Photograph by Stephanie de Montigny of Stephanie’s Photographs of Ottawa, Canada
Hiring a professional photographer isn’t cheap, but you may find yourself willing to save up for such a luxury because it provides priceless memories and keepsakes for your family. This is a very special time in your lives. If you’re registered with BabyList you can actually add professional photographer to your registry – yes! If you are thinking about hiring a photographer for your maternity and/or newborn photos, here are some tips and tricks from a professional portrait photographer from Gatineau, Quebec. Stephanie de Montigny specializes in maternity and newborn photography and she’ll teach you all you need to know to find the perfect baby photographer.
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Is custom photography for everyone? Not at all. Professional photography is a luxury that not everyone can afford. Sure, you can certainly get cute shots on your own of your baby or belly. However, if you want your maternity or newborn photos done “just right”, hiring a professional maternity and newborn photographer may be something you’ll want to splurge on. Especially because of the limited time frame you have to do so. When you hire a professional maternity & newborn photographer, you can (almost always) guarantee that you’re going to receive beautiful, tangible items to portray cherished memories that you will love for years to come. If you find a photographer you love, and if you value the service being offered, you WILL be happy to save up for it, and be super glad you did once you have those images in your hands. Not sure if custom professional photography is right for you? Here is an article that compares custom boutique photography to volume photography (mall style).
Now the question is how to properly find a professional photographer that suits your needs in the sea of amateurs and “fauxtographers” (there is nothing wrong with amateurs; we all start somewhere—it’s those who are beginners and falsely advertise as professionals that cause an issue). The most important thing is to find a photographer whose style you LOVE and who fits YOUR needs (because that’s who it’s about!). If you want a giant canvas art piece, make sure your photographer can do that. Want a keepsake or heirloom photo album? Don’t go to the photographer who only offers digitals and can’t provide you with that high quality album. If you think you’ve found a photographer because they have great product selection and pricing, but you dislike their style – don’t do it! You will never truly love those images, you won’t “get used to them”, they won’t “grow on you” and you will regret going to a professional (which neither of you want).
You want to start your search to wherever you are willing to travel for THE perfect photographer. Some prefer to only look up local photographers, but sometimes a little travel may be worth it. From your research, narrow your list down to 10 or less photographers whose images you like or love. Pay close attention to the style of images on their website and make sure they are consistent. For maternity photographs there are three main styles: classic, outdoors, and intimate.
Photographs by Stephanie de Montigny of Stephanie’s Photographs of Ottawa, Canada
Within those styles, there are many different variations and photography techniques which will depend on personal choice and skill of the photographer. Variations with location, lighting, posing, and wardrobe can greatly vary a session’s atmosphere and “feel”. Then there’s the added aspect of including your spouse and any existing children into the session.
Of course you can usually mix and match throughout your session, and most professionals will work with you to make sure you are completely happy with the style you have chosen and will love your images. For example, you love the intimate style, but would prefer to do that style outdoors instead of in the studio. That’s completely possible, you just need to look for it in the portfolios or ask about it before booking if you don’t see it. Even seasoned and experienced photographers are open to trying something new. The images below have a perfect harmony of multiple maternity photography styles and variations.
Left Photograph by Stacey Larson of Baby Bare Photography of Eagle Mountain, Utah, USA
Top-right Photograph by Bobbi-lee Hille of Blee Photography of Subiaco,Western Australia
Bottom-right Photograph by Lisa Hoang of Simply Baby Photography of Kailua, Hawaii, USA
On to newborn photography – there are two main session types: lifestyle and posed. Within the two styles, there are many different options to choose from, and these are based solely on personal taste and aesthetic.
Lifestyle are typically images that are candid and often captured in the client’s home.
Posed sessions are the images where baby is skillfully wrapped or posed on a multitude of backgrounds and setups, with a variety of accessories in order to create many different looks. Make sure you confirm with your choice of photographer that siblings and parents can be included in the session, as some charge a separate fee to do so because of the added work involved.
Both types of newborn session can also be done outdoors, weather permitting for safety reasons, to create an added variety in style. Only professional photographers who have significant studio or in-home newborn photography experience should be attempting outdoor newborn photography due to the inherent added dangers. Another reason why business insurance is extremely important.
