How often should you have professional portraits of your children? | Northern VA Baby Photographer

Our studios in Sterling, VA are centrally located in Northern Virginia so we draw many clients from across the area. As a family photographer offering newborn and baby photography, many of our clients ask us how often they should do professional portraits of their children.

That’s a great question and we love to hear it especially from our clients with newborns. We believe the earlier you start, the better! As parents and as professional photographers, we know that time is like water – try to hold it and it slips through your fingers.

Here is a rough timeline we suggest to our clients with regard to newborn and children’s portraits:

• We strongly urge our clients interested in newborn photos to contact us months in advance of their due date so we can reserve a place for you on our calendar. Once the baby has arrived, newborn photos should be taken within the first few days after the birth.

• Consider one portrait per milestone that first year. We offer a first-year portrait plan, our Bebe Coterie. It includes a Newborn Session, a 6-to-8-month session (when your baby can sit up without assistance), and a 12-month session (when your baby is standing or maybe even walking a little). However, if budget permits, portraits around the time of other milestones is the same as creating a precious visual journal of your child’s young life. Years from now you will be thankful you did.

• Once babies are able to stand erect and begin walking, their bodies change. Toddlers’ big bellies begin to change as they get closer to starting school and their weight shifts with their daily growth. These are years when changes happen quickly. Recording those changes through photography is wonderful.

• Between the ages of about 6 to 8, you’ll notice that your child’s baby face is changing just as they are losing their baby teeth. Baby’s chubby cheeks are thinning out.

• From about 9 to 12 years old, their looks are once again changing dramatically but more slowly than as toddlers. (We won’t mention their changing attitudes and eye-rolling. We’ll let you experience that for yourselves!)

• The teenage years of late middle school and early high school brings physical changes and before you know it the kindergartner walks into your kitchen one day looking like an adult. Who are they?!

• Their final milestone while living at home full-time is likely to be their high school graduation.

So, how often should you take baby and children’s portraits?

Now that we’ve completed this mini-child development lesson, we can go back to that great question of how often to take professional portraits of your children. When they are young (baby, toddler, early elementary school) is when you see the biggest changes. Photography taken more often during these periods can record your changing child.

As they arrive in middle school, changes slow down, so waiting more time between professional portraits won’t have you missing too much. We recommend several portraits between middle and high school.

Obviously, your budget will dictate how many portraits you do and/or what type of professional portrait you do. We are always happy to do a free consultation with you to create a fine art, professional photographic “journal” of your child or children. We offer many options and price points. We’re happy to discuss those.

If you live near us in the Sterling, VA or Dulles, VA area, or anywhere throughout the DMV, contact us to arrange a consultation. We value and understand the importance of documenting our children’s lives through newborn and children’s portraits. We would be honored to help you.

 

Baby Photography, Baby Photographer

Ever After Baby Portraits is Mindy Belcher and Joriana Belcher Anderson, a mother-daughter baby photography team located in Sterling, VA in Northern Virginia. We specialize in timeless and emotive fine art family portraits, including newborn and baby portraits. Family means everything and capturing those precious moments to preserve forever will mean family heirlooms for you to share for years to come.

Best,
Mindy & Joriana – Contact Us!

View Our Portfolio | Ever After Baby Portraits

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