05/16/2026
π¨PARENTS TO BE: If you never read anything Iβve ever posted or will again, just let it be this one post. β¨
Thereβs something on my heart lately that I feel deeply compelled to speak on. Not as a business owner, but as someone who has spent years working with newborns both behind the camera and previously in emergency medicine.
Newborn photography has become incredibly popular over the years, and while I truly love seeing more people celebrate motherhood and new life AS IT SHOULD BE, newborn photography specifically is one area of this industry that carries a level of responsibility many people donβt fully understand and donβt seem to be taking seriously before they start.
A newborn baby is not simply βtiny.β They are physiologically fragile.
Their airway is incredibly delicate. In fact, a newbornβs windpipe is only about the width of a drinking straw. Even slight positional changes β especially in props, wraps, or advanced posing β can compromise breathing far more quickly than many realize. And often, there are little to no visible signs before a situation becomes dangerous.
That is why newborn safety education matters so deeply. Itβs also why I had spent a ton of money and time on different newborn photography education before ever posing my first newborn.
A beautiful image should never come before a babyβs ability to breathe comfortably and safely.
As someone who spent years working in EMS and personally witnessed infant asphyxiation cases, sadly many more times then once, I view every newborn session through a very different lens. Safety is never a trend, a prop setup, or a pose. It is constant assessment.
It is understanding infant anatomy. It is recognizing circulation changes, airway positioning, temperature regulation, startle reflexes, and knowing when a baby simply should not be placed in a certain position.
And this extends beyond studio newborn sessions.
Fresh 48 and in-hospital sessions require a photographer who can move calmly and confidently within a medical environment β someone who understands hospital etiquette, can work respectfully around nurses, physicians, monitors, bassinets, recovery equipment, and most importantly, a mother who may only be hours postpartum and incredibly vulnerable physically and emotionally.
Those first hours after birth deserve gentleness.
You deserve someone who brings peace into the room not stress, pressure, discomfort, or chaos.
And I also want to make something abundantly clear: this is not coming from a place of competition or negativity toward newer photographers. I wholeheartedly believe there is room for everyone in this industry.
I have always believed in community over competition, and anyone who has ever reached out to me asking questions whether it was about camera settings, lighting, posing, workflow, or where I purchased something β knows I have always answered honestly and helped however I could. I will continue to do so. Supporting and encouraging fellow creatives is something I care deeply about. But do start offering newborn sessions with zero true education on newborns or newborn photography is dangerous. Simply using βoh I have kids.β βOh Iβve babysat newbornsβ βoh Iβve done this a few timesβ all without any proper training and education is crazy work.
This conversation is simply about newborn safety.
Because handling and posing a newborn baby safely requires more than owning a camera or being a parent yourself.
It requires education, experience, restraint, and an understanding of how quickly things can change with a baby this small.
And I understand wholeheartedly that the economy is difficult right now. Families are being forced to prioritize and budget in ways they never expected. But I also want parents to know that most experienced newborn photographers, myself included, offer payment options specifically to make these sessions more manageable financially.
In many cases, families are able to reserve their due date with a smaller retainer and then make smaller payments over the course of their pregnancy leading up to the session. Most newborn photographers I know truly do try to make this experience accessible because we understand how expensive preparing for a baby already is.
But newborn photography is simply not an area where I would encourage choosing solely based on the lowest price.
Your babyβs safety is never worth sacrificing to save a few hundred dollars.
Please hear me when I say this: this is not about luxury. It is not about expensive props or curated studios or social media popularity. This is about choosing someone who understands the physiological needs of a newborn baby and has invested the time, education, and experience necessary to protect them while creating these memories.
A camera does not make someone qualified to handle a newborn safely.
Experience, education, patience, restraint, and safety training do.
And if you are currently searching for a newborn photographer, my encouragement is this: ask questions. Ask about safety. Ask about posing. Ask about newborn-specific education and experience. Ask how they monitor airway positioning during sessions. Ask how they handle unsettled babies. Ask how long theyβve worked with newborns specifically, not photography as a whole.
Because these tiny humans deserve more than a pretty photograph.
They deserve to be protected while those photographs are being created. ππππ
