The moment you bring your baby home, everyone tells you the same thing: it goes by fast! And it’s true! In a blink of an eye your curly newborn baby is smiling, crawling and taking their first steps.
As your professional baby milestone photographer in Madison CT, I believe these moments deserve more than just a quick phone snapshot. Here are just a few milestones that you should consider booking a session for during your baby’s first year.
The Newborn Stage: 5 days to 6 weeks
The newborn phase is the very first, and arguably the most important stage to capture. Most professional newborn photographers recommend scheduling your session when your baby is between 5 and 15 days old. During these early days that babies are still very sleepy and easy to settle into those adorable curled-up poses. To ensure that you are able to lock in a photographer for this window, consider booking during your second trimester.
However, life with a newborn baby is unpredictable. Premature arrivals, extended hospital stays, or unforeseen family circumstances can easily push the session past the two-week mark. Please know that capturing your odler newborn is absolutely still worth it! While a 4 or a 6-week old baby may be more alert and less flexible for certain poses, this stage brings its own charm and allows us to capture open-eyed smiling babies in addition to some adjusted sleepy poses.
The newborn state only lasts a very short while – catch those tiny features and sleepy snuggles while you can!
Baby Milestones: 3 to 11 months
While the newborn stage focuses on sleepy stillness, the time between three and nine months is a dynamic flurry of discovery! The are some many new and fun things to photograph and preserve.
Around 3-4 months, babies master the art of holding their heads up confidently and captivating you with their dazzling smiles. During this time we will concentrate on catching their engaged smiles and beautiful eye contract. This stage is all about showcasing that new alertness and their growing personalities.
The 6-8 month stage, or often referred to as “sitter milestone session” is probably one of my favorite. Your baby is beginning to sit up on their own but are not yet crawling or walking – making them the perfect photography subject 🤣. I love capturing this stage while they are perfectly contained, full of giggles, and capable of displaying a huge range of emotions. These sessions yield the most varied and delightful poses, fro sitting proudly to grabbing their tiny toes.
As they approach their first birthday, the 9-11 month stage is often full of movement. Your baby will begin to pull up, crawl or stand. This stage captures your baby’s developing independence and curiosity. The photos are full of motion, wonder, and a determination to explore the world around them. We will focus on capturing them interacting with props and showing off their new skills.
First Birthday Portraits & Cake Smash Sessions
The first birthday is the grand finale! This is a huge milestone for both your little one and your family. There are many ways to capture this milestone – here are a few ideas:
Classic first birth portraits: these beautiful portraits capture your one-year-old’s new skills, big smiles and growing personalities. I love to focus on clean, timeless images that show their growth from the newborn stage. This is a great option if you don’t want the hassle of a messy cake smash session.
Signature Cake Smash Session: if you are looking for messy fun and unforgettable memories, the cake smash is the way to go! We’ll coordinate the backdrop and all the props and together watch their hilarious reactions to their first big taste of sugar. It’s messy, joyous, and results in some of the most personality-filled photos of the entire year.
And don’t forget the whole family! While the focus is on the star of the show, I encourage families to jump in the photos.
Are you looking to capture your baby’s first year? Check out more information about milestone photography or contact me for more information.
