Newborn photos…why do they cost so much? | Red Deer Photographers

So, you’re having a baby! Why does everything cost so darn much?! As if you didn’t have a ton of things to think about already, right? Now you have to think about photos of your little newborn bundle! To get them taken, to not get them taken. To choose someone just starting out, to choose someone more established. To pay a lot, or not pay a lot. I see these posts in Facebook groups all the time that say “Looking for a photographer, reasonably priced.” That’s a loaded statement right there in my opinion! Reasonably priced to you might be $50 while reasonably priced to the person down the street might be $750. In case you’re wondering, my newborn session run under $400, which is in my opinion, completely reasonable.

There are so many factors that go into pricing for photography….I won’t get into the specifics today, but I wanted to use myself as an example. Just to kind of show how I’ve progressed as a newborn photographer…and to maybe give you a good laugh or snort!

Wait, you charged money for these newborn photos?

You guys, I did charge money for these. Not a lot, but I did. 3 years ago I booked my first newborn client. Luckily, that client was my beautiful niece and her parents weren’t expecting much, they were just trying to support me! I showed up with my starter camera, a portable space heater and for an hour or so floundered about doing my best to get great photos for the new family of three. Guys. They are NOT great. They’re actually like those #pinterestfails you sometimes see.

This was obviously before I had mastered editing programs like Photoshop or Lightroom. Really before I’d mastered anything, but I was so excited and so thankful to my family for giving me a chance!

I had a few more sessions for newborn photos that year. I’d watched some free youtube videos and tried to copy what I saw on the internet or on Facebook…still getting those #pinterestfails.

I’ll give you a minute to calm your laughter. I know these aren’t technically the best photos. The parents were all so wonderful to deal with and they all have photos of their tiny babies! It was their grace and encouragement though that pushed me to search for education. I learned very quickly that everything I’d been doing had been…well, I’ll just say not right.

I invested money into taking workshop and online classes specifically for newborn photography. Focusing on newborn safety. And posing. And wrapping. And editing.

I hired a contractor to build me a studio in my home, I invested in studio lights and beautiful props for my clients to use.

Now, I’ve refined my newborn photography skills!

Some before and after comparisons for you!

Why newborn photos cost so much

When you factor in how much education a photographer has invested in, their skill level…all those things I mentioned above, the time it takes to consult with your clients via email or phone. Setting up specifically for your baby’s session, shooting the session that could last anywhere from 2-4 hours (depending on your baby of course!), the time it takes to HAND edit those precious photos of your little one, not just throw a filter on them PLUS delivering those photos to you in a way that they’ll be backed up online until that tiny baby gets to be 10 years old…That has to be worth something…right?

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If you’re expecting a baby and would like to talk to me about scheduling a newborn session, or if you just have questions, shoot me an email!

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Photographers! Can you relate? I can totally help! If you’re looking to up your newborn photography game we need to hang out! If there’s something I love almost as much as taking photos of adorable piles of baby squish. it’s helping other photographers serve their clients better! Contact me about newborn photography mentoring!