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5 Simple Tips on how to Choose a Newborn Photographer

I know how overwhelming the search for a newborn photographer can be!

Table of Contents hide
1 So How to Choose your Newborn Photographer?
1.1 1. Experience, quality of work and safety
1.2 2. Location
1.3 3. Style
1.4 4. What do you want from the session?
1.5 5. Pricing

You probably go on Google and search for a newborn photographer near you, and a list of hundreds will appear. So you spend so much time browsing the different websites looking for information and pricing, right?

Or you are probably looking on Instagram and Pinterest and find some photos you fall in love with and want to know if that photographer is available. Or you might have a friend who recently had a great session with someone, and you are going to the same photographer.

It doesn’t matter where your search starts, how you choose a newborn photographer, but I want to give you some simple tips to make your search easier, at least I hope so!

Richmond newborn photographer Valentina at work

So How to Choose your Newborn Photographer?

1. Experience, quality of work and safety

This is the most important thing to consider. You give your little baby to a stranger, so make sure that person is qualified and trained. You can probably tell from the portfolio and the social media if the work is consistent. Read the about page. You can feel when you read the information on the website, blog posts or when you speak to them if they are confident in what they are doing. Don’t be afraid to ask about their experience if you feel unsure.

Photography is all about connection. Especially a newborn photographer who will capture emotional moments between you and your baby will “see” your vulnerability, so if you don’t feel comfortable with her/him, it will show. So follow your heart.

2. Location

When you have a little one, especially if it’s your first baby, you don’t want to travel long enough to reach the photographer. So a good place to start is undoubtedly Google maps. You can see how far the studios are and how long it will take you to get there. Keep in mind that London is a big city! I had clients travelling over an hour to come to me. But I feel more than that is quite a long journey.

Also, another consideration is, do you want a studio session, or do you prefer a home session? The two are pretty different in terms of style and final result. Find out what you desire and ask the photographers what they offer.

portrait of a newborn sleeping on his tummy. Mum and dad have their hands on his back and head.

3. Style

Newborn photography loves trends. And you will see it changing all the time.

So what do you want? What do you like? Do you like posed babies with flowers, bonnets and sleeping in baskets? Or do you prefer a more natural, minimal style?

So choose a newborn photographer that reflects your style, and you will love those photos for years.

If you like the prop style, don’t choose a natural photographer because it is cheaper or closer to you and ask to do a different style than what they do. They will be uncomfortable (if they are willing to do it), and the end result is not what you had in mind.

The photographer will recommend the best age for each of these styles. Usually, for the most posed, traditional sessions, babies are best under two weeks of age, as they need to be asleep to be posed. If you choose a more natural style, as I offer, the baby can be older too, as I’m more interested in capturing the connection rather than the perfect pose.

black and white family portrait. dad is holding newborn baby on his shoulder and mum is leaning into both.

4. What do you want from the session?

When clients book with me, I always ask, “why are you taking these photos now?” And all of them answer because they want to capture the tiny baby’s features and remember this time. Of course, you do. Memories are so important for all of us. And these photos are not just for you now. They will be for your children one day. They will be your legacy.

But how do you remember them? Think about how you will see these photos in 10-15 years. If you have them on a CD or USB, they might not be accessible anymore. CDs are already kind of dead. So if you want to remember and preserve those images, you should print them. Ask your photographer if they provide printed products like albums or fine art prints. Don’t you want that beautiful family photos hung on your wall? Can you visualise it on top of your bed? Or maybe in the living room? That’s how you will live that moment over again, every day.

5. Pricing

I kept this for last because every photographer is different, and only price shopping will make it an unfair comparison.

There will be general photographers and specialised photographers.

New photographers just starting will charge a little to gain the experience and send you the files via email. More experienced photographers will guide you through the process, hold your hand every step of the way, provide a personal experience, and deliver an outstanding product you will treasure for life.

It’s the difference between dinner at Mcdonald’s or a fine restaurant. You will have your food in one and the experience in the other.

I understand everyone has a different budget. And when you have a newborn, you have lots of new expenses you didn’t have before. However, thinking about all the expensive prams or cots or gadgets you are buying and dismissing after six months or max 2-3 years. Photos will be forever.

It’s not another expense but an investment that will grow in value as time passes.

master bedroom with a big portrait of newborn and family over the bed

Related article: The Ultimate Guide to Booking Your Newborn Photographer in London and Richmond

I hope these tips on how to find a newborn photographer will be helpful for your search.

My name is Valentina and I’m a London newborn photographer and mum of a girl and dog. I like to create timeless images that will touch your heart. You can see more of my work on the website.

Or if you want to get in touch with any questions, fill out the form below, and I’ll be in touch soon.

Posted in Newborn

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For years I have strived for minimalism in my photos. Even when everyone was putting babies in baskets and flowers and that seemed like the only way to do it.

And lately I have been reflecting on that choice even more. It was right for me then. And it feels even more right now.

Especially in a world where everything is loud, fast and AI-generated. What cuts through all of that is not a prop or a set. It is a moment. A real one.

Holding your baby in your arms. The most precious thing you will ever hold. Staying in that stillness. The way the whole world seems to shrink down to just this, the small weight, the tiny face, this brand new person who has already changed everything in you.

These are the moments I get to witness.
And they never, ever get ordinary.

