Why is Newborn Photography So Expensive?

Hiring a professional newborn photographer to photograph your new baby is a big investment. When you only see the photographer for a few hours at the time of the shoot you might think that the price is high.

I hear this mentioned a lot, and I understand why people don’t fully get the expense behind newborn photography.  It’s true that, because of digital technology everyone has a smartphone with camera capabilities.  Because of this more and more people are doing their own photography. However, professional photography, like newborn photography, is entirely different than any kind you’re able to take on your smartphone! Newborn photography is a craft in and of itself that takes safety training and perfected skills to accomplish.

Just like any other industry you can find photographers providing newborn photography at many different levels. There are photographers who enjoy taking photographs as a hobby, but they are not running a full-time business, to a photographer who has many years’ experience of exclusively photographing newborns and provides a comprehensive service that includes helping you design albums or wall art after the shoot. Depending on the photographer and their skill level the amount they charge can vary as well as different locations can play a part as well.

So why does newborn photography cost the amount it does?

When it comes to newborn photography there are costs of running a business that you may not realize.  This can be very different than other types of photography.  Here are a few reasons why newborn photographers are so expensive.

1.Equipment:

The first, perhaps most obvious, cost of running a newborn photography business is photography equipment.

• Camera and Lenses:

At the basic level, a newborn photographer needs a professional DSLR camera, memory cards and a lens. Most professional photographers will usually have at least one of these cameras as a backup, in case the one they are using fails during a shoot. Cameras also need updating as technology advances – it’s realistic to expect to purchase a new camera every three years. Many newborn photographers will use two different lenses during a shoot. A standard lens, and a macro lens which they’ll use to capture close-ups of your baby’s features such as their toes, fingers, lips and eyelashes.

• Lighting:

Not all newborn photographers use lighting in their shoots. Some rely on natural light, some will use natural light during brighter days and studio lights on darker days. Others will use lighting every time. That means flash stands, diffusers, external flash and maybe even strobe lights.  These are all very expensive and need to be maintained.

• Postproduction equipment:

After a newborn photo shoot your photographer will spend some time editing your photographs. This is usually a longer process than the session itself. As a minimum, they’ll need a computer, and editing software such as Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop. Typically, the computer’s specs will be a fast processor, lots of memory and a specialized graphics card to allow the software to run effectively. The more experienced your photographer is at editing, the more they will also have invested in a large screen so that they can see all of the details in each picture, a device to calibrate their screen to make sure the colors are rendered correctly, and a retouching tablet to help them work with better precision.

2. Props:

When it comes to newborn photography, photographers invest in lots of different props including beanbags, bowls, backgrounds, wraps, blankets, etc.  Usually, babies are posed on a large beanbag. The beanbag is covered with blankets which will be pulled tightly and secured with clips to a stand. Most photographers have a variety of colors of blankets to offer parents a choice of colors used in their shoot. Babies are often wrapped in soft fabric or wraps for the photographs.  They may also have small outfits, hats, headbands, and teddies to use in different photographs. Photographers who offer a more natural style of posed photography will likely have fewer of these props than other photographers. But as you can see the costs for this equipment can quickly add up to hundreds or thousands of dollars. All of these blankets and props will need to be laundered between shoots too, and replaced when they become worn.

3. Training and Expertise:

When you go to newborn photographer you’re hiring them because of their experience with newborn photography.  They have experience in soothing the baby, posing and positioning the baby to capture that perfect photograph. And importantly they can do this safely. When you are handing your newborn over to a photographer, that expertise is what gives you the confidence that they will take care of them. These skills take considerable training, practice and time to develop. It’s likely that your newborn photographer will have spent a considerable amount of time learning and then practicing how to perfect each pose and take each shot. Learning from experienced professionals also costs money, and many photographers will continue to invest in courses, training and mentoring every year so that they can continually improve their work and stay up-to-date with trends.

4. Time:

Newborn photography takes time. On average, newborn sessions can be somewhere between 2.5-4 hours, sometimes longer depending on the number of different poses and color schemes that the photographer works through or if the baby is fussy and lots of time is spent soothing the baby. Add to this the time that the photographer takes to talk to you before the shoot, help you prepare and their time editing the photographs afterward and the hours can easily become a couple of days work. Then you have the follow up where the photographer spends time uploading the images to an online gallery and helping you decide on what images to order or possibly doing any final edits that you request.  When you break down the time into hours, you can see that the total cost of your session is not that much in terms of an hourly rate.

5. Product Offerings:

If your newborn photographer offers printed products, some of the price you pay is going towards those lab costs for the photographer. They pay a printing fee to labs and they likely are using a high quality lab to fulfill their orders.  After all products cost the photographer money, and so this will be part of their business costs. You will also find that different photographers’ products cost different amounts: Professional prints can vary depending on what paper quality is used, the size of the image, etc. Albums can vary as well. Coffee table books can be less than a full fledge album and if the book lays flat with hinged middles or standard pages.  Depending on the type of products your photographer is offering, the cost to them is higher and so the price you pay may be higher or lower than others.

6. The Type of Service the Photographer Provides

The type of service that a photographer provides can have an impact on their costs and how much you pay. At one end of the scale, you may find a photographer who will meet you for the shoot, take the photographs, do minimal post processing and email a set of digital images to you. At the other end of the scale you can find photographers who will get to know each of their clients, find out what it is that each client is hoping for from the session, offer a great session experience, meet you in person to show you the photographs, help you choose and design the best ways to display or enjoy your photographs, create albums, prints or wall displays for you, and deliver your new photographs to your door. You’ll also find lots of variations in-between. The overall experience the newborn photographer offers will play a part in the overall price you are likely to pay.

7.  Staffing Costs:

Some photographers prefer to work with a photography assistant on a newborn shoot. The assistant may help them to prepare the studio, pose the baby, move equipment and lighting around during the shoot or take care of other family members who are not being photographed in that moment. Other photographers prefer to work alone, prepare, and move equipment themselves, and ask parents to help them when they need help to hold or soothe the baby. There’s no right or wrong here, but photographers who do have an assistant will have higher costs than those who don’t.

8. Studio or Travel Costs:

If your photographer has their own studio, there will be costs for renting the space, fitting it out, and ongoing costs for utilities such as heat, light and power. Some photographers have studio spaces in their homes, in which case these costs may be lower. For photographers who travel to your home for the shoot they will have costs of their travel – whether it’s mileage or train fares, and the cost of their travel time to factor in.

9.  Misc. Business costs

As with any other business, the costs of running a business also apply to professional photographers. Some of the costs of running a photography business include:

•  Professional Indemnity and Public Liability Insurance

• Professional Memberships

• Accounting or Bookkeeping Costs

• Website Costs

• Advertising and Marketing

• Postage and Shipping

All of these costs will vary depending on the size of the photographer’s business.

In summary, there are many different costs that go into providing a newborn photography service, and these costs will vary depending on which photographer you choose to work with and the exact service they are offering. Photography is an investment that becomes more and more valuable over time. Hiring a professional to capture the newborn moments are worth every penny because you have only one opportunity to get it right! Newborn photography needs to be captured when your baby is two weeks old or younger. Don’t hesitate when hiring a professional photographer.  And remember that I may seem like a large investment, but that will pay off in dividends when you see the final images of your sweet angel forever captured for you to look at again and again.