Does age matter for Newborn Photography?

Yes, and no - to an extent but it's not limited to what most people think. Opinions will differ but this is based on my own experience and skill level.

It is taught that the best time for newborn photography is within the first two weeks after birth so a lot of new parents often miss having them done because their baby is older than that, sometimes because they just weren't thinking of it or baby was in the hospital for a while after birth.

The truth is, every newborn session is 100% dependent on the baby and they're all different.

I personally don't shy away from an older newborn because I have worked with many that did just as well if not better than some younger ones.

Yes babies under 2 weeks of age are typically more flexible and can go into those sweet curly poses easier, but it doesn't mean a baby 3+ weeks of age cannot and I have done it many times.

Babies older than 2 weeks do startle and wake easier and for longer periods of time, but it is still possible for an older baby to be super sleepy during their newborn session.

The baby's size will matter with the props you want to use, but it's easy to adjust the plan and work with what you can do vs what you can't.

Here are some examples of recent older babies I have worked with.

This beauty was 5 weeks old for her session and she was not easy, but we were able to capture so many beautiful images of her, sleeping and awake.

This sweet girl was also 5 weeks old for her session and she slept almost the entire time, only waking for the very end of her session.

This spicy little one was 5 weeks old at his session and he stayed awake the whole time, but we were still able to capture a lot of beautiful images and expressions his parents love.

This sweet girl was almost 6 weeks at her session and she did stay awake for the majority of it, but eventually fell asleep. I love getting the open eyed direct looks.

I have had babies 7-8 weeks old that are private sessions, but they're very similar with a mix of sleeping and awake images, and posing adjusted to baby's comfort but this is just to show you that it is still possible to photograph your baby as a newborn up to about 8 weeks old.

Just remember the older baby is, the harder it will likely be to achieve those curly, sleepy poses not just because they are awake longer, but also their flexibility and size will change significantly over the weeks so if you do want those tiny, curly poses, try to book your session before baby is born so that your photographer can fit you in as early as possible.

www.littleandsweetphotography.ca