What to look for when hiring a professional newborn photographer

Starting the Conversation on Newborn Safety

We are not starting off with this startling quote to scare you, but rather to bring light to a very important conversation that needs to happen. With the popularity of Instagram and Pinterest, the demand for high-quality, creative images has been higher than ever, making the photography industry explode with aspiring artists. And we’re so glad! The competition spurs the industry on to be more creative, inspiring, and accessible.

The one exception to all of that is newborn photography. We’ve noticed the trend for creative, imaginative newborn portraits that display newborns flying on airplanes, drifting on boats, hanging from baskets, and posed as cuddly animals. They look so sweet on Pinterest, but before you try to accomplish one of these images yourself or go out and find the cheapest “newborn photographer” to pull off a unique session, read on about why you should not take newborn photography lightly. Careful research and interviewing are necessary for finding the right photographer for the job and keeping your baby safe.

Three Most Important Takeaways | Why You Should Use A Pro

Because we take newborn safety so seriously, we’ll even give you the main reasons up front:

·         Anyone can claim to be a newborn photographer. Unfortunately, no license is needed. BUT, there are several reputable organizations that offer newborn safety certification courses for photographers, such as AANPS , APNPI , NAPCP , and ANP among others. Do your research and find out if your photographer is certified and/or trained!

·         Most creative images you see online utilize composites and Photoshop – don’t try them at home.

·         Many poses you see are DANGEROUS without assistance or composites, such as the following poses: froggy, crossed arms, tilted, suspended images/slings, balancing, upright, irregular props, and more [ 1 ]. Read more about it [ here ].

Steps The Newborn Lady Takes to Keep Your Baby Safe

Qualifications – Your sweet bundle of joy is in the best hands with Megan. Not only does she strive to stay up-to-date on newborn and child photography through her membership with the National Association of Professional Child Photographers ( NAPCP ), she is also part of the National Association of Neonatal Nurses ( NANN ) due to her 10 years of experience as a NICU nurse. She is also current on necessary vaccines and CPR/First Aid certifications.

Comfort – Megan wants your baby to be safe during their newborn session, but she ensures that both mother and baby feel comfortable and right at home in her studio. She has a full supply of clean, soft blankets and padding to keep your baby comfortable, and she will adjust the temperature depending on swaddled or bare skin poses. A white noise machine and comfortable space for feeding, changing, and calming will help make the session as stress-free as possible.

Safe Posing – Megan knows signs of distress in newborns, such as breathing or color changes, flared nostrils, pursed lips. Since neck strength is not yet fully developed in newborns, they are more prone to positional asphyxiation, hypoxia, and airway occlusion if positioned incorrectly [ 2 ]. Given her nursing knowledge and experience, Megan utilizes support, assistance, and composites during newborn photography sessions to avoid these risks altogether.

Professional Experience – Professional photography is more than just taking good pictures. Megan strives to give her families a positive and memorable experience during their newborn session. You will need breaks to feed and resettle your baby, and Megan is great at spotting the cues before your baby becomes too unhappy. Her life’s work – both in NICU and in photography – involves caring for newborns and their families.

10 Questions Parents Should Be Asking their Newborn Photographer

1.       Are you trained in newborn posing & safety by a credible organization?

2.       What steps do you take to stay up-to-date on newborn safety and health?

3.       How long have you worked with newborns?

4.       Do you have an experienced assistant to help with posing?

5.       Do you utilize composites for creative photos (ex: if you want a photo of baby in a basket hanging from a tree branch, will your photographer merge several safe, ground-level poses together via editing software)?

6.       Are you knowledgeable on safe posing/ can you recognize signs of a distressed baby?

7.       Do you have a current business license and insurance?

8.       What precautions do you take with preemies?

9.       How do you sanitize and safeguard your studio and sets?

10.   Are you up to date on necessary vaccines (like flu and Tdap)?

More Questions? Ask Away!

Soft fuzzy skin, tiny adorable wrinkles, and big sleepy yawn…these are the things you’ll want to remember forever, and Megan Matula – “The Newborn Lady” – would love to help you document these sweet memories during a comfortable, stress-free, and safe newborn session.

Sources

1.       Huffington Post – “Baby Photos: These Poses Are Actually Dangerous To Try At Home”

2.       StandInBaby – “ Positional Asphyxiation ”