As new parents begin to plan for their newborn portraits, one of the questions I’m most often asked is when they should book their newborn session. Today, I wanted to talk about how old your baby should be for our portraits, why I always say “yes” to older babies, and when in your pregnancy we should book your session to make sure you’re on the calendar.

What age is best for newborn portraits?

Most of my newborns are photographed in the first 2-3 weeks of their life. I prefer to wait until they are at least 7 days old to schedule their portrait session. By then their tummies are bigger and they can hold more milk, which means they are more easily settled for longer periods of time (and easier to pose!). This also gives parents a little time to adjust to their new (sleepless) routine and feel a tiny bit less like zombies by the time they get to the studio.

baby sleeps in white wrap on white chunky blanket during newborn portraits with Nicole Starr Photography, NY newborn photographer

baby girl sleeps on floral wrap with pink flowers photographed by NY newborn photographer Nicole Starr Photography

baby holds grey teddy during newborn session with Saratoga Springs NY newborn photographer Nicole Starr Photography

Older Newborn Portraits

Unlike other photographers, I'll never turn away an "older newborn," and I actually love working with babies in the studio that are 3, 4, 5+ weeks old. I've even captured newborn portraits for babies that are 2.5 and 3 months old, still swaddling them up and capturing those sweet baby details from the early stages of their life. Older newborns may not settle as easily into certain poses as they become less flexible and their bones start to harden, but we can still safely wrap and pose them for their portrait session.

older newborn twins lay on bellies in white onesies during newborn portraits Saratoga Springs NY newborn photographer Nicole Starr Photography

Saratoga Springs NY newborn photographer Nicole Starr Photography discusses the best age for newborn portraits - including when to bring older newborn babies

newborn twins lay in white wraps during studio newborn session with NY newborn photographer Nicole Starr Photography

baby girl lays in white wrap with hand under her chin during older newborn session with Nicole Starr Photography

When should you book your newborn portraits?

The most important thing is to reserve your newborn session IN THE SECOND TRIMESTER to ensure that your photographer has room on their schedule for your family. I mark each family's due date and save a certain amount of flexibility in the weeks surrounding the due date so that we can schedule the session once the baby arrives. I take on a limited number of newborn clients each month to give each family the attention and flexibility they deserve with their little one's arrival.