There are the results of our St Albans newborn photographer survey. Sara, a St Albans photographer specialises in newborn photography and she works with her partner, Lee.
We want to ensure we give the very best service to our customers. We recently conducted a survey in collaboration with Freshmint Digital to find out more about people’s perceptions of newborn photography. This gave us some interesting insights and things to consider when communicating our services to potential clients.
We thank you to the people that kindly gave their time to answer our St Albans newborn photographer survey.
What is your number 1 goal when it comes to newborn photography?
The majority of respondents said it was beautiful pictures they were looking for because that captures just how tiny a newborn baby is. Some mentioned it was the types of props and poses used. Others wanted to know that their baby was safe and comfortable.
At Newborn Love…
We are specialists in photographing babies under 14 days old and have had training in how to pose babies safely (we will talk more about this later.) Beautifully preserving your family memories forever is what we do. We guarantee everything we do. We guarantee you will love your images or your money back.
What is your number 1 roadblock when it comes to achieving this goal?
There were a variety of answers here that had caused roadblocks for people:
- Time and concerns about working at a pace suitable for baby
- Safety and putting babies in awkward positions
- Baby crying
- Lack of sympathy from the photographer
- Price
At Newborn Love…
We only book one shoot a day. This means that we allow plenty of time for you and baby to feel comfortable. We operate a baby-led session meaning if your baby decides they need more feeds and cuddles than normal, there is no rush to move on. Most shoots last 2-3 hours but we can extend this based on how your little one is doing and how comfortable you are.
Is it safe?
We take safety very seriously. That is why we invested a lot of time and money into being trained by some of the leading photographers in the industry. Not all newborn photographers do this and as an outsider, it might not be obvious to you who you can trust with your most precious bundle. Sara is a Licentiate of the Master Photographer’s Association and with this holds a Newborn Safety Certification. This is a rigorous process that scrutinises our health and safety practices and quality of images. We have carefully considered all aspects of safety from posing, to room temperature to hygiene and the products we use to wash our props and backdrops.
What if my baby cries?
Babies cry, that’s a fact. We have a variety of techniques that we use to try and settle your baby if they are crying. They can cry for a number of reasons, for example, sensing an unfamiliar environment, hungry, too cool/warm, being undressed, being sensitive to touch. We will always attempt to settle your baby if they are crying so that you have an opportunity for a break. We acknowledge it can be difficult for you to hear your baby crying and will do everything possible to reassure you that it’s ok and that there is no rush. It is very rare that we have to abandon a session but if that was the case, we would offer a re-shoot at no additional cost on a different day.
Will it be expensive?
Price is a common factor that prevents people from booking a shoot. With so many photographers out there offering different options and quantities of products, it can be confusing and easy to make your decision based on price alone. This is one instance when the price should not be the sole factor in making your decision. You wouldn’t go to a dentist or a surgeon that had no training right? It is the same for Newborn Photographers – you are about to hand over your most precious thing to a stranger for a few hours. Wouldn’t you want to know it was safe to do so? If a photographer seems expensive to you, it is most likely because they have invested in rigorous safety training, are fully insured, use the best equipment to take and edit your images and offer high-quality products and experience.
What is the number 1 thing you want to learn when it comes to a newborn shoot?
Some of the questions were:
- What props will be used
- Safe positions
- If a toddler can come along
- Pricing
At Newborn Love…
When we get an enquiry, we always aim to call back within 1 working day. By talking on the phone, we can tell you exactly what you can expect from us and answer any further questions that you have. We don’t think any questions is silly as you are about to make a very important decision and you need to know that it is right for you.
All our studio sessions include portraits with mum, dad and siblings if applicable.
What is your number 1 concern when it comes to newborn photography?
- Time and feeling rushed
- Use of images and unauthorised sharing of images
- Crying baby
- Cleanliness
- Safety
- Scheduling the appointment at a busy time
What we do at Newborn Love
Most of these concerns have already been addressed in the sections above. We were interested to see that a few people mentioned concerns about how images might be used. As photographers, our work is very visual and we need to be able to give potential clients an accurate representation of the level of work they can expect from us. For that reason, it is wonderful to use these images in our marketing (website, social media, fliers.) However, as we are dealing with minors, we do require parental permission to do so. Our client agreement states how images may be used and if we plan to use the images, we ask that all clients sign a ‘Model Release’ form. If you had a very strong objection to this, we will of course listen and your images would not be shared at all.
As detailed in our Studio Risk Assessment, we provide a clean environment for you and your baby. The studio room is professionally cleaned on a weekly basis and all props, wraps and blankets are washed after each use using cleaning products suitable for baby’s delicate skin.
What frustrations have you had with newborn photography in the past?
- Photographer not listening + being impatient
- Crying Baby and photographer rushing
At Newborn Love…
From our first phone call, we are listening to your hopes and fears. We want to create images that you will love so asking for your opinion is important. Once you have booked, we will send a short questionnaire to ask you what you are hoping for and to get your input about colours that you like and whether you like props and wraps etc. On the day of the shoot, you have an opportunity to look at the artwork on the walls so you can tell us what you like and more importantly, what you don’t like.
We want to give you a once-in-a-lifetime experience, not just a photoshoot. If Newborn Love matches your desire for safe and beautiful photography, why not get in touch for more information?
Sara Tomlin, St Albans newborn photographer.
Because they are only this tiny once…
Thank you to those that completed our St Albans newborn photographer survey.
