It’s a completely fair question.
Having a baby is expensive.. more expensive than you expect (at least it was for me).. You’ve bought the pram, somehow filled an entire drawer with vests and you’re already wondering how one very small person needs so much stuff.
Then newborn photography appears on the list and you find yourself asking whether it’s genuinely worth spending the money on.
I’m a newborn photographer, so it won’t surprise you to hear that I think these photographs matter. I also don’t believe anyone should book because they’ve been made to feel guilty or frightened that they’re going to miss something.
So let’s talk about what you’re actually paying for and whether it feels worth it for your family.
They really do change that quickly
Everyone tells you the newborn stage flies by. When you’re awake at 3am, it may not feel particularly fast, but then one day you notice their legs have stretched out and their face already looks different. For me, that happened every other day – the jump from 0 days to 30 days is BONKERS.
You will probably take hundreds of photographs on your phone. Your camera roll will be full of sleeping baby photos and approximately forty-seven versions of the same facial expression.
What is often missing from those photographs is you.
A professional session means you get to be part of this chapter too. You don’t have to look perfectly rested, because nobody expects that from someone who has just had a baby. You only need to be there with them.
What happens during a session?
This is where I think people are often surprised.
A newborn session at Lucy Rose Studios isn’t a few frantic hours of trying to make your baby behave for the camera. Babies don’t care that we’ve arranged a photoshoot, and I would never expect them to.
If they need feeding, we stop. If they need a cuddle, they have one. There is no clock ticking in the background and no pressure to get everything right. I only ever photograph one family per day to ensure that you have a joyful, happy experience. When you look back and think about the newborn period, I want this session to be the memory that comes to mind. The morning you got to spend, phones to the side, just you and your babies.
You don’t need to know how to pose or what to do with your hands, that’s my job.
Your job is to arrive with your baby. I’ll take care of the rest!
You’re paying for more than someone pressing a button
Newborn photography looks calm and simple when it’s done well, but there is a lot happening behind the scenes.
You’re paying for someone who knows how to handle your baby safely and recognises when they need a break. You’re choosing someone who has spent years learning how to create beautiful photographs without forcing a baby into something that doesn’t feel right for them.
There is also a lot of work after your session. Every finished photograph is selected carefully and edited by hand so your gallery feels like one complete story.
Most of all, you’re paying for trust.
You need to feel comfortable with the person holding your new baby. You need to know that if you arrive feeling emotional or completely exhausted, you’ll be looked after rather than rushed through an appointment.
That part matters to me just as much as the photographs.
What if I don’t feel ready to be in the pictures?
I hear this all the time from new mums.
Your body has just done something enormous and you may not feel like yourself yet. The thought of being photographed might be somewhere near the bottom of your ideal day out.
I understand that feeling, but I also know what these photographs will mean later.
Your baby won’t look at them and notice the things you were worried about. They will see you holding them. They will see how safe they looked with you and how loved they were right from the beginning.
I’ll gently guide you and help you choose something that makes you feel comfortable. You can also borrow from my studio wardrobe, so you don’t need to stand in front of your own clothes wondering why nothing feels right.
You are allowed to be in your family’s memories exactly as you are.
Will the photographs still matter in a few years?
This is the bit that really answers the question.
A year after your newborn session, you won’t be thinking about whether your baby slept for the whole shoot. You’ll be looking at how tiny they were against your chest and wondering how they ever fitted there.
As the years pass, the photographs become less about what you bought and more about who your family was at that moment.
Your child gets to see the beginning of their own story. You get something real to hold onto when the details you were certain you’d remember start to become a little hazy.
That is why I love creating albums and printed photographs. They don’t disappear into a camera roll containing screenshots of recipes and pictures of the dog. They become part of your home and something your child can pick up one day.
So, is a newborn photoshoot worth it?
Honestly, that depends on what matters to you.
If you only want a quick picture to announce your baby’s arrival, your phone may be all you need.
If you want to remember how it felt to hold them when they were brand new, and you want to be present in those memories too, a newborn photoshoot can become one of the things you’re most grateful you booked.
Lucy Rose Studios is based just outside York, and more than 160 families have left five-star Google reviews after trusting me with their memories.
My sessions are relaxed and completely led by your baby. The photographs are beautiful, of course, but the way you feel while we create them matters just as much.
If you’re wondering whether a newborn photoshoot is right for you, send me a message and ask me anything. There’s no pressure and no hard sell.
Sometimes you just need a proper chat with someone who understands.
If you’re expecting a baby and would like to know more about a newborn session at my studio just outside York, please get in touch, I’d love to make it happen!
Best wishes,
Lucy xxx
