The most beautiful baby ever born is yours.  Your next task, after recovering from the tornado that is a newborn, is to find the perfect someone to photgraph that angel face.  Finding a baby photographer is easy.  Finding the right baby photographer requires a little more work. When you consider what a treasure the images will be, that their value will grow as your little one’s baby years quickly flash past, the time and investment will be well worth the effort.

When it comes to choosing, bear in mind these four factors:

Style

When you’re considering the photographic approach that best suits your family, use the internet as a tool.  You may not know what style is right, which is why taking a spin in cyberspace can be the perfect first step.  Your style is reflected, too in your home’s decor.  Remember that you’ll, more or less, be papering the walls with these images, so its important to gauge their impact on the surroundings.  Another consideration is how you dress your baby.  Do you favor jon-jons and knee socks for your boy, or does your little girl look right at home in a teeny denim skirt?

After finding your style, have a few shots in mind to discuss with your potential photographer.  Just don’t get too set on any one of them.  Sometimes the shot you want most turns out to be comical, at best.  When our son was two weeks old, we took him in to our family photographer (old friend, shot our wedding, couldn’t be happier!).  I had seen pictures he did of a brand new baby posed in the crook of her dad’s arm.  I didn’t consider that our son, by then, weighed eleven pounds.  He looked like a gorilla hanging off a branch!  Our favorite photos, over time turned out to the unexpected, sometimes impromptu shots.

Price

The price of photos has a range as varied as styles.  When discussing rates, remember to ask about sitting fees, time frames for returning proofs, final finishing options, and discounts for large orders.  I believe, for a parent, photos of your child are priceless - but you still gotta eat.  You’ll eventually find the balance between what the pictures cost versus what they are worth.

Schedule

A baby’s schedule is obviously quite different than an adult’s.  Plan for every imaginable catastrophe of bodily function, plus ceaseless crying!  A good photographer will allow time for the disasters while taking advantage of the perfect expressions in between.

Trust

The final factor in choosing a baby photographer is a tricky one.  Its important that you trust your photographer, but its monumentally important that your child trust him.  It’s not easy to know, in an instant, if that relationship will form.  Your instincts will guide you here, but watch for other signs:  tone of voice, patience, and comfort in dealing with babies.  Ask to observe another family’s session.  It may help you gain a sense of confidence in your choice.

The right photographer can elevate your baby’s ordinary day to immortality with the click of a shutter.

All images in the post are copyright Bentley Gray Photography. Thaks to Bentley for giving us permission to use them. Do your research, and happy hunting!

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