Is My Baby Too Old For Studio Newborn Photos? 3 Things to Consider

Newborn photography is a relatively “new” discipline. The highly stylized poses, wrapping, and props is something that has come about as a genre in the last 20 years or so. But of course,  moms have been taking baby pictures for a hundred years. A question I get a lot is “Is my baby too old” to come for photos. The answer is: it depends on what kind of images you want.

Do You Want Super Stylized Perfect Newborn Photos?

14 days old is a common cut off point for “best outcome” in studio newborn photos. Let me explain a couple of things so moms out there can get an idea of what this so-called deadline means. First, newborn photographers are artists at heart. They have their ideas of the kinds of images they want to create. These images will be used for their “book” (porfolio) and they will also be used for vanity. Of course we want our peers and potential clients to see the most astounding baby picures possible. For this to happen, the younger the baby the better. Babies under 10 days old sleep more deeply, are less aware of their surroundings and don’t  wake up as much as older babies. They are also more easily posed. Everyone wants a newborn session that does not drag on for 5 hours. Under 10 days means faster, easier sessions and often competition quality images. The best possible world.  If these kinds of images are your priority, then the 14 day deadline matters. A lot.

Second, this 14 day cut off does not apply to preemies. Babies born prematurely have their own timeline. Obviously, a literal 14 day deadline makes no sense if your baby is in the NICU until week 7 or 8.  For me, my rule for preemie newborn photos is that the baby has to weigh 6 pounds. Whenever the baby meets that benchmark means they are good to go in term of photos.

Fine art level stylized and edited  newborn images definitely are cool to have. No doubt. Of course we want the best. But in my experience, I have never had a mom disappointed if her baby was not able to be posed in ways to create those  “Award Winning” images. Sure, if her baby can do all those adorable poses safely and comfortably, then they make magnificent memories. In short, the 14 day cut off for newborns is about time, ease and getting epic imagery. Those things are important, but if your baby is older than 14 days, you can still get  gorgeous images. Maybe not as many, and  it may take longer, but it is doable.

How Good Are You At Following Directions?

If your baby is an “older baby”, studio images are still possible at least up to 6 weeks old for full term babies. But here is the catch, you absolutely must follow the preparation guidelines your photographer gives you as much as you can while still following your health care professional’s directives.  The two most important things, at least in my studio, are keeping the baby awake for 45 min to an hour  before  you arrive the session, and waiting to feed them until you arrive. If you can get to the studio with your baby a just little bit tired and hungry, (I know it sounds awful), once you feed them, it is likely they will fall into a deep sleep for at least 45 minutes; enough time to do at least 2 set ups . No one is asking you to withold food for too long, just a few extra minutes. This is one reason why finding a newborn portrait studio close to your home is best.

If you follow the preparation guidelines, your older baby has a good chance at getting a fantastic gallery of images. It sounds simple. but a lot of moms disregard the guidelines because they think their baby will “sleep through anything”. Sadly, in my experience, this is NOT true. Unprepared babies often are very difficult to settle and pose. 

Do You Want In-Your-Home Lifestyle Photos?

All this talk about 14 days or younger only applies to images where the baby is posed. If posed baby pictures are not your thing, there is no age rule for your baby. Lifestyle photos are images taken in your home in a natural way. There may be some staging of your home to remove clutter, and some basic posing of family members. In most shots, you or someone will be hold the baby, or they will be in their own crib or bassinet.

Lifestyle images are overlooked sometimes as a lovely, emotional and authentic way to remember these early days with your new baby.

The 14 day rule only matters if you want a certain pose or styling to your images. Cetain features of a baby are harder to capture after this time. If you are open to your baby being wrapped and placed in a cute prop, or having their eyes open for many of the images, then you can still have studio newborn photos taken up to 4 weeks (at least in my book).

Are you ready to start thinking about  newborn photos for your baby?

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