By Together Nest
I remember the time when I found out I was pregnant with my first baby. I excitedly went on the internet to find the perfect newborn photographer for our newborn. Days later, exhausted and confused, simple newborn photoshoot shopping turned out to be not so simple after all. Thanks to google, I could access all the information I wanted with just simple clicks. With that also comes too much information. A newborn session price is vastly different from photographer to photographer. In Australia, a newborn photoshoot can range from $100 - over $1000. That is a huge price difference! Why is that you asked?
Each newborn photographers are unique. There are countless different styles of newborn photography. The difficulties to achieve those styles are also vary. There is no standard pricing for a newborn photo package, therefore most photographers set their price to what they think their time and skills are worth. The cost of doing business also contributes to the pricing, for example, the location of the studio, the style (heavy props or minimalist), home base studio or a commercial one, time needed for editing and cost of prints/frames etc.
Does that mean expensive photographers offer better quality works than those more affordable ones? Yes and no, depends on your taste in arts and how much do you appreciate it. Good quality photos can mean different things to people. As a photographer, I can certainly differentiate high-quality images in terms of lighting, composition and colours harmonisations in a photo. And yes, a great balance of those elements in a photo almost always comes from a highly skilled photographer with an expensive price tag. But that doesn't necessarily mean you, as a client, would see the same. What I see good as a photographer, you may dislike it entirely. That is the reason why portfolios are so important. You should only consider booking the photographer if you like their portfolio, not because of their pricing or a friend recommended. After all, you should enjoy looking at your precious newborn photos that will last for years to come.
One thing for certain though, when booking lower price point photographers, you are gambling on the service you receive. What I mean by that is photography service is not just about taking photos and edit them. Things like turnaround time, customisability, communications, reliability and most importantly the safety of your newborn are all part of the service. True professional photographers have these things mastered. Their reputations are tied to the overall service they provide. This does not mean affordable photographers will give bad service. It just means that you are more likely to get good service from photographers who charge mid-high price range. There are plenty of affordable photographers who also provide a great service. Especially those who are in the process of building their business. Online reviews can be a very helpful tool to help you determine the level of the service they provided.
So how much would I suggest spending on newborn photos? In Australia 2021, average spending on newborn photography in my opinion should be around $40-$90 per digital image. I can only speak for the digital image pricing since products like prints/wall arts can vary depends on the cost of the frame and quality of the prints etc. With the exception of lifestyle newborn since it tends to be more of a family session than purely a newborn session.
I hope this guide will help you make a decision easier. Newborn photos are the most precious memory you can keep. Regardless of your budget, having a newborn photos done by a professional is far better than nothing at all.