It's expensive. I get it.
Well, good newborn photography, that is. REALLY good newborn photography. Like - the kind that brings tears to your eyes, warms your heart and makes it swell so big you can't stand it - good. The kind of newborn photos that are just perfectly retouched, but never overly edited. The kind of newborn photos where your baby is posed in such a perfect, peaceful, precious way by an experienced, trained, professional photographer who has spent years honing in on the art of newborn portraiture.
Now, let me make a disclaimer here and now: I am in no way shaming, putting down, or judging A N Y O N E for choosing the photographer they choose. At all. I'm simply going to state a few things that you may want to chew on for a bit before deciding to go for someone who charges considerably less than an experienced newborn photographer.
When you book a newborn session with a luxury newborn photographer, you are paying for so much more than a person with a camera who can click the shutter.
Newborn photography is a specialty. It is unlike any other genre of photography. It is HARD. It requires patience beyond words. It is downright expensive. It's the most expensive job I've ever had! But most importantly, it requires someone with the knowledge and skill of photographing a baby safely.
When you book a newborn photographer, you're choosing to hand your precious new child that you carried for 280 days over to someone (who may even be a stranger) to capture their dainty littleness and the tiniest of details. Don't you want to know that your photographer is trained in how to do this safely? Is the alternative worth the risk? Is your baby's safety worth the risk? Many expecting parents see images like this one below and think the photographer is just really great at posing babies. But the truth is, the image below is not one image at all. It's two. It's called a composite image, because to take it safely, baby should NEVER be posed like this without the support and expertise of a trained professional:
This image is a composite of the two images below, to ensure baby's safety.
An experienced photographer and editor can safely take two images like these and combine them in post processing to create the image above.
Now, let's talk about how good photographers create high quality work.
Sure, it's much more than just how much our cost of equipment is. It's talent, it's years of experience, it's literal art. BUT, I could not have created the artwork in the image above without the high quality items and equipment I used to design and photograph it. And as a luxury newborn photographer, I must invest in high end props, accessories, equipment... you get it.
The backdrop you see in the photos above is a piece of specialty fabric from a very high end newborn photography prop supplier. It cost me $43.00 plus shipping and taxes.
The headband cost me $30.00 plus shipping and taxes.
The posers you don't see that are supporting baby underneath the backdrop cost $161.00 plus shipping and taxes.
The off camera strobe light that you don't see that is positioned to the baby's left cost me over $1000.00 plus shipping and taxes.
My camera and lens that I used to shoot these photos cost me over $7000.00 plus shipping and taxes.
So, for this ONE setup... this ONE photo, over $8,234.00 worth of props, fabric, accessories, and equipment was used. I won't bore you with the cost of my studio rent, the bills, the editing programs I use, the gallery hosting I pay for to deliver your gallery to you, etc etc etc.
Let's just go with that one example and multiply it by 3, because each of my newborn sessions includes 3 separate setups. That's how much money is spent to help me create the artwork you will value for a lifetime. Every single image in your gallery cost me more than nine times my newborn session fee to create it, process it, edit it, and deliver it.
When I said this is the most expensive job I've ever had, I wasn't kidding!
You get what you pay for.
When it comes to picking a newborn photographer, it's more than just numbers on a price tag; it's about capturing the magic of your growing family. I've found that choosing a luxury newborn photographer is like unlocking a treasure trove of experience and artistry – a true investment in those precious early moments.
Sure, it might seem a bit extra at first, but trust me, you get what you pay for. With a seasoned pro, you're not just getting a session; you're tapping into years of expertise, a unique artistic touch, and a promise of consistently beautiful results. They often throw in top-notch service, fancy products, and an overall experience that's more than just a quick photoshoot. Now, I get it, going for a cheaper option may save you some bucks upfront, but from what I've seen, it could mean compromising on quality, the overall vibe of the session, and even the safety of your precious little one.
These photos are like time capsules of your family's story, and for me, that's an investment totally worth making.
Remember, photographers don't want to scare you away with our pricing. We want to work with you. We are almost ALWAYS willing to make it as accessible and easy as we can. I offer payment plans, as many photographers do, and I'm flexible with payment dates and number of payments. I WANT to give you beautiful images. You deserve them.
