When Should You Schedule Your Newborn Photos?

Q: When should you schedule your newborn photos?
A: Ideally in your second trimester to give your photographer of choice enough time to fit you in their schedule, and to save up for your portraits.

When should you schedule your newborn photos?

If you’re searching this, you must be pregnant! Congratulations!
Are you ever wondering when the best time to start thinking about newborn photos is?

An important piece of information is this:
Most photographers (myself included) prefer to photograph babies in their first 2 weeks of life.

So, that being said, the ideal time to make arrangements for your newborn session is before your baby arrives, preferably in your 2nd trimester or early 3rd trimester. If you are going to be booking a maternity session and a newborn session, then you can also book those at the same time!

Honestly though, I COMPLETELY understand if the thought doesn’t cross your mind while you’re pregnant. You have other things to worry about! I always try to squeeze in last minute appointments if I can! But keep in mind that some photographers book up quickly, and though they’d love to work with you, they simply cannot add any more appointments to their schedule.

Or maybe you’re really excited, and want to book your favorite photographer right away. You can also book earlier.

While there’s no real *perfect* time, you do run the risk of limited selection if you wait until your baby is born.

Other things to consider

The other thing to consider, is newborn photography can be a significant investment. Although completely worthwhile investment! A new baby comes with so much change, and usually many things to prepare and purchase for them. Don’t forget to put their photos on the list 🙂 ♥ Even add gift cards or straight up cash to your registry, to use for services like photography that people sometimes forget. It makes a great group gift!


If you’ve never worked with a photographer before, be sure to check around and inquire to at least get an idea of what style you’d like and what you will likely be investing. Every photographer runs their business differently, and it’s hard to know an average spend.

Hope that helps!

Leave a Reply