Investment
Why are newborn sessions so expensive?
Many “in-studio” newborn photographers (like me) have invested a ton of time and money in education for newborn photo safety as well as becoming qualified and eventually accredited.
Our studios and closets are “overflowing” with outfits, head accessories, wraps, flokati’s, props, backdrops, flooring, posing aides, and a beanbag backdrop stand.
Expensive assets are lighting, camera equipment, editing software, a computer with massive storage to hold galleries of high-definition images, top notch monitors for precise editing and color calibration. Website building, maintenance and service providers.
There is an incredible amount of time and money invested in Newborn Photography. Parents are surprised when they see the number of props and outfits jammed into our studio space. They are not aware of what is involved in a newborn session until they are sitting and watching in awe.
“Behind the scenes” A breakdown of what is involved before, during and after a session.
Before:
- A FREE consultation – I enjoy treating my new clients to coffee or ice cream. Here we ask each other questions and customize their session.
- Setting up the studio – Preparing prop” staging setups” which includes Baby’s outfits and accessories. Bean bag backdrops and desired flooring setups.
During:
- Session Time – The average session time is 3-4 hrs. Each Baby has different needs.
- Reasons a session may take longer include (but not limited to)
- Gas, reflux, cluster feeding, breast feeding where baby is only soothing and not actually feeding, wake easily to touch, wiggling out of wraps and refusal of sleeping.
- I understand each baby has different needs, that is why I don’t put a time limit on sessions, nor do I rush anything. I take extra time for your Baby’s needs so please understand if session runs longer than expected.
After:
- I clean the studio and wash all the outfits used (mostly by hand since they are delicate.)
- The most time spent on each newborn session is… Editing! Typically, one newborn photograph takes an average of 20 minutes to hand edit. If more people are in the photo, the longer the editing process will be – sometimes families will take me 45 minutes or longer per image.
