Hi there expectant Mums & Dad’s of The Illawarra

Are you preparing to welcome a beautiful little bundle into your family? Perhaps your first newborn baby or even your third, if you are considering having some stunning professional newborn photographs taken of your baby and your family, then this article is a must read for you.

What are the most important factors to consider when deciding on your Wollongong Newborn Photographer?

With many talented photographers in the Wollongong, Illawarra, Sutherland Shire and South Coast regions, it can be overwhelming trying to find the perfect photographer amongst the sea of ‘professional’ newborn photographers. Your baby is only this little once and you can’t get that time back so it is a decision you will want to seriously consider.

So as an experienced newborn photographer, I believe the most important things to consider when selecting your newborn photographer are STYLE and EXPERIENCE.

The two main 'styles' of newborn photography are POSED and LIFESTYLE. So lets explore the differences between the two different styles.

Posed Newborn Photography

Do you love colour, props and your baby looking absolutely perfect (which they most definitely are!).

A posed session is often held in the photographers studio (however many photographers can bring all props and items to you also) where lighting is absolutely perfect. A posed session can often take 3-4 or more hours to complete, the room is set very warm (28-30 degrees) to keep baby comfortable. You have access to an array for beautiful props, wraps, toys and the like.

Any skin imperfections such as baby acne and flaky skin are usually removed in post processing after your session. Many posed newborn baby photographers will provide a gallery of 10-30 images for you to choose from.

Lifestyle Newborn Photography

Do you prefer a more simple, natural and organic style of photography. Lifestyle newborn photography is often held in the comfort of your own home and tells a story about you welcoming your little bundle into your home. Imagine your baby in his or her cot, your beautiful nursery, perhaps some portraits of Mum feeding bub, or Dad gently rocking your little one to sleep.

A lifestyle newborn photography session can take 1-2 hours to complete, no props are used, rather the surrounds of your home and the blankets and wraps you already own.
When you look through a photographers gallery, do you feel drawn to their portraits? Do you feel a connection to and love the style of images the photographer is producing? Imagine portraits like those in the photographers gallery hanging on the walls of your home.

So do you want posed portraits, relaxed lifestyle images or a mix of both?

Does the photographer specialise in Newborn Photography and do they photograph newborn babies on a regular basis? This will give you an indication that they have greater knowledge and experience in handling your precious newborn baby.

While all newborn photographers have to start somewhere, it is worth considering whether you are comfortable handing your baby over to an amateur photographer.

- Is the photographer an actual business - registered and insured?

- What training do they have - photographically?

- What courses and workshops have they attended that specialise in photographing newborn babies? Do they have a current First Aid Certificate?

- Do they have a Federal Working With Children Check

- How do they store your images, do they have a secure system in place?

- Have they been vaccinated against whooping cough?

- Is newborn photography their full time job, part time job or is it a hobby?

- What poses will they use, are the props safe?

- What equipment do they use? There is a huge difference between a DSLR that costs $600 on auto mode compared to $4000 camera (body only) driven manually by an experienced photographer.

- What safe practises do they utilise?

If you would like posed images such as the 'froggy' pose - baby's has chin on hands, this is a composite of two different images that are joined together in photoshop - a newborn baby absolutely can NOT hold it's on head in it's hands.

Ask as many questions as you like, this is YOUR baby!

Would you feel comfortable with the photographer handling your baby? Will they be easy to get along with? If you are unsure, give them a call and have a chat! Do they come recommended? Check out their ‘About Me’ page. Do they have real testimonials? Will your session be relaxed with plenty of time for feeding and settling or will you be rushed through to make way for the next client?

Are the images of professional quality? Is their style consistent? Are the images in focus (a little tip here, unless it is a portrait of gorgeous wrinkly little toes, the focus should be on the baby’s eyes of the subjects) are the images too dark, too light, have a strange orange cast, are they over edited, under edited?

Does their gallery have a diverse range of portraits showing different families and faces or are you seeing the same baby and family?

What do you want to do with your images?

In a digital world, it is easy to say 'I just want the digitals and will print them myself'. But if you don't get to printing your images, what use are they sitting on a USB in the drawer? And trust me, the main stream printers at large department stores can not produce the same printing quality as a professional print laboratory.

Think about what physical items you would like to take away from your Wollongong Newborn Photography experience?
- Do you want large framed prints for your wall?
- A beautifully crafted album?
- Will the photographer provide archival quality products with accurate print colour?
- Will the products be guaranteed?

Can your photographer provide you with the products you want?

Some life milestones are worth investing in.
While price will be a big consideration in your overall decision, as you can see from above, it should not be your only or final consideration when choosing which Illawarra Newborn Photographer is right for you and your family.

How much you are prepared to spend on your photographs will depend on how much you value photography as a medium for preserving your memories. I have photographed clients who live in beach front mansions to clients in a tiny 2 bedroom apartment, both spending exactly the same amount on their portrait collections.

Consider how much money you have spent on that designer pram, cot and how easy it is to indulge in gorgeous designer baby clothes or those little converse shoes that will be worn a handful of times. Let’s not mention that enormous TV that hubby just had to have…..How long will these items last?

Have you ever spent time looking through photographs of your grandparents when they were young? Your baby's newborn photographs will also be passed down to the next generations. Your baby's photographs will hang on your walls for the rest of your lives and will outlast every one of those items.

You can expect to invest anywhere from $500 - $3,000 for quality artwork and different photographers package their experience and products differently.

So make sure you spend time looking around at the different options taking all the above into consideration and choose the Wollongong Newborn Photographer who is right for you and for the right reasons.

Do you still have questions? Please get in touch! Feel free to call me on 0408 654 283, email me at bumptobounce@outlook.com or simply complete the contact form below and we will email you as soon as we can. I would be more than happy answer any questions you may have.

I hope you have a wonderful day!

Bec x
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Rebecca Jones
Professional Photographer
Bump to Bounce Photography

t 0408 654 283
e bumptobounce@outlook.com
w www.bumptobouncephotography.com

Would you like to find out more about how you can have your growing family photographed by a seasoned professional baby photographer? I would love to hear from you!