What’s the best age for photos?

Photographers get asked this aaaallllll the time! Every photog will have a different answer for you, but I do have an opinion to share. Firstly, you should obviously have photos whenever you want, and I have a client who has done 5 different sessions with me in 18 months, to capture different stages with different people, so anything goes! But if your budget doesn’t stretch to that here’s my professional + mum opinion:

I’m a fan of some newborn or small baby photos. That stage is so fleeting, so special, and goes SO fast. We had photos taken at 2 months old with our first child and I adore them. We had a very hard time with our darling second baby, and so we didn’t get photos until she was 8 months old, and I do regret it. Get some within the first 3 months. I do lifestyle home sessions with newborns and small babies because it’s so much nicer to keep them at home, and way less stressful (which results in better imagery!). Incorporating baths and water is a fave too!

You can check out some full newborn galleries on the blog here, here, here and here.

 

Herbal baths are not as scary as you think! Learn more about them here on the blog. And if you don’t have an appropriate bath, I do. Party at my house!

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Sitting Chubby Baby

As I mentioned, we didn’t get around to getting photos until Chloe was 8 months old, but it’s an awesome stage to capture! It’s adorable and cute, and they’re not moving too fast either 😉 This is a really easy stage to capture in a mini session, if your budget won’t stretch to a full session. Ideally, your baby will be sitting up independently really well so anywhere from 7 to 10 months is usually good. Ideally before they’re walking because once they really start to walk they slim down fast and we want to preserve that chub forevveeerrrrr *heart eyes*.

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Wobbly Young Toddler

If you skipped the chubby baby pics, then you may do some first birthday pics, which is fab, but if you got the chubby baby pics that’ll be too soon so maybe aim for 18 months? Before they look too grown up, anyway! They really do slim down once they start running, and it’s a fun age to capture. Toddler baths are my version of cake smashes for first birthday captures, and outside blowing bubbles is super fun!

Cheeky Older Toddler

Depending on when you got your last lot of pics, this could be anywhere from age 2 to 3. Also worth taking into account here is when a sibling arrives! If you’re doing maternity or newborn photos with a subsequent baby then you will naturally capture your older child as those new baby sessions happen. Well, with lifestyle photography anyway!

 

Toddlers really are hilarious in general. If you haven’t seen my ode to toddlers blog post, you really should!

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Fun Kids

Once they hit 4-5 years old, every year or 2 is plenty, once you stop having babies and capturing subsequent baby milestones! They don’t change that much once they’re school age, and mini sessions are ideal for capturing some quick family snaps just to document your family. Remember that grandparents love having photos too, so a session with grandparents can capture your kids at whatever stage they’re at also. They don’t replace photos with parents though, so remember to at least get in some selfies!