When to have newborn photos
The window of the first few days, and what changes if it's already passed
days 10 to 15 of lifeI'm Alessia Zitoli and I photograph newborns in the studio in Trani. The question I get asked first, almost always by a mum who's still pregnant, is about the days. Which ones they are, and what's left once they've already passed.
How many days old should a newborn be for photos?
In the first 10 to 15 days of life, ideally within the first 10, and in the morning. In those days the newborn sleeps deeply and can be settled into the curled up positions they held in the womb.
Within that window I photograph while the baby sleeps and stop when they wake up, and the morning carries on like that. Later on, the same positions no longer come naturally, and the session takes a different direction.
Why the first 10 days and not the first month
Because in those days a newborn's sleep is long and hard to interrupt, and a baby who sleeps like that can be positioned without anyone forcing them.
After 15 days, waking up becomes more frequent and the curled up positions hold less well. Every shot takes more waiting, and how long a morning lasts is up to the baby.
My baby is older than 15 days: can we still do it?
Yes, and I photograph them gladly, in the studio like the others. What changes is what you take home. Once the first two weeks have passed, the baby stays awake longer, and what remain are portraits with open eyes and photos of the baby in your arms.
I tell you this before booking, not after the session. The curled up positions of the first days can't be recovered at a month old, and no technique puts them back where they were.
If the window has closed, there are still the milestones that come after, starting from when the baby sits up alone. Later comes the smash cake for the first birthday, which is done from 8 months to 2 years.
When to book the newborn photography session
During pregnancy. I note down the period around the due date, then you message me once the baby is born and we set the day within the window, ideally within the tenth day.
After the birth, no one feels like looking for a photographer, and by definition there are few free mornings within those days. Noting down the period beforehand only takes one message.
The pregnancy session is done between the 28th and the 34th week, so a few weeks earlier. If you'd like both sessions, tell me in the same message, so I can note both dates together.
What time is the session
In the morning, ideally within the first 10 days of life. It's the time when newborns sleep longest, and I start shortly after a feed, with the baby full.
We fix the exact time by message, around your schedule. After that, the baby sets the pace. If they wake up I wait, if they're hungry they feed, and I pick up from the position where we left off. I've described how a whole morning goes, from arrival to the end, on the newborn photography session page.
What happens if the baby is born before the due date?
The session moves with the baby. The period noted during pregnancy is an indication, not a fixed appointment. The days are counted from the actual birth, not from the date you were given.
The same is true the other way round, when the date slips by a week. That's why I ask for a message as soon as you're home, because that's when the count starts.
And if you need time in those days, I wait. Better a session on the thirteenth day, taken calmly, than one on the sixth done in a rush.
Frequently asked questions
I gave birth yesterday, is it too late to book?
No, you're still within the window. The first 10 to 15 days are counted from birth, so you have almost two weeks ahead of you. The sooner the message arrives, the more mornings remain to choose from. Send me the birth date and I'll tell you which days I have free.
Do I need to wake the baby before the session?
No, let the day take its course. The only thing that helps is timing a feed to coincide with the start of the session, which I set in the morning, so the baby arrives full and sleepy. If they cry as soon as you arrive, it doesn't change anything, I wait. On a morning within the first 10 days there are always interruptions, and I factor them in.
Can it be done at home instead of in the studio?
I do newborn sessions in the studio. It needs a room kept warmer than normal, because the baby is undressed for almost the whole time, and light that doesn't change from room to room and from hour to hour the way it does at home. The studio is at Via Umberto 230 in Trani: half an hour's drive from Bari, less from Barletta, Bisceglie and Andria.
Can we, the parents, be in the photos too?
Yes, and I'm the one who asks for it. Ten days after giving birth almost no one feels ready in front of a camera, so I keep those shots brief, with you dressed as you arrived. Your hands around the baby, the first hug together, just the three of you. There's nothing to prepare.
Note down the period now, we'll fix the day later
If you're expecting a baby, message me with the due date. I'll note down the period and we'll decide the day once the baby is born. If the baby has already arrived, send me the birth date and we'll look at which mornings are left within the window of the first few days.