Choosing a newborn photographer is one of the few decisions you make before baby arrives that you cannot redo. The window is short, the baby is tiny, and you are handing your brand new person to someone you probably found on Google.
After eleven years and hundreds of newborns in my Leander studio, these are the seven things I would check before booking anyone. Including me.
1. Ask if they are trained in newborn safety
There is no official requirement. No license, no certification, no inspector. Anyone with a camera and a basket can call themselves a newborn photographer tomorrow. But if someone outside of a parent or a doctor were going to be holding my brand new baby, I would want them trained.
So ask. And listen for a real answer, because “I’ve been doing this for years” is not one.
Here is mine. I learned to pose newborns directly from Kristen Mackey of Son Kissed Photography in Oklahoma, a photographer who has worked with over a thousand newborns and teaches this all over the world. I spent two full days one-on-one with her, four babies, learning safe posing and how to support a baby in every setup. I have taken other in-person newborn workshops since, plus online training with Kelly Brown, Ana Brandt, and Hello Little.
What that training looks like in my studio: a hand on the baby at all times, a spotter for anything off the ground, the froggy pose only ever as a composite of two photos, and never pushing a baby into a pose they do not want. If a baby does not settle, we change the plan, not the baby.
2. Look at full galleries, not highlights
Any photographer can have one or two stunning shots on Instagram. What you are paying for is the whole gallery, so ask to see one, or look for blog posts that show an entire session start to finish.
You are looking for consistency. Same quality on image 18 as image 1. Skin tones that look like skin. Sharp focus on the eyelashes. No soft, blurry, or awkward frames that made the cut because the photographer needed to hit a number.
My newborn galleries run up to about 20 finished images, and every one of them is one I would hang on my own wall. A few full sessions you can scroll through:
- Newborn boy photo shoot in the studio
- A studio newborn session with the froggy pose, explained
- Newborn photo ideas from real Leander sessions
- The newborn galleries
3. Ask where the session happens
A newborn session is two to four hours with a baby who needs to be warm, fed, and calm. Where that happens matters more than how far you drive to get there.
My studio in Leander is a professional newborn studio. Clean, quiet, kept at 78 degrees, white noise running, and stocked with everything a newborn session needs: wraps, backdrops, props, a posing station, a changing area, and a photographer who has done this hundreds of times. Nothing gets improvised on session day.
Do not let a drive scare you off the right photographer. I have families who come from over an hour away, sometimes two, and it means the world to me every time. If you love someone’s work, go to them. The address and studio photos are on Google, so you know exactly what you are walking into.
4. Make sure they do what you actually want
Every newborn photographer has a style, and you should love theirs before you book. But get specific.
Do they have the colors you are picturing? Ask. I keep every wrap and backdrop in a range of palettes, from creamy neutrals to coastal blues to soft pastels, and you pick yours on the questionnaire before the session.
Do they have the props you want? If you have your heart set on a tiny bed, a wooden bowl, a bucket, or a moon, ask to see it in a real session. My moon setup is one of my favorites: baby sleeps on the moon, and I add the clouds and stars in Photoshop afterward. As far as I know, nobody else in the Leander and Cedar Park area does it.
Do they do the family and sibling shots you want? Parent shots, hands-only shots, big brother holding the baby. Ask before you book, not on session day.
5. Ask what is included
Props, wraps, backdrops, and retouching should not be surprise add-ons. Neither should the sibling photos or the parent shots. Ask for the full list before you pay a retainer.
At my studio, every newborn session includes the styled setups, all the props and wraps, family and sibling photos at the start, and hand-retouched, printable files. You bring feeding supplies, gas drops, and a paci. That is the whole packing list. Newborn pricing and what each package includes is right here, no email required.
6. Read reviews, but look for specifics
Five stars tell you nothing. Look for reviews that describe what actually happened: how the photographer handled a fussy baby, whether the parents felt taken care of, whether the photos matched what they saw online.
Two of mine, so you can see what I mean:
“She was very patient because she was photographing our toddler and our newborn twins. Jen made us feel at home in her studio and the day was stress free so that we could focus on making memories.” Heather K.
“I have used Jen for both my daughter and son’s newborn photos and both times, Jen has exceeded my expectations. Her studio is very calm and warm for the baby and she has every color combo and accessory that you could want. During the session, she is a genuine baby whisperer.” Ashley M.
More are on my reviews page and on Google.
7. Trust your gut
You are going to spend two to four hours with this person, a week or two after giving birth. You should feel comfortable with them before you ever walk in.
Here is how I want a session to feel for parents: like a break. Unless baby is truly inconsolable or mom needs to nurse, I do not want you to have to do anything. I will change the dirty diaper. I will feed your baby, burp your baby, and rock your baby to sleep. You can sit on the couch with a coffee and watch, or close your eyes for twenty minutes. Nobody has judged you for that in eleven years and nobody is starting now.
If a photographer’s messages feel rushed, if they dodge the safety question, or if something just feels off, keep looking. There is a right fit for you, and it is worth finding.
Questions I get about choosing a newborn photographer
When should I book a newborn photographer? During your second trimester if you can. I book by due date, three to four months out, and once baby arrives we pick the exact day. The ideal window is 5 to 21 days old, but I have never turned a family away for age and will shoot newborn-style up to about three months.
Is there a certification for newborn photographers? No. There is no official license or required course anywhere in Texas. All training is something the photographer chooses to get on their own, which is exactly why you should ask about it.
What should I bring to a newborn session? Feeding supplies, gas drops, and a paci. Everything else, including wraps, props, and outfits, is at the studio. Feed baby right before you leave the house, skip the diaper cream that morning, and dress baby in something with a zip front.
Can siblings and parents be in the photos? Yes, and I do those first while toddler attention spans are fresh. Parent shots, hands-only shots, and big-sibling shots are all included.
How long does a newborn session take? Two to four hours, depending on the baby. Feeding breaks and cuddle resets are built in. If nothing works after a couple of hours, local families get a redo in a few days. It is rare, but it is there.
Do you serve Cedar Park, Liberty Hill, and Round Rock? Yes. The studio is in Leander, about ten minutes from Cedar Park and Liberty Hill and twenty from Round Rock. Families also come from Georgetown, Austin, and well beyond.
Ready to talk?
If you are due in the next few months, send me a note with your due date and I will tell you what is open. And if you are still comparing photographers, ask every one of them the seven questions above. I will happily answer all of them.