Newborn Photographs by Stephanie de Montigny of Stephanie’s Photographs of Ottawa, Canada
From your short list, make sure they are a “real business” – with a business license and business insurance. Be aware that if the cost is really low, they may be amateurs in the portfolio-building stage or professionals expanding into a new style of photography, and this means risking not having high quality images and/or not being protected in the event of an accident. Keep in mind that not all amateurs are bad (some are actually really good!), especially if you are lucky enough to catch them at the “end” of their portfolio-building, but that no matter how good of a photographer they are, if they are not a registered business with proper business insurance, you are putting your family at risk. For more information and the full list of possible risks of working with an amateur (and the possible benefits).
The key step to choosing your photographer is to actually sit down and go through their website and portfolio to make sure it is quality work, in addition to being in the style you love. The only thing worse than not loving your images, is loving them so much only to find out that you can’t print it the size needed because the file isn’t of a proper quality or because of technical errors. Here are the major factors to look for when going through portfolios.
Brightness of images :
Is there still detail in the darks and the whites?
Can you see the details like individual hairs or stitching in the light and dark blankets?
Original Photograph by Stephanie de Montigny of Stephanie’s Photographs of Ottawa, Canada
(altered images are for demonstration purposes only)
Exposure: From the original image (top left), compare the three images. The bottom-left and top-right are only slightly off from the ideal exposure, but you will notice that you can no longer see the texture in the shadows of the blanket, and the skin texture starts to disappear. While the bottom-left may seem fine to the untrained eye, if this image were to be printed (even at a professional lab) there would be “holes” in the skin because there is a lack of “color information” in the bright areas. The bottom-right is an exaggeration, but notice how the highlights turn white? You lose texture and detail in those areas, and you begin to get extra color tones (see that yellow and orange coming out?).
Color of Image :
Are they overly vibrant?
Is there a weird color cast over the entire image?
Do they look faded or old? If so, are they supposed to?
Are the black and white images unflattering or used to cover up mistakes?
Original Photographs by Stephanie de Montigny of Stephanie’s Photographs of Ottawa, Canada
(altered images are for demonstration purposes only)
Color Casts & Vibrancy: This aspect often gets over-looked because it can depend on personal style. Make sure you watch for those over-saturated (too much color)(maternity grouping, far left ) and under-saturated (lacks skin tones)(maternity grouping, middle), in addition to full-image color casts (mom&baby grouping). These color profiles on certain images can alter skin tones and make a subject look ill or deceased, and can cause the shadows to become colored and add a overall color cast to a subject and their surroundings.
Black and White & Greyscale: Anyone can convert an image into greyscale; even Instagram and twitter have filters you can apply to your phone pics before posting. The thing is, those are automated one-setting-fits-all conversions and can sometimes make an image look awful. It takes a skilled photo retoucher to properly convert an image to black and white and keep the artistic vision and image quality. Of course greyscale images can vary drastically because it is a case of personal preference, but there IS such thing as a bad conversion. The bottom-left image in the grayscale grouping is a high-contrast conversion that showcases the woman’s piercing eyes, all while keeping the highlights and shadows properly exposed (my personal favorite and artistic style). The bottom-right image is also a properly converted image with less contrast, and you can still tell the highlights apart from the midtones and shadows. On the other hand, the top-right image is a one-click-conversion in a readily available software, and has very little contrast and makes the highlights and midtones almost all the same tone, resulting in a very unflattering portrait. You will also want to keep your eyes out for such conversions being used as a way for photographers to hide technical mistakes and to “rescue” or “save” the image. Of course certain exceptions can occur, such as film photography, artistic vision on particular imagery, or certain photos were “meant to be” black and white. The trick is to be sure to view the entire portfolio for consistency in the black and white and greyscale conversions.
Focus of the image :
Is everything blurry?
Is there one clear spot on the image?
Is the subject sharp and clear, and the background is blurry?
Is the image blurry where it is supposed to be?
Original Photograph by Stephanie de Montigny of Stephanie’s Photographs of Ottawa, Canada
(additional images are for demonstration purposes only)
Focus: Notice the lashes, nose and lips in the top images. On the right they are in crisp focus, but on the left the eyes are not in focus and have an all-around blur. The focus was missed. Same with the bottom left, the focus is on the wrap instead of the toes. This can happen if the photographer is not equipped with the proper lens for macro (closeup) shots, or if they don’t know how to properly achieve that style of portrait with a prime or telephoto lens. This can happen with ANY portrait, not just detail closeups. Some mistakes can be salvaged in editing softwares, but unfortunately focus is not one of them.
Crispness of the Image :
Is it slightly fuzzy?
