So you all know my feelings on newborn safety. I talk about it alot and my clients all appreciate my passion for safety of their baby. These are screenshots I took of a tik tok video (I don’t have it, just saw it in a group). It didn’t show the full front, but you get the idea. 😡
This pose is called the potato sack and in my opinion should always be done as a composite image. I know of some well trained photographers who have learned very specific wrapping skills and technique to support baby on it’s own but even they still have an assistant every time. I personally only do this pose with an assistant hands on.
What’s your guess on what’s supporting this baby upright? It looks like it could be a prop to match the head piece or something cultural. I see a potentially sharp and dangerous object poked into this baby’s chin or neck to prop her up. There is so much wrong with this it’s disturbing.
Prop or not, the only thing that should be anywhere near a baby supporting it are a pair of hands.
It angers me so much when I see how stupid people can be with newborns. Parents who don’t know any better can be very trusting. They don’t always know when what a photographer is doing is right or wrong.
I personally would be mortified if I saw my photographer do any of the things I have seen. Even if I weren’t an educated photographer I would still see these things as unsafe.
Common sense was definitely missed on some.
Parents dream of the day they get to welcome a baby into the world, they dream of beautiful newborn photos. Their only worry should be managing their new life at home and learning all about their new baby.
They should never bring fear into their session nor should they ever feel it during. It’s normal for parents to have anxieties that are only natural to feel. They should be assured and made to feel comfortable and confident that their new baby is 100% safe in the photographer’s hands.
There are massive differences in a professional who is educated and trained and someone who just has a nice camera and likes babies. It’s not even just about the legal side of operating a business like insurance and being a legitimate business. It’s about the education, training and experience a photographer has.
These are all important factors to consider when choosing a newborn photographer.
What you need to think about before you book with someone is how do they make you feel in the initial communication? Are they up front and clear? Do they answer all of your questions thoroughly and honestly?
Do they offer additional information you may not have thought to ask or you need to know? Are they making sure you are fully informed about their policies and procedures? Do they assure you they have put in the work to learn this area of photography in and out? and Do they have the work to show you? Do they have positive reviews from other clients? Are they a legitimate business doing things properly or just someone who accepts money for taking some pictures? After speaking with the photographer and have gone thorough all the questions etc, do you feel more or less anxious about your session with them?
There are so many more important questions to ask besides "how much"?. How much are you willing to risk with your brand new baby? If someone is vague or seems unwilling to or is unable to answer your questions, these are red flags.
Your photographer should have everything readily available and should be openly willing to walk you through this process. When it comes to handling and posing the baby from the simple to the complex poses and wrapping techniques, a true professional should be able to explain these things and know how to perform them not only well but safely, and the only choice should be someone who can.
Photography is fun, working with newborns is a whole other level of passion for me. I can’t even put it into words how much I love what I do but working with newborns is serious work and not for playing.
It’s about the safety and using proper techniques no one is born with. They are learned and they are not perfected overnight. My passion and love for this didn’t give me the skills to do it properly. Hard work and investing into my education did and they improve with each session. I also walk parents through these advanced poses and explain to them how it will be done.
I am not the photographer for everyone, not every expecting parent is my client, that’s ok.
My job, any professional’s job in this industry is to help educate clients to make valuable, thought through choices and ensure they are informed. If I do this with even one person through my process from an inquiry, I did my job. I don’t have to book the client to have done my job because my job is not just taking photos.
That’s one major flaw in our industry, too many think all they have to do is pick up a camera, start a free Facebook page, use a free editing program or none at all and they’re in business. Fact, 20% of running a photography business is taking photos. If the rest isn’t there, they’re not in business and they’re not a professional.
Be smart about this moms and dads, think of choosing your newborn photographer as like buying a house.
Be as thorough in choosing your photographer as you are about where your family will make your home. When you walk through house after house, you look at the colors and the layout and what materials the counter tops are made of but above all of the fixtures and number of rooms, when you make that huge decision to sign the papers, you choose based on how you feel about it.
You don’t choose solely on price, you don’t choose solely on the top layers that look good. As a buyer, you dig deeper and you request inspections, you want to know how that house was built and what you could potentially be getting into. You want a safe, sound structure built by skilled people that you feel comfortable in and know your family will be safe in.
Like houses, you’ve got lots of options for newborn photographers, but choosing the one that’s right for your family is also an important process ❤️
Melony Matson – Your newborn, child and family photographer