3 Reasons Newborn Portrait Sessions Last Longer Than Family Sessions

It is not uncommon to find that expectant new parents are a bit shocked when they realize that a studio style newborn session can last as long as 4 hours. I certainly get the surprise and confusion. After all, family and maternity photoshoots are easily done within an hour, so why on Earth do newborn sessions take so long?! As an experienced professional newborn photographer in Jacksonville, FL, I am happy to fill you in on the reasoning.

The simple answer: Newborn portrait sessions are a completely different ball game than family photoshoots! It’s truly like comparing apples to oranges.

Here’s what makes studio style newborn photos so different from other portrait sessions and why they ultimately take longer…

Newborn photo sessions are baby led.

What does that mean exactly? Well, if your baby needs to eat, they eat. If they need to be rocked and snuggled until they fall asleep, they get that time, too. If they need even more time to settle into a pose and get comfortable, yep, they get that as well. Patience is the name of the game during these photoshoots!

It’s true that some babies don’t need much time to settle, while other babies really make me work for it. Regardless, for their safety, comfort, and overall wellbeing, I am on their timetable.

Poo happens.

Here’s a not-so-secret – secret. Babies pee and poop… a LOT. And you guessed it… they will inevitably pee and poop during their session. Many times. That seems expected and quite normal, right? However, what you may not have considered, is that when working on naked baby posing, this also means that the your newborn may end up waking themselves back up in the process. And even if they don’t, the posing blanket and/or prop will need to be changed. There is absolutely no need for you to stress or worry about this possibly happening during your baby’s photo session though. It most likely will happen and it will be just fine. I’ll clean up and move on, easy peasy. But you see, it is yet another reason that newborn pictures can take a while.

In-home newborn sessions require a lot of setup and tear down.

As a full-service in-home studio style newborn photographer in Jacksonville, I bring everything to my clients. This means the camera gear, lighting equipment, posing bed, backdrop stand, posing blankets, wraps, layers, bonnets, headbands, buckets, bowls… EVERYTHING! I always joke that it will look like I’m moving in. Haha. My clients absolutely love that I offer this service to them because it means that they do not have to leave the comfort of their own home so soon after having their new baby. Many of the families that I’ve worked with over the years have specifically sought me out because of this luxury service.  This also means, though, that I have a lot to unpack, setup, tear down, repack, and load back up. And it does, of course, add to the time that I will be at your home for your newborn session.

I know that a 3-4 hour photoshoot can seem like an awfully long time. Maybe even a little overwhelming. However, what you may not realize, is that after the family portion of the photo session is out of the way, the majority of my clients take the opportunity to relax. They eat a peaceful meal, enjoy a hot cup of coffee for a change, finally have a moment to respond to family and friends who have been lovingly blowing up their phones, spend quality time with their older children, or even take a nap. Yes, studio style newborn sessions can be long and they are unlike any other type of photoshoot. But the end result is sooo worth it, I promise!

Learn more about my style of newborn photography or contact me to book your newborn session today!

Erin of Erin Elyse Photography is a Jacksonville in-home studio Newborn Photographer in Northeast Florida. Erin specializes in beautifully capturing your timeless memories and turning them into luxurious works of art. Also serving the families of Ponte Vedra, Atlantic Beach, Neptune Beach, Jacksonville Beach, St. Augustine, Riverside, San Marco, Nocatee, Mandarin, Fleming Island and the surrounding areas of Northeast Florida.