Is there a lot of grain or noise? This could be due to low lighting situations or a stylistic choice for emotional portraits, but if you consistently notice this trait in full daylight settings, it might be something to investigate.
Original Photograph by Stephanie de Montigny of Stephanie’s Photographs of Ottawa, Canada
(additional images are for demonstration purposes only)
Noise – Grain: the image on the left was shot at appropriate settings. For the image on the right, the light source was diminished and the camera settings were adjusted in a way that counteracted the amount of light needed to take a well lit portrait, but affected it in a way that the camera wasn’t able to “see” as well, which causes grain or noise. Noise typically degrades an image and makes less desirable large prints. Keep in mind that grain can actually add to an image in certain circumstances like vintage themed portraits & birth stories photography to give it a sort of “raw” emotional feel to the overall gallery, and in certain wedding moments.
Once you’ve narrowed down your short list of possible photographers to 2-3, perhaps even just one, this is the time to call them up and actually speak to them about your wants, desires, and needs. They might set up an in-person consultation with you, or they might do it over the phone or through an online form. This should give you an idea of how you will “click” (haha, photographer’s pun) together and make sure your personalities and styles match. Some will communicate via email and send you a welcome package, some might do all three, you never know. Once you’ve chosen one you LOVE, book the date for your maternity or newborn session (letting them know your due date-for newborn sessions, you should be booked within 2 weeks of your baby’s arrival), and let them know of your due date. Expect any professional photographer to collect a deposit or retainer in order to save you a date or availability. This ensures that you have that specific date and time reserved, and that they won’t release it to anybody else.
For maternity sessions, the best time to be photographed is between weeks 26 and 36 to ensure you have a significant baby bump and are still comfortable and flexible enough to participate in a portrait session. With multiples, it could be earlier, and if you’re feeling great throughout your pregnancy you could do it later. Many photographers book weeks, sometimes months down the road so you want to start thinking about scheduling a photographer earlier in your pregnancy. Booking your maternity session and newborn session at the same time is usually the best way to go, and you might even luck out with bundle discounts when you book more than one session at the same time.
For newborn session, it’s never too early to book. Some photographers even offer rewards or bonus gifts for booking early. I know I do! The best time to photograph a newborn is within the first two weeks of life because the bones start to fuse. During this time they are very flexible, sleepy, and feel no discomfort in those curly, adorable poses you see advertised. Of course, most photographers are happy to photograph older babies, but it can’t be guaranteed that your baby will still be as flexible or comfortable in order to create those sleepy and curly posed portraits.
For any type of portrait session with a professional photographer, make sure you ask the right questions. What are the “right” questions? It depends on what YOU want to know. Most photographers will have a FAQ section with the most common questions already answered so you have a source to build your own questions off of. From there, make a list of things you want to know and give your prospective photographers a call.
Professional photography sessions can (and should!) be lots of fun, and after completing your research, you will be happy with the outcome and great products you receive. A good photographer will capture your portraits and provide you with high quality products. A great photographer will make sure the whole process an enjoyable experience that your family (no matter how big or small) will want to do over and over again!
About the author / Propos de l’auteure :
Stephanie de Montigny is the creative mind and artist behind Stephanie’s Photographs & Gatineau Newborn Photography, a recent sub-division to reflect her journey to specialize in custom boutique newborn photography. The professional photography business is run out of her studio in Gatineau, Quebec just a quick drive from the nation’s capital of Ottawa, Ontario. Stephanie has always been a creative individual, and though it’s been a tough knowledge-filled journey, she could not be happier than she decided to ditch the two university degrees and head straight for the creative world that is professional photography. Her background in business, math, languages, and computers certainly helps with the not-so-creative side of running a successful business. To learn more about Stephanie and to see more of her work, visit her website and photography blog.
Stéphanie de Montigny est l’esprit créatif et l’artiste derrière Stephanie’s Photographs & Gatineau Newborn Photography. Stéphanie spécialise dans la photographie des naissants, nouveau-nés, en style boutique personnalisée. L’entreprise de photographie professionnelle est situé son studio atelier à Gatineau, Québec seulement quelques minutes de route de la région de la capitale nationale d’Ottawa, Ontario. Son expérience dans les affaires, les mathématiques, les langues et l’informatique contribuent certainement avec l’aspect non-créative de la gestion d’une entreprise réussie. Pour en savoir plus sur Stéphanie et pour voir plus de son art, visitez son site Web et blog de photographie.
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