What Should You Ask a Newborn Photographer Before Booking?
- Jennifer
- 2 days ago
- 6 min read
If you're wondering what questions you should ask a newborn photographer before booking, I actually hope the answer is: not very many. You already have enough things to research before having a baby. You shouldn't also need to become an expert in newborn photography just to figure out which photographer to hire.
If you've narrowed it down to a few photographers whose work you love, I think the conversation should feel less like an interview and more like someone taking the weight off your shoulders. Hopefully, they're answering questions you didn't even know you had, explaining what happens next, and helping you imagine what your own session could look like.
Because if you just got off the phone with three newborn photographers and had to interrogate every one of them to figure out what they actually do... oh sweet dear. That already sounds exhausting.
Hopefully, they're asking more questions than you are
When I talk with a family for the first time, I don't expect them to know what to ask me. How would they? For many of my clients, this is their first baby and definitely their first newborn photography experience.
That's why I ask the questions.
We might start with colors, but pretty quickly I'm asking about your family, hobbies, siblings, things you collect, sentimental items, flowers that remind you of Grandma, or something Dad loves that we might be able to sneak into the session. Half the time, parents start the conversation thinking they don't have any ideas and end it texting me twenty minutes later because they suddenly remembered something else.
That's my job. You don't need to show up already knowing how to plan a newborn session. I want to pull those little details out of you, handle the photography part myself, and let you enjoy imagining what we're going to create.
Honestly, if you're choosing between a few photographers, I'd pay attention to who made you feel like you didn't have to know all the questions.
But there is one question almost nobody asks me
Who edits your photographs?
Nobody asks me this, and I find that so interesting because editing is probably 50% of the finished image.
Some photographers outsource their editing, and there isn't anything inherently wrong with that. It can make turnaround times much faster, and there are incredibly talented professional editors doing beautiful work. I just think it's worth knowing because the person taking your photograph and the person creating the finished artwork may not always be the same person.
For me, as of now I still use editing as apart of making the art in the photograph.
I always say that I paint with light and darkness. I might brighten one tiny area, soften another, remove something distracting, or bring your eye exactly where I wanted it when I pressed the shutter. It's another opportunity for me to fall in love with the family I just photographed.
It's also where all those little things you told me come back.
If Mom mentioned during our consultation that she has a scar on her left ear that she absolutely hates seeing in photographs, I remember that. When I see it while I'm editing, it's gone. Not because there's anything wrong with it, but because she told me it mattered to her.
That's the kind of thing I'd want to know about the photographer I was hiring. Who is carrying everything I told them all the way through the finished image?
What about safety, experience and all the serious stuff?
Those things absolutely matter, especially when someone is handling and posing your brand-new baby. But again, I don't think a new parent should have to arrive with a clipboard and remember to ask seventeen technical questions to determine whether someone is qualified.
A professional newborn photographer should be able to explain their experience, how they approach posing, what happens when a baby doesn't settle, and how they keep your baby comfortable throughout the session. If you'd like to dig deeper into that part specifically, I've written more about newborn photography safety and what parents should know before a session.
You should absolutely feel comfortable asking questions. I just don't want you feeling like it's your responsibility to know every question you're supposed to ask.
And please don't lose sleep over what you're going to wear
This might be one of the questions I hear most often, and I completely understand why. Everyone wants that beautiful family portrait, so suddenly Mom is shopping for herself, Dad, a toddler and possibly another sibling while also growing an entire human.
Please don't turn your newborn session into another assignment.
My family images are much more like a hug. I'm looking for the way you hold your baby, the way your older child leans into you, Dad looking down at this tiny person who just changed his entire world. What you're wearing contributes to the finished image, of course, but the connection is what makes it yours.
I give my families an Amazon inspiration list if they want an easy place to start, and I also have a client closet for Mom, Dad, toddlers and babies. If figuring out clothes is stressing you out, tell your photographer. This is exactly the kind of thing we should be making easier for you.
Give the planning conversation the fifteen minutes it deserves
This one I've learned through experience.
I know finding fifteen uninterrupted minutes when you're pregnant, working, parenting other children, or caring for a brand-new baby can sound slightly ridiculous. Sometimes the toddler is going to melt down. Sometimes the baby is going to wake up. Sometimes the day just goes sideways because that's life with kids.
If that happens, reschedule the call.
I would much rather talk with you tomorrow than push through a conversation where you're trying to listen to me while someone is screaming for a snack in the background. That consultation is where I learn about your family and where we start creating your session together. When we can actually hear each other, I get to know you better, you understand exactly what to expect, and the entire experience afterward tends to feel easier.
Those fifteen minutes aren't another hoop you have to jump through. They're fifteen minutes that can save you from having to think about a hundred little things later.
Jennifer's Two Cents
Someday, if Caroline is pregnant and sends me three newborn photographers saying, "Mom, help. Which one do I pick?" I already know what I'm going to ask her.
Which one are you pulled toward?
Not which one gives you four more digitals. Not which one is $200 less. Not which one has the fanciest package name. If she loves all three portfolios and they're all professionals she'd trust with her baby, I want to know which person feels right to her.
And once she tells me, I'm calling that photographer and putting down the deposit myself.
I don't think my daughter should have to buy her own newborn photography. I think that's Grandma's job. 😂 Maybe that's because by then I'll understand something even more deeply than I do now: when you're holding your first newborn, you cannot possibly comprehend how quickly you're going to arrive at kindergarten.
Grandma knows.
So what should you actually ask?
Ask anything you genuinely want to know. You should never feel uncomfortable asking about safety, experience, editing, pricing, products, turnaround time, family portraits, siblings, or anything else that's important to you.
But I wouldn't choose a photographer based on who gives the best answers to a checklist you found online. I'd pay attention to the conversation itself. Did they listen? Did they explain things before you had to ask? Do you understand what you're purchasing and what happens next? Do you feel like they understand what matters to your family?
Most importantly, do you feel taken care of?
Because you're already doing enough. Your newborn photographer should be one of the people making this season easier.
Key Takeaways
You shouldn't need to know every question to ask; a good photographer should guide the conversation.
Ask who edits the finished photographs if knowing who creates the final artwork matters to you.
Safety and newborn-specific experience should be clear and easy to discuss.
Don't let clothing become another pregnancy project. Ask what resources your photographer provides.
Protect a little time for your consultation because that's where personalization begins.
Once you've covered the practical things, pay attention to the photographer you're naturally drawn to and how you feel talking with them.
Continue Reading
If you're working your way through choosing a newborn photographer, I'd go here next:
Think Tiny Details Might Be Your Photographer?
You don't need to have your props picked out, know what everyone is wearing, or arrive with a list of questions. You don't even need to know exactly what you want yet.
That's what our conversation is for.
If you've looked through my work and something keeps pulling you back, Start Here and tell me about your baby. I'll help with the rest.
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