When is the right time to schedule baby pictures? | Murray, KY baby photography

When is the right time to take baby pictures?

Baby M's 4-month old session

I was in Germany when this precious babe was born so we didn't get to do a newborn session right away. Holidays, out-of-town visitors, stress of being new parents, and the semester starting put our session on a slight delay but we finally scheduled this right around the 4 month mark. Baby M definitely wasn't sleepy like a newborn but I actually kind of enjoy that he's so active and aware in these pictures. I can definitely see advantages of both ages for different baby photography sessions. In fact, I've been talking about this with my friend Allison who just had the most adorable baby on Monday.

In case you're deciding on when you might want to schedule baby pictures, here's a pros and cons list:

Newborn (within 10 days of birth):

Babies are so tiny and change so quickly
They tend to sleep a lot within the first 10 days so it makes taking pictures easier because they're at least calm
Sessions can take longer as we wait for baby to be changed, fed, fall back asleep
The first couple weeks after you have a baby can be really stressful
Moms don't always feel like they look their best immediately after giving birth (though obviously you are a complete and total badass)
So snuggly and tiny and sweet

Older infants (one month+):

Can document specific milestones like sitting up, 3 / 6 / 9 / 12 months
More awake and interactive - we may get some adorable smiles but baby might also freak out and cry (totally normal baby thing to do and doesn't bother me at all but might also be frustrating for parents)
Gives you time to get settled into a routine at home
Maybe slightly cuter than newborns - no flaky skin or baby acne (again, totes normal)

I'm still open to arguments about which is better. Leave a comment if you have a strong opinion about it. :)

Anyway... seriously how cute is this little family? I absolutely love how colorful and still peaceful baby M's nursery is. Both parents are professors of Spanish and Tanya is from Spain so there are some really lovely pieces from all over the world and art that's deeply personal and sentimental. Best kind of decorating, in my opinion! Tanya's parents were in the U.S. visiting their new grandchild so we got to include them in some of the pictures too.