How to Have Absolutely Stunning and Beautiful Denver Newborn Photography
The Ultimate Guide to Newborn Photography for Families in the Denver Metro Area
Do you want stunning and beautiful newborn photography in Denver? Not sure where to start?
Then you’re in the right place.
This is a guide for everything you’ll ever need to know about newborn photography in the Denver area. It’s an ultimate guide in fact.
So scroll down and I’ll help you learn exactly how to get the newborn photography of your family you can be proud of.
And don’t forget to get your freebie, before you go!
Get Your Freebie Guide!
How to Style the Perfect Family Portrait - The Ultimate Family Portrait Style Guide
Included:
Learn how to approach choosing a location for your session, plus three location recommendations!
Learn how to choose outfits for you and your family members and make sure they coordinate
Get a list of my favorite clothes retailers for family portraits
Plus Much More!
Hi and Welcome!
I’m Sara and a maternity, newborn, and family photographer in the Denver metro area. Mom of two (including my fur baby). And enjoyer of the outdoors, even if it’s just looking at it from my couch. You can learn more about me here.
In this guide, I’m going to show you how to navigate the world of newborn photography here in Denver, so that you can be confident in your choices and be proud of your newborn photos. Interested in me as your photographer? You can see more about my newborn services here.
What You’ll Learn in this Ultimate Guide to Denver Newborn Photography
What is newborn photography and what are the different styles available?
Why should we get newborn and baby photography done?
Where do we find our dream newborn photographer?
When should we book and have our newborn photos done?
How do we dress and prepare for our newborn photoshoot?
What can we expect at a newborn photoshoot?
What is Newborn Photography?
What is a newborn?
Technically your child is a newborn from the moment they are born to the point when they turn two months old. They will change a lot in those first two months, so it is important to keep that mind when choosing the type of newborn session you want to have captured and the photographer you choose to work with. Those two things will determine when you can have your newborn captured in photos.
What are the different styles of newborn photography available?
Just like many types of photography, there are different approaches and schools of thought when it comes to newborn photography. Here is a short summary of those types.
Studio or Hyper-Posed Newborn Photography
Heard of Anne Geddes? She is the mother of newborn photography (no pun intended). Her images of babies in hammocks and baskets with props all about that graced many greeting cards, calendars, and magazine covers is what started the genre back in the 90s. Her style of newborn photography was (she is no longer a newborn photographer) the studio or hyper-posed newborn photography.
Lifestyle Newborn Photography
If studio or hyper-posed newborn photography is on the opposite side of the spectrum of the most authentically captured newborn photography (documentary newborn photography), lifestyle is smack dab in the middle of the spectrum. Instead of props, tightly wrapped babies, baskets, and hammocks, babies are typically held by their families during lifestyle sessions and the focus is on the family unit. Lifestyle photographers still get all the cute details like baby toes and baby yawns, but the focus is on the family and the connection and love they share. These sessions are still styled. It is meant to be a polished look at your family with coordinating outfits and well chosen lighting. This style of photography does strive to be genuine, but, you could say, captures your family on their best day.
Documentary Newborn Photography
The most authentically captured newborn photography is documentary newborn photography. Clothes are chosen to make it look like a typical day in the family. Lighting and posing is more photojournalistic and less about proper composition and lighting. It is meant to be a truly authentic glimpse into the newborn stage.
The Why of Newborn Photography
Why should we get newborn photos done?
For the newborn. Yes, photos are great for us too. I am thankful everyday I walk past the photo of my daughter as a newborn. It brings back the memories of snuggles and the new love growing between her and I. But at the end of the day, we get newborn photos for the newborn. One of the most important things we can do as parents is establish a strong foundation of identity for our children. It will serve them better than any other lesson we pass down to them. It will give them conviction and confidence to get through the hardest of times. Getting to see themselves on the walls of our home and within family albums, help to flesh out the stories of who they are and give them a foundation that is unshakeable.
Why should we get baby photography done throughout baby’s first year?
