Last Updated on 02/06/2025 by Armands Sprogis
When is the best time for newborn photos?
Parents always ask when the best time to take newborn photos is. Today, I will show you and talk you through different stages of newborn photos within the first 6 weeks.
In a short answer, I always say that to me, there is no such thing as a perfect age when newborn photos should be taken. I see a lot on newborn photographers’ websites stating that your photos should be taken within XYZ days. I can’t stress that parents think that they have to come for the shoot within the first 7 or so days. Every baby is different, and every family has different levels of confidence/knowledge. Let’s debunk this myth.
I started to offer newborn photoshoots over 14 years ago, and over these years I have noticed various successes in timing when to take newborn photos. Will talk from my personal experience. Remember that each newborn baby will have individual circumstances, so don’t take everything here for granted.
Watch me talking about when is the best time to get newborn photos.
What could affect the timing of a newborn photo shoot?
1. The date when your baby arrives.
If your baby arrives about three weeks before the due date, you may need to spend a little more time in the hospital’s NICU while doctors complete all necessary check-ups. In cases of early arrivals, I always give families extra time to settle in. I usually begin photographing these babies from around the second week.
If your baby arrives about two weeks past the due date, I aim to schedule the session as early as possible. Since the baby continues to grow during that time, they may reach close to ten pounds and become more alert sooner. For these babies, I try to photograph them within the first two weeks to capture that sleepy, newborn stage.
2. Newborn feeding.
This might be a somewhat sensitive topic, but I want to share my own experience. I always ask parents about the feeding method they have chosen, and in most cases, it is breastfeeding. This conversation usually happens a few days after the baby is born, so everything is still in the early stages.
If parents have chosen to breastfeed, that is great. I usually advise making a provisional booking for the newborn photoshoot around two weeks after birth. I check in with parents around day ten to see how things are progressing. By then, your midwife will have visited you a few times, and you will have a better idea if your baby is gaining weight or losing some. You will also have a clearer sense of how breastfeeding is going.
If all is well, we go ahead and book the session for around day fourteen to sixteen. If your midwife advises some bottle top-ups, I usually recommend waiting a few more days to adjust and test how formula feeding is working.
If you decide from the start to bottle-feed, I tend to schedule the session earlier, around eight days old. Bottle feeding is easier to manage during the photo session, and we can always top up if needed.
Here is a perfect example of a family who chose to do their newborn session a bit later, giving themselves time to adjust to breastfeeding and life in general.
3. Confidence of parents.
Earlier I touched on the topic of feeding, and this goes hand in hand with how confident you feel as a parent. If this is your first baby, you may need a bit of time to adjust and learn what works best for you and your little one.
If this is your third or fourth child, that experience often makes a big difference in how you feed your baby and how you settle into a routine. In many cases, breastfeeding tends to go more smoothly, and that means we may be able to schedule your session a bit sooner as well.
4. Weight of the baby.
If your baby arrived very early before the due date or if you have twins, the babies are usually quite small, often around five pounds. In these situations, you actually have a longer window to schedule your baby photos.
There is no need to rush to do a session within the first seven days. I usually suggest waiting until your baby reaches around six pounds before planning the shoot. This often means the session will take place around three to four weeks after birth. At that stage, babies are still very sleepy and can be gently posed with ease.
Advantages of taking newborn photos within the first 2 weeks.
Your baby would be smaller and depending on the weight it might be easier to mould them into the positions. In terms of sleep, I would very much argue this as I have photographed 3 days new newborns and none of them has slept very well. I have more sleep success with newborns from day 7.
Newborn photos after 3 weeks?
After the three-week stage, you will likely feel much more confident, and life will start to settle into a routine. What you need to keep in mind is that if your baby arrived past the due date, there is a chance that part of the photo gallery will include more awake moments. Some classic newborn poses may not be possible with a more alert and wriggly baby, but we can still create beautiful and meaningful images that reflect your baby’s unique personality.
A newborn session at three weeks can absolutely be amazing, and I have no problem photographing babies at this age.
How about the age of 4+ weeks?
Here we are talking about the four to six week stage. This is when things can become a little more unpredictable. If your baby arrived on or after the due date, there is a higher chance that they will be more awake during the session. It really comes down to what your expectations are.
If you are hoping for sleepy, moulded poses, I would say it is about a fifty-fifty chance that we will achieve them at this stage. However, if you are looking for some lovely awake moments and beautiful newborn portraits with parents, this can actually be the perfect age.
Six weeks is usually what I consider the cut-off point for the newborn photography stage. The next time you might have a good chance of getting posed newborn-style photos is around twelve weeks, when babies begin to roll onto their tummies.
If you are looking for more lifestyle, natural baby photography, then the stage between six and twelve weeks is perfect for that. You can see an example of a home session I did with a seven-week-old baby here.
I hope this post has helped ease your mind and taken away some of the pressure about finding the “perfect” age for newborn photos. The truth is, the perfect time is simply when you and your baby are ready. It all depends on what you hope to get from the session and how you envision your photos. Whether it’s sleepy poses or natural, everyday moments, we will create something beautiful that reflects your family’s story.
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