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Today I am so excited to be featuring my first-ever guest blogger! It gives me great joy to introduce you to Karli VonHerbulis! Her enthusiasm for conscious and faith-filled living and consumerism drives her passion for blogging and sharing her wisdom and experiences with others. Her blog is Feed Me, Mama: becoming a homemaker with a standard of grace. She’s a dear friend of mine and talented writer. I had the pleasure of documenting her pregnancy and her daughter’s newborn portraits. It seemed only natural to ask her to write a post for me about what it means for her and her husband to have professional images documenting her maternity and baby “H” as a newborn. You can see the maternity post here and the newborn post here. I have seen many friends and acquaintances forego maternity, newborn, and first year portraits because most are pressed financially at that stage in life, I know we were. If you are in this stage wondering if it’s really worth the investment, I think Karli’s insight may help you avoid regret. After all, this wonderful, fleeting time only comes and goes once for each precious child.
The Importance of Newborn Photography
I’m a frugal person- there is no way around it. When my husband and I got married, we planned our entire wedding in 5 weeks and spent about $1500 on the entire thing. It was perfect- a gorgeous outdoor ceremony, historical reception site, family contributions for almost everything. It was meaningful and special in every way. There’s just one problem– I have no professional photos of anything from that day.
In my frugality, I asked friends and family, many of whom owned nice cameras and had ‘photography experience’, to pitch in and document the day. We made the decision not to hire a professional photographer and instead rely on our well-intentioned guests to provide us with lasting memories of the most special day of our lives. BIG MISTAKE.
While this is truly my only regret from our wedding day, it has shaped my decisions about photography as I go forward- namely, I won’t ever let a significant, once-in-a-lifetime event go by without making sure that a professional documents it. My pregnancy, and the birth of our daughter, was the first instance of this- not only is she our first child, but there is never a guarantee that there will be more children. It’s like a wedding- she is only born once. She’s only a tiny newborn for a few short weeks. It wouldn’t happen again. I couldn’t let the opportunity slip away!
We chose to have Jenna capture these special moments, both before and after Hallelujah’s birth, and we couldn’t be more thrilled with the beautiful images she blessed us with. Not only is she a gifted photographer, but she is incredibly creative, professional, and helpful. Choosing outfits, poses, print sizes, you name it- decisions are hard when it comes to something this important, and Jenna’s experience and eye for design made the entire process so effortless.
If you’re expecting a baby or gearing up for any photography-worthy big life event, keep these few things in mind as you prepare:
FIND A PHOTOGRAPHER YOU LIKE AND TRUST. For us, Jenna is a natural choice- not only is she incredibly gifted, but she’s a great friend. If you choose a photographer that you don’t necessarily get along with (or maybe someone who’s work you ‘tolerate’ but don’t love), it’s going to make the whole process more difficult and less enjoyable. You’ll be spending a good chunk of time with this person, and trusting them to create beautiful memories for you- keep that in mind!
ASK ABOUT PAYMENT OPTIONS AND PACKAGES. As I shared above, the cost of photography can be daunting, but it is well worth it. Many photographers offer a variety of payment and package options, which allows families to create their ideal photography experience for their budget. Keep an honest and open line of communication with your photographer to ensure that everyone has a good experience.
LOOK AROUND YOU FOR INSPIRATION. Our favorite photos are not the ones that you’d get off of Pinterest, but instead the ones that incorporated very personal touches- meaningful jewelry, blankets made by family members, hand-knitted hats. Jenna encouraged us to think outside the box for all of our photos, and I am so glad we did!
RELAX AND HAVE FUN! Our newborn session took almost 4 hours because Hallelujah wanted to nurse every half an hour- so we just relaxed and did what we needed to do. This is also why you need to LIKE your photographer! Perfection won’t happen with every take- your baby might cry, or poop everywhere, or simply not hold a position while they are sleeping. It’s okay! Be patient, do what you can, and enjoy your time together capturing these memories. Remember, this sweet time won’t happen again.
Show Karli some love by connecting with her today! – Feed Me, Mama: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram
Karli,
Thank you so much for contributing this post, for your kind words, and for sharing your wisdom! One of my favorite aspects of your post is that the focus is not on “Jenna is the best photographer for you”, because I may not be. I’m not a perfect fit for everyone and I’m okay with that! Above all, I want everyone to find the perfect professional photographer for them so they have precious memories to hand down to their children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and so on. Thank you again Karli!!
If you think I may be a good fit for you, please feel free to contact me via the “Contact” tab above or email me directly at Jenna@JennaShriverPhotography.com I have a maternity through first year program already established that I would be happy to talk to you about. Like Karli mentioned, I have payment and package options to accommodate most budgets. The biggest reason to book all four sessions up front is to guarantee that you get on my calendar. That way we can schedule each milestone at the appropriate times. Otherwise I can’t guarantee that I will not already be booked. If you have any questions for me, please contact me today!
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Great advice, and very well written!
gorgeous pics!