14 2
Open post by by_valentina with ID 17936289762257427
For years I have strived for minimalism in my photos. Even when everyone was putting babies in baskets and flowers and that seemed like the only way to do it. And lately I have been reflecting on that choice even more. It was right for me then. And it feels even more right now. Especially in a world where everything is loud, fast and AI-generated. What cuts through all of that is not a prop or a set. It is a moment. A real one. Holding your baby in your arms. The most precious thing you will ever hold. Staying in that stillness. The way the whole world seems to shrink down to just this, the small weight, the tiny face, this brand new person who has already changed everything in you. These are the moments I get to witness. And they never, ever get ordinary.

After 15 years, so much of what I do is on autopilot.

I look for the gorgeous light and read the baby. I know when to wait and when to act. And I do it without thinking.

But the moment someone is beside me, watching, learning, everything slows down. I have to find words for things I stopped noticing years ago. And in doing that, I remember how it felt at the beginning. The insecurities. The fear of getting it wrong. The weight of feeling like you should already know. The comparison with others.

Teaching reminds me how much courage it takes to learn something new and how gently we should treat ourselves while we do.

If you are starting out, in any field, well done. Truly. I know how hard and lonely those first steps can be. But you don’t have to take them alone.

And if you are a photographer thinking about a one to one newborn training day in my Twickenham studio,I would love to be part of your journey.
Link in bio.

28 4
Open post by by_valentina with ID 17949340839173898
After 15 years, so much of what I do is on autopilot. I look for the gorgeous light and read the baby. I know when to wait and when to act. And I do it without thinking. But the moment someone is beside me, watching, learning, everything slows down. I have to find words for things I stopped noticing years ago. And in doing that, I remember how it felt at the beginning. The insecurities. The fear of getting it wrong. The weight of feeling like you should already know. The comparison with others. Teaching reminds me how much courage it takes to learn something new and how gently we should treat ourselves while we do. If you are starting out, in any field, well done. Truly. I know how hard and lonely those first steps can be. But you don’t have to take them alone. And if you are a photographer thinking about a one to one newborn training day in my Twickenham studio,I would love to be part of your journey. Link in bio.

Six weeks ago I shared a glimpse behind the scenes of this session. Today, you get to see what we made.

She arrived with her props already chosen.

Nude stockings. The kind her mother wore. The ones women mended rather than replaced.

She knew exactly what she wanted to say.
My job was simply to hold the space and let her say it.

This is what a portrait session can be.
Not a makeover or a way to fit an idea of beauty. But a conversation between a woman and her own story, made visible.

Dyana is an artist, activist and doula. She explores identity, the body, and everything that lives between and beyond definition.

I am grateful I had the chance to photograph her.

88 20
Open post by by_valentina with ID 17861247726689326
Six weeks ago I shared a glimpse behind the scenes of this session. Today, you get to see what we made. She arrived with her props already chosen. Nude stockings. The kind her mother wore. The ones women mended rather than replaced. She knew exactly what she wanted to say. My job was simply to hold the space and let her say it. This is what a portrait session can be. Not a makeover or a way to fit an idea of beauty. But a conversation between a woman and her own story, made visible. Dyana is an artist, activist and doula. She explores identity, the body, and everything that lives between and beyond definition. I am grateful I had the chance to photograph her.

Tomorrow I have a newborn session and a 1:1 training day with a photographer travelling from Switzerland to spend the day with me.

But before any of that, the work had already started.
It starts with a conversation. Learning about your birth, your family, how things have been since you came home. Then comes the studio prep, making sure the space is warm, clean and ready for someone very new to the world, with attention to every small thing that makes a family feel safe and held.

After 15 years, this is still how I do it. Every time.
That same care is what I pass on when I teach.

If you are a parent looking for a photographer who takes this seriously, or a photographer thinking about training, this is what I stand for.

📩 Links in bio for both.

22 3
Open post by by_valentina with ID 18100153727039017
Tomorrow I have a newborn session and a 1:1 training day with a photographer travelling from Switzerland to spend the day with me. But before any of that, the work had already started. It starts with a conversation. Learning about your birth, your family, how things have been since you came home. Then comes the studio prep, making sure the space is warm, clean and ready for someone very new to the world, with attention to every small thing that makes a family feel safe and held. After 15 years, this is still how I do it. Every time. That same care is what I pass on when I teach. If you are a parent looking for a photographer who takes this seriously, or a photographer thinking about training, this is what I stand for. 📩 Links in bio for both.

She almost didn’t come.

She told me she wasn’t feeling confident.
That she didn’t know how to pose.
That maybe I should photograph someone else.

I hear this more than you’d think. From women who are more reserved and introvert but also the ones who are funny and so alive in person. Women who have simply spent too long seeing themselves in a fixed way.

We spent a morning together. Just her, the light, and a space where nothing needed to be fixed or hidden.

The woman in these photos? She was there all along.

If you’ve been telling yourself a similar story, I’d gently ask you this: what if you’re wrong too?

48 10
Open post by by_valentina with ID 18093137645180251
She almost didn’t come. She told me she wasn’t feeling confident. That she didn’t know how to pose. That maybe I should photograph someone else. I hear this more than you’d think. From women who are more reserved and introvert but also the ones who are funny and so alive in person. Women who have simply spent too long seeing themselves in a fixed way. We spent a morning together. Just her, the light, and a space where nothing needed to be fixed or hidden. The woman in these photos? She was there all along. If you’ve been telling yourself a similar story, I’d gently ask you this: what if you’re wrong too?
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VALE@PHOTOGRAPHYBYVALENTINA.COM

07577 978246

LONDON NEWBORN & MATERNITY PHOTOGRAPHER

Based in Richmond, I work with families across London to capture life’s most meaningful milestones through portrait photography.