How Old Should a Newborn Be For a Photoshoot?

Newborn photography is a gorgeous way of freezing those precious early moments with your new baby, from their adorable chubby cheeks to those teeny tiny toes. Lots of parents wonder ‘How old should a newborn be for a photoshoot?’ In this post I’ll dive into some of the considerations about when to book a newborn photoshoot and the benefits of timing your newborn photoshoot perfectly to create stunning memories of the newest little person in your life.

The First Two Weeks: A Window of Opportunity:

The first two weeks of a newborn baby’s life are typically considered the best time to capture those adorable sleepy poses and curled up positions that you’ll see with classic newborn photography. That’s because, during those first few weeks, babies tend to sleep more soundly and can be easily positioned for those super cute poses. They’re still so used to being curled up inside their mummy’s tummy and are less likely to have developed common ailments such as baby acne and colic by this stage.

Whilst we do say earlier is better, I’m not going to be dragging you out of your brand new baby bubble when your new arrival is only a day or two old. It’s really important that you have time to bond and to get to know each other, so the earliest I’d schedule you is when they’re five days old.

Weeks 3 to 4: Capturing Baby’s Alertness and Personality:

As your baby approaches the 3-4 week mark, they’ll start to become more alert and aware of their surroundings. This can make the ‘sleepy newborn’ poses a little harder to achieve, so we might switch our focus to more lifestyle photos which capture their developing personality and adorable facial expressions – and maybe even a cheeky smile or two!

Even if your baby is getting super alert at this stage, we’re still likely to get some sleepy shots, especially if we wrap them up all cosy and warm.

Older Babies: All Is Not Lost:

If you’ve missed the early ‘newborn’ window, you don’t need to worry. I also offer older baby photoshoots designed for babies aged 4+ weeks old which are all about showing off their growing interactions with the world, like tummy time, that gorgeous eye contact and beautiful beaming smiles.

If your baby is under 8 weeks old, I also offer wrapped newborn mini sessions, where we swaddle them and create a small but mighty selection of beautiful photos of your little one.

To Conclude: With a Big Old Caveat: 

Whilst these timelines can be a useful way of planning your session, it’s important to realise that all babies are different. I’ve had seven day old babies who decided to compete for the ‘longest time awake for a newborn ever’ and two month old babies who slept for Britain during their session. That’s why it’s really important that newborn photoshoots are baby-led. 

Here at Moments by Katie Mitchell Photography I go with the flow of your baby to capture those precious early weeks with your new baby, no matter how old they are. Get in touch to arrange your newborn photoshoot and let me help you create cherished memories that you’ll adore for the rest of your life.