So much happens in the first year. The baby becomes a full fledged human. The only way to truly capture that story of transformation is by being intentional in capturing those moments in between birth and the first birthday. By timing our sessions at pivotal times during that first year, we can show how your baby becomes someone who smiles at you, walks on their own, and starts saying “Mama.” In that first year, your child will change more quickly than they ever will again.
The How of Family Photography in Denver
Where do we find our dream newborn photographer?
So let me guess, it took you way too much time just to find this Denver newborn photographer’s website? I was once a mom-to-be too, so I know just how long these things take. Too long, if you ask me. You must be good at it though. You found yourself on a Denver newborn photographer’s website. To save you time in the future though, here’s the cliff’s notes version of how to find the right newborn photographer:
At the end of the day, old fashioned Google is the best place to start. Search terms like “newborn photographer,” “newborn photos,” or “Denver newborn photographer.” And start searching through the results.
Pinterest can be a great way to find a photographer through their style. You’re only going to click on photos you like, so it means that you’re only bothering to look at photographers’ websites worth your time. The problem with Pinterest for this kind of search though is that it isn’t going to assume that you want a photographer in your area. So try terms that will narrow it down, like “Denver newborn photographer,” “Boulder newborn photographer,” and because the vast majority of population is in the Denver area, “Colorado newborn photographer” will also help.
Friends
Get recommendations from your friends and family. Ask on mommy groups.
Get Your Freebie Guide!
How to Style the Perfect Family Portrait - The Ultimate Family Portrait Style Guide
Included:
Learn how to approach choosing a location for your session, plus three location recommendations!
Learn how to choose outfits for you and your family members and make sure they coordinate
Get a list of my favorite clothes retailers for family portraits
Plus Much More!
When should we book and have our newborn photos done?
When should we book our newborn photography?
You should aim to book your newborn photography during your second trimester of pregnancy. Newborn photography is all about timing. It can only be a newborn session if baby is captured within the first two months of their life. Since timing is so pivotal, it is important to reach out to your dream newborn photographer earlier to ensure that they are available when you need the newborn photography done. Photographers book up, especially in the newborn world.
When should we have our newborn photography?
Timing of a newborn session isn’t just doing it at some point within the first two months. There is more intricacies to it than that. First, you’ll want to think about the types of photos you want to capture. Do you want the photos to be very early on or do you want time to settle in as a family first? Do you want outdoor photos? Do you want hyper-posed photos? Do you want lifestyle photos? These decisions all determine when to have your newborn photography done. Let’s start with the type of photography and how that determines timing.
Hyper-Posed or Studio Newborn Photography
This type of photography requires capturing your newborn very early on in their lives. Due to the poses that this style of photography captures, very often studio newborn photographers will capture your baby within the first week.
Lifestyle and Documentary Newborn Photography
For both of these types of newborn photography, you have a lot more flexibility. You can choose to capture those very early days and do it in the first couple of weeks or you can wait. The types of photos you capture don’t change drastically within the first two months. The only difference will be baby. They’ll be more interactive and awake the older they get. That is especially true around the three week point. Babies sleep a lot in the first three weeks and then they are much more awake and alert after three weeks.
How do we dress and prepare for our newborn photoshoot?
It might seem like such a little thing, but outfits can make or break a newborn photoshoot, especially if you’re not doing documentary style newborn photography. You can get good photos with okay outfits, but you can only get great photos with great outfits. So it really does matter what everyone wears. But it doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Just make sure you start planning in advance, so that you have time to get new items if need be. Also, make sure that you’re working with your photographer. They’ll know well what will go with their photography style and with the location you’ve chosen, whether it be in a studio, in your home, or outdoors. They may even have a styling service. I personally utilize Style and Select for my clients. Your photographer may also have a client closet. I personally offer options for moms, babies, and daughters, with the client closet growing every day.
When it comes to baby, it can be a good idea to stick with solids and very subtle prints. Babies can easily become overwhelmed. For in-home sessions, I typically recommend sticking with lighter colors clothing. If your photographer doesn’t utilize artificial lighting, having lighter colored clothing can be a good way to balance the darkness of home’s interiors. When it comes to the nitty-gritty of choosing clothes for your newborn session though, definitely work with your photographer. Their style will dictate their recommendations tremendously.
