We had our first child recently and decided to shell out a decent amount of money ($435) for a newborn photographer. I initially thought it was extremely pricey considering you’re just going to be taking pictures of a baby in a few outfits, but how wrong I was.
During the entire session, I was in awe of the photographer and how she was able to manipulate, calm, and change my colicky baby into half a dozen outfits. When I saw him turning his gears to cry out, she was able to magically soothe him back to sleep and pretzel his body into poses and have him hold that pose for enough time to take a few photos.
She went through probably half a dozen outfit changes, made him look like he was on a swing, had him pretzeled with his arms under his chin and on his stomach, etc., all of which if I had tried he’d be screaming bloody murder.
I realized afterward you’re not just paying for a professional photographer, you’re paying for someone that has the professional (magical?) ability to soothe a newborn at ease.
Mine was $1,200 and she took 5 months to get the pictures back to us, after I publicly called her out on social media for ghosting me. It’s been 2 years and I’m still salty about it. But the pictures are beautiful.
Edit to add- since I weirdly got a death threat over this- this happened in Japan two years ago, probably not talking about your mom. But if your mom also treats clients like this, she should do better.
@Wynne
Omg same! I paid 1200 and waited SO LONG for the pictures. She kept sending emails with long drawn-out explanations on what was going on with her personal life. It was ridiculous. She offered me a free fall mini-session to make up for it once she finally sent the pictures (4 months later) but the last thing I wanted to do was work with her again.
I try to be sympathetic to personal lives, but I paid her a lot of money and wanted to send out birth announcements and invitations to our sip and see, and I had to wait way too long to do that.
@Lane
Yup! Every excuse in the book. I finally lost it when I saw her advertising on Facebook that she had “extra free time” and “so many openings.” The experience with her day of was great but everything after was awful. Now I’m pregnant again and would love newborn pictures but am so torn from that shit show. I’ve moved somewhere else so the options are different but still.
@Wynne
This was a reason I chose to go with Sweet Me Photography, they are a national organization, so less of a chance of shenanigans. I’m sorry you had to deal with that.
Storm said: @Wynne
This was a reason I chose to go with Sweet Me Photography, they are a national organization, so less of a chance of shenanigans. I’m sorry you had to deal with that.
When I saw the price you paid, I knew it had to be Sweet Me because I paid the exact same. The photographer (and my baby) did such an amazing job that I ended up buying the entire album.
We had a spontaneous photoshoot at the hospital - it was a service offered there so I took them up on it. Like you said, the photographer was so quick and skilled at changing and unchanging the baby’s outfits and getting different angles in. I think it cost around $300 for the photos plus a music video slideshow they included. It was totally worth it, the photos were beautiful, and I have one framed on display on our entryway cabinet now.
Photographers cost what they do because of the costs involved they have to pay for. Thousands of dollars in equipment, studio rentals, props, editing software and the sheer time it takes to Photoshop pictures.
@Noah
For these ones though it feels like they extra deserve it for their insane skills! They can’t simply say “tilt your head this way” to their subject.
This was literally the most miserable thing I ever spent money on. I was so exhausted. Baby wasn’t happy during the whole shoot. Pictures were adorable but I just remember how tired and sore I was at the time and wondered why I did that to myself. Just something to consider before you book them.
Idk my experience was that it was an overpriced scam to prey on tired and vulnerable parents. It was awkward and the pictures were tacky. I didn’t buy them.
Did this price include the photos or did you have to pay separately to get the photos? We actually paid very little for the session but about $500 for the photos.
Finlo said:
Did this price include the photos or did you have to pay separately to get the photos? We actually paid very little for the session but about $500 for the photos.
It was a package deal that included 8 digital image files, and I’d have to pay additional if I wanted more.
@Storm
8 photos??? That’s absolutely insane. This is what bugs me about professional photographers… It’s little to no effort to apply the same editing on one photo to another using their software (Lightroom) so photographers who don’t give me as many photos as I want for the price of the photoshoot are a red flag.
I’m not a professional photographer but I have a $2500 professional camera that I use to take pictures of my kids all the time. I’ve paid a couple of professional photographers for family photos so I could also be in them and almost every single time I’m disappointed and frustrated by their work.
Many “professional” photographers end up just being people with a nice camera and experience using it.
My advice to people is to invest in a good camera and practice taking photos yourself. That way, any moment can turn into a free photoshoot.
With that said, the newborn poses are hard so this may be one time to fork out some money but $1200 is absurd in my opinion.