One of the first things you should decide when you are looking for a baby photographer is what sort of photo session you are looking for. There are 2 main types of photography when it comes to babies – lifestyle and studio. Both are beautiful but are very different types of sessions resulting in very different images. In this article I’m going to outline the two different types to help you decide what type of photography you’d prefer and to help you find a photographer to suit you.
Posed Studio Baby Photography
Posed studio baby photography is what I do. Sessions usually take place in a studio or another a controlled environment. This results in more formal images of your baby and family.
Where: Sessions take place inside a photography studio where there is equipment for lighting (or natural light), props, backdrops and fabrics to make your baby’s session beautiful.
Types of Images: Babies are usually posed in different positions (for newborn photography) resulting in more formal images. Sibling and family images are taken and are typically posed in front of a backdrop or textured rug. These images are all about your baby/family without any distractions from the outside environment.
How long do sessions last?: Because of the nature of posed studio baby photography, sessions can take some time. A typical session will take about 3-4 hours to leave time for feeding and settling, posing and getting a variety of images in different positions & on different backgrounds.
What does baby wear? Babies are usually wrapped in various texture fabrics or posed in tasteful nude positions to capture their sweet wrinkles and perfect skin.
Lifestyle Baby Photography
Lifestyle baby photography is a much more relaxed style. Sessions usually take place either outdoors or in a client’s home. Images are more candid and less posed. The aim of lifestyle photography is to capture moments in your environment and interactions between you and your baby.
Where: Sessions usually take place in a client’s home or outside at a park.
Types of Images: Babies are photographed in relaxed positions with their parents. Typically a lifestyle photographer will aim to be a “fly on the wall” and will ask you to go about your normal daily routine – capturing snapshots of your daily life along the way. The types of images you should expect to receive might include images of you settling/feeding/playing with your baby.
How long do sessions last?: Because lifestyle sessions are more relaxed and candid, they are usually shorter than a posed session. A typical lifestyle baby session lasts around 2 hours (or a family session about an hour).
What does baby wear? Your photographer will typically spend some time with you helping you choose items from your wardrobe which will work well in your images.
Should I choose posed studio baby photography or a relaxed lifestyle baby photography session?
It really depends what sort of photos you’re looking for. As you can see – the results are so very different! Both are beautiful and special in their own way.
If budget is a consideration, you may find that a lifestyle session works better for you. Whilst it’s not always the case, posed baby photography is typically more expensive (posed-style sessions take more time, require rental of a studio space instead of taking place at the client’s home, washing of props and fabrics, and take longer in retouching time etc).
Ultimately, you should choose whichever style you prefer and find a photographer whose work really speaks to you. Above all else, be sure to capture as many photos of your baby as you can in their first months. They change so rapidly! You don’t want to miss a moment.
Thank you to the lovely Bree at Beautiful Little Things Photography for supplying her beautiful lifestyle baby photography image to be featured in this blog post.