During Your Photoshoot
What can we expect at a newborn photoshoot?
You can expect things to not go to plan and that’s okay! If you’re working with an experienced newborn photographer, they will be able to work through anything that baby throws at them. Babies can be fussy. They can be in the middle of a cluster feeding period. They may need half a dozen diaper changes during the session. As long as you’re working with someone who works with newborns regularly, it will be fine. Just go with the flow and the photos will turn out beautifully.
Besides the unpredictability of a newborn session, there are other things that you can typically expect. Newborn sessions are typically longer than other types of sessions. It is why you won’t normally see mini sessions or shorter session types for newborn sessions. Expecting a newborn session to be short can be a formula for disaster.
You can also expect the photographer to take the lead when it comes to the photography, but wanting you to take the lead when it comes to baby and their cues. We’ll defer to you on if we should take a break or call it done. We’ll defer to you on diaper changes or feedings. We might recognize a cue though and ask if you want to stop. Since I’m around babies quite a bit, I can recognize them “rooting” usually faster than the parents. I can definitely see it much more easily now than I could when I was a new mom. So don’t be surprised if your newborn photographer turns to you and says, “do you think we should stop for a feeding?” At the end though, we will still defer to you. You know your baby best.
After Your Newborn Photo Session
We’re looking at the beautiful images, what do we do now?
Yay! You’re finished with your newborn session and now you get to see beautiful images from it. You could be viewing them on an online gallery or during an in-person sales appointment. Every photographer’s process is different.
Before you order though, think about your goals with these photos. How will you be passing these down to future generations? Will they be wall art? Will they be turned into an album?
Printing is one of the two ways needed in order to preserve your images for future generations. Computers and hard drives crash. Image files corrupt. You’ll want to make sure that you print your favorite photos, so that you aren’t a victim of failed technology.
But how you print those images also matters. Consumer level labs rarely have high archival quality. They’ll work for 10-20 years, but the paper quality and ink will fail. Paper is actually a photograph’s worst enemy. The very paper itself will cause it to degrade. That is if it isn’t archival quality. So when you’re wanting to print things for future generations, make sure you’re doing so with professional labs. Their products will last generations. Professional labs only work with professional photographers though, so make sure that you’re working with a professional photographer to get prints done that you’d like to pass down.
The other way you should be storing your photos is digitally. Houses burn down and flood. Natural disasters can mean an end to anything printed. So back those image files up. And do so in no less than three locations. I personally do two physical hard drives and the cloud. The cloud is pivotal, because no natural disaster can take down the cloud.
Lastly, make sure you’re sharing those images as far and as wide as you can. Sharing your excitement and love through images is the best way to celebrate it. But don’t forget the photographer while you’re doing that. We all run small businesses that work almost exclusively on referrals. So make sure to tag us and spread the word, so we can stay in business.
Before You go - Get Your Freebie Guide!
How to Style the Perfect Family Portrait - The Ultimate Family Portrait Style Guide
Included:
Learn how to approach choosing a location for your session, plus three location recommendations!
Learn how to choose outfits for you and your family members and make sure they coordinate
Get a list of my favorite clothes retailers for family portraits
Plus Much More!
When Should Our Next Photo Session Be?
Our newborn photoshoot is done. When should we get photos next?
Babies change so much during their first year, so I do recommend getting photos done more often in that first year than later years. Common baby milestone sessions are the following:
3 Months
6 Months
9 Months
12 Months
The two most popular are 6 Months and 12 Months.
However, don’t feel like you need to stick to this timeline strickly. I often speak with my clients about altering this timeline just a bit to fit with optimal seasons and photo times. For example, if baby will be 6 months in December, we might move up the 6 month session to November, so we can get better weather and temperatures and capture photos in time for holiday cards.
After the first year, it is then typically for a family to transition into yearly family photos. Some families will do their yearly photos near the kiddo’s birthday. Others will do it in their favorite season each year. Others will mix it up and do family sessions at different times each year, depending on what they’re looking for that year.
