I get to hear this so often. “Why are newborn baby photographers so expensive?”
“Hi all, I am looking for a photographer but not too pricey.”
And then I have a plethora of my own photography students who say to me that the market is filled with photographers who are charging 50 bucks for 100 images and so they themselves are not able to charge their worth for a photo session because they are worried the competition will get all the clients.
So, I decided I will show you in the form of pictures, a very very obvious difference between these two categories of photographers.
THE 100 images for 50 bucks photographer
Well, I am a living example of that photographer who charged a pittance and went on clicking photos of the clients for 6-8 hours and gave them 100 images at the end. This is when I had just started my photography career. I did not know what I was doing.
Here is an example of the work I produced for my first few newborn baby photoshoots (and you may wonder what isn’t right with them. So let me explain as well.)



Now, we can argue that these images still look cute. And that is alright until you come across the job of a thorough professional… which I became within 6 months of starting my business and realising the mistakes I was making. Taking proper training in newborn baby photography several times over, until I became fully educated in
- how to pose a baby.
- how to keep a baby calm during the entire session
- how to move the baby from one pose to the other without disturbing them too much
- how to design the sets in a way that they look classic, timeless and stunning beyond imagination.
- how to buy the right props in a market that is cluttered with so many variety of props. Oh and don’t forget the ultra cheap ones that you can buy off eBay and Amazon. You bet the cheap photographers will use those for their baby photoshoots.
- how to pose parents. I mean parents of newborn babies don’t feel comfortable being made to pose and forcefully simple. It is the responsibility of a good photographer to make the aura; the energy of the session so warm and comforting that no one feels out of place or uncomfortable.
- how to make parents feel comfortable and loved and taken care of while they trust you with their life’s most precious gift for those two hours.
- how to finish a photoshoot maximum within two hours and not pushing it to 6-8 hours
After having gained all this knowledge, I finally got back to taking newborn baby images once again but mind you… by this time, I had become the other kind of photographer:
THE very expensive photographer
I am guilty of being called that “very pricey” photographer ever so often but here’s why.
- These sessions aren’t mere photoshoots; they are heirlooms
- I buy new props for every single baby’s session and to give you a sense of the prices, just a vintage baby romper costs anywhere between £50-£90 and in every set up at least 6 different props are used including basket, flowers, fillers, rompers, bonnets, headbands, felt toys and more. Multiply it with minimum 6 set-ups per shoot. There you go.
- For every session, I spend time with the family, understanding their colour, styling and other preferences. I spend time listening to their stories and seeing how I can incorporate that narrative in the sessions. How can I make that session exclusive to them.
- I then spend several hours carefully styling each set up and preparing for the session before the family arrives.
- Once they come over they are treated like family. My baby parents never leave home without being fed some yummy Indian food and pampered like they truly deserve to be.
- Once the photo session is complete, it takes a minimum of 10 hours worth of editing to finish the photo gallery of these exclusive fine art child and family images that is each a piece of art.
Here is an example of some of the work for you.
So here’s exactly what is the difference between a cheap or “not so pricey” photographer and one that may be charing a bit more but will give you memories that will adorn the walls of your home for generations to come and will become a priceless addition to your life’s memoirs.
You can’t put a price tag on your life’s most precious memories… only entrust them to someone whom you can truly trust.
Also, check out my another interesting blog: At what age should I do my Baby Photoshoot?
About Me:
Hi! My name is Sujata Setia from But Natural Photography. I’m based in the UK. I’m a professional photographer and have won many awards for what I do. I have also been teaching the art of photography for more than 8 years now. Some of my recognition includes being published in Forbes, The Daily Mail and, Vanity Fair amongst others. The journey with my camera started when I had my daughter Aayat, and I have never put it down since. It helps me to capture the right moment so you can cherish it forever, and my services to deliver perfection to you knows no bounds, no distance, and no obstacles. People come to me to make a pitstop of their life a milestone so I’m willing to dedicate the time and effort it takes to understand the very essence of the family; to make every moment I capture is timeless.