Parents, skip the hospital newborn photographer. Do this instead!
“Should I buy the package from the hospital baby photographer?”
It’s not that they’re not talented photographers. They probably are. I get Glassdoor emails from their companies all the time, offering me minimum wage to take snapshots and then up-sell exhausted parents with print packages.
Not my style. Not my deal.
3 reasons why you should skip the hospital newborn photography packages
Usually, the photographer is a noob, and sometimes not all that great.
Yes, everyone starts somewhere. However, I believe that newer photographers should start assisting or mentoring under an experienced, not “learning on the job” duringimportant moments such as newborns or families.
A camera doesn’t make the photographer. I’ve seen hundreds of sessions from these companies that hire individuals with DSLRs and an on-camera flash. To date, I haven’t been impressed with any of them.
The photographs are cookie cutter and do not tell a story
These photographs do not capture the real essence of what it feels like tto be in a hospital room with a tiny human that a mother has just birthed. There are so many emotions – joy, relief, exhaustion, excitement, and love. It’s a photographer’s job to document that for a family’s legacy.
To them, you’re just a room number
Mass produced stuff is just that – It’s mass produced.
The formula that companies “teach” their individuals with cameras is to take photos of the baby alone in the bassinet, and then one with the parents holding the baby.
You’re a room number to them.
They don’t know or understand your story, of how many needles you had to stick up your butt to have this child, of how many ovulation tests you had to pee on to bring this life into the world. \
The best photographers are also great listeners. They know you, and they know your story.
The best photographers create authentic photographs because they get to know their subjects. They connect with them. They are excellent listeners. They will take the extra effort to understand you and your story. They take it to a deeper level.
It’s what I would want. It’s what you deserve.
Here are 3 things you should do instead:
Hire a Boston documentary newborn photographer for a Fresh 48 session
A Fresh 48 session is a photography experience that is photographed during the first couple days of a newborn’s life as he/she meets his parents for the first time. These sessions can be done at the hospital, birth center, or at home if it’s a home birth.
Fresh 48 sessions truly tell the story of the emotions on those special first days: the love, relief, and joy! This documentary style is raw and real.
Learn iPhone photo basics to take your own photos at the hospital
Here’s my guide to 13 Tips to Take Better Newborn Photos at the Hospital! They’re simple to follow and easy to grab a couple of great photos of your baby so that you can save those precious dollars for an in-home Boston baby photography session.
Hire a Boston newborn photographer to come to your home
I wrote a guide to 11 Secrets to your Boston Newborn Photography Session. I think that in addition to a Fresh 48 session, hiring a photographer to come to your home in the first two weeks of a baby’s birthday is an ideal way to remember where your newborn started his or her life surrounded with love from parents, grandparents, pets, and siblings.
Interested in talking about your newborn photography session?
Contact me for a free phone consultation. No obligations. Let us help you talk through the options!
