As a newborn photographer here in Westlake Village, one of the most common questions I get from new parents is: when is the best time to photograph a newborn?
There isn’t a one size fits all answer. It depends on the kind of photographs you are hoping for, the season your family is in, and even things like whether you have a toddler who may need some time to adjust to a new baby. Perhaps you have had a long journey to get here and want the first weeks to be quiet and uninterrupted. By looking at a photographer’s work you can start to feel what kind of imagery excites you and brings you joy. In this post I will share my own approach, and why I prefer to welcome newborns into the studio around 4 weeks of age.
I remember one of my earlier newborn sessions with a wonderful mother I knew. She had waited a long time for her baby and after several rounds of IVF she and her husband welcomed a baby girl. She was ten days old on our session day, and she looked like a little peach. After photographing the little peach on her own it was time for a motherhood portrait. The mom had wanted an image of her snuggling up to her newborn, taken from overhead to look like they were resting together on a cloud-like bed. However, her body hurt, and though she tried, she couldn’t settle in comfortably after having a c-section just ten days prior. I could see that trying other poses was also difficult for her.
I remember driving home afterwards thinking: this connection between them is the most beautiful part. This long-awaited love. How besotted she was with her baby. That is what I wanted to capture. And I wanted the experience to feel good to her, because these photographs would become memories she would treasure for a lifetime.
There is often a defined “newborn window” of time for newborn photography, and a general understanding that a baby staying asleep through the session is desirable. And truly, there is nothing sweeter than a sleepy brand new baby. A tiny curled up newborn is impossible not to adore. But over time, I realized that what excited me most as an artist was not perfect posing. It was connection.
I wanted to create from a place that felt authentic and true to me.
When I look back at photographs of myself with my babies, those are the photos that flood me with memories. Those are the photos that transport me back to that bedroom, with that window and the newborn smell that I can almost, almost remember. The photograph of my daughter nestled on my chest, looking up at me with that impossibly pure newborn gaze, full of milk and goodness — I feel that moment. Seeing her eyes in that portrait is everything to me, and how connected we are, so much so that I don’t know where I end and she begins.
A Westlake Village newborn photographer with a unique approach to session timing
At around four weeks I will often see a baby reach for their mother, and gaze at her very intently. It is incredible to witness. Siblings begin to find their bond with the new baby, and the first precious newborn smiles appear. This timing also gives a new mom more time to rest and recover, and to not feel quite so frantic. Take a proper shower. Brush her hair. Go to the bathroom at least once in peace 🙂 It is hard to predict how the first few weeks will feel.
A mother is often behind the camera, quietly documenting everyone else. I want to remind mothers how meaningful it is to be present in their own memories. I want them to feel beautiful and seen, and honored inside of their motherhood. There are postpartum friendly dresses in my studio wardrobe that photograph beautifully. One of my favorite things during a client’s portrait experience is when a mom looks at her final photographs and genuinely cannot believe how gorgeous she looks (I secretly live for this moment). Being a woman and a mother myself feels very special and important here. In every mother I photograph I see a little bit of myself. As a Westlake Village maternity and newborn photographer I would love to welcome you into the studio to preserve the season of motherhood you are in now.
