5 Reasons to Do a Newborn Photo Shoot

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When it comes to capturing moments, it’s easy to post a picture on social media. But when it comes to capturing photos that do more than send quick updates throughout the day, a newborn photo shoot is the way to go. Whether planned or unplanned, just after birth or a few months later, a few minutes or a few hours, a newborn photo shoot is a great way to spend some quality time with your cutie and family.

After three kids, I see a lot of benefits in hiring a photographer to capture the moments. We didn’t do a newborn photo shoot when my first child was born. Instead, we took the photos on our own, which meant my partner and I were not in the photos together. When our second child was born, we did a newborn photo shoot in the hospital. Our extended stay due to an emergency c-section paved the way to the boredom only a newborn photo shoot could curb. And when our third child was born during the pandemic when photographers were not allowed in the hospital, we planned a newborn photo shoot when she was a month old. It was the best I could do as I settled into managing a house with three kids 5 and under.

I loved our 30-minute newborn photo shoot session with Camilo + Kalista Photography. It’s hard to say no to such a short session in your own home, especially with a couple who’s so great with babies—and with kids! The planning was easy and the directions were simple. We only needed to bribe our older kids with M&Ms to smile a few times. But what I love about newborn photo shoots is that, in a blink of an eye (or click of a shutter), they create many opportunities to celebrate your newborn in so many different ways.

Here are a few of my favorite reasons to do a newborn photo shoot.

1. You’ll have photos at the ready for a birth announcement

There are so many things to do after a baby is born. Having a newborn photo shoot allows you to easily design a birth announcement, even if that’s just sending photos to family to share your new bundle of joy.

2. You’ll have photo options to fill a few pages in the baby book

If you’re choosing to create a baby book, having newborn photos will be a huge help when you get started. You can also add photos from your newborn photo shoot throughout the baby book to prompt you to write about different aspects of your child’s birth story, their resemblance to your family, and what makes them special.

Newborn Photo Shoot
Photo by Camilo + Kalista Photography.

3. You can make a sweet decoration for the nursery

Adding a photo to a shadow box allows you the option to create something special for your child to see every day. You can add clay handprints and footprints, souvenirs from their first trip, or favorite outfits or toys. A homemade decoration featuring a photo from their newborn photo shoot is a special keepsake.

4. You can update family photos throughout your house

I’ve finally figured out why the last family photo in my house is from when I was 12 years old. It was the last one taken! It’s so tough to remember to refresh photos around the house. A newborn photo shoot is a great reminder to update frames with new photos so that your baby can see themselves reflected in your home decor too!

Newborn Photo Shoot
Photos by Sarah Durrant/Studio 1527 and Camilo + Kalista Photography.

5. You’ll have photos on hand to send to relatives who live far away—and who aren’t on social media

I do a deep cleaning of my home every spring and fall. And every spring and fall I find a handful of photos from our newborn photo shoots that I printed and never shared. In those moments (if the photos weren’t taken too far back), I think about who in our family might like to have them, especially if they live far away and aren’t on social media. I can mail them out or keep them for myself. In no time at all, I’ll need photos like these to share with my kids’ yearbooks or for graduations, right? (Yikes!)

There are so many great photographers in the Washington, DC area. Check out the DC Area Moms Guide to Local Photographers for our favorites and drop the name of your favorite newborn photographer in the comments below!