursuing that route if you want to. You know you, mama. If you really want them done but feel like the cost is prohibitive, maybe try registering for them somehow, so people can contribute to your photo fund instead of getting you gift cards.
But I wasn't sure that I wanted to spend several thousand dollars. For 10 photos.
I am not a person who likes only having the perfect shots. I like having the messy shots, the selfies, the everyone is looking the wrong way, someone is sneezing, my hair is a hot mess and I'm glaring because I'm fighting with the husband shots. I like to remember life how it is. And I like a lot of photos to do it.
I eventually decided to skip hiring a professional photographer. The husband has a cousin who likes photography and is great at it, so we asked her if she would come and do them instead. She agreed, so we paid her an enormous amount less than we would have paid for one of the local photographers I had researched, and also bought ourselves a mid-range camera on Black Friday. All of that... and we still were nowhere near touching the expense of some of the places I had found.
The big question is... do I regret it? Do I feel like I robbed my future self of the special memories captured and preserved forever?
Nope.
Our cousin did a fantastic job. When I look at the photos they are everything I hoped for; they captured her perfect little features, our happy and tired expressions and the massive amount of hair that still sits on top of our little tot's head. Best of all? There is a hundred of them. Not 10. Which is perfect for someone like me.
The only things I would have done differently:
- I would have kept it warm. Babies are often naked in photos, so for some reason I assumed she would be ok even in short sleeves... but she was upset and its probably because she was cold. I would have cranked the heat, busted out the space heater and made sure she was toasty.
- I would have not expected her to sleep as much. The tiny human has always been a little more awake than the average bear. So the shots of happily sleeping kiddo? Pretty hard to snag.
- I would have limited the outfit swaps and kept things simple. I had ideas about this outfit on this backdrop with this bow... and it probably would have been quite a bit easier on her if we had kept it really simple instead. I would have also started with my favorite outfit, in case she ended up being a fussy pants (hint- she did).
I don't regret not hiring a professional photographer, but that doesn't mean that you should follow in my footsteps. You know yourself, you know what you like, what will put you at the most ease, and what sort of memories you want to preserve. Newborn photographers are amazing and very loved by their clients, and I fully support you pursuing that route if you want to. You know you, mama. If you really want them done but feel like the cost is prohibitive, maybe try registering for them somehow, so people can contribute to your photo fund instead of getting you gift cards.
