This question is one that still intriques me as a parent. Because daily, the dynamic changes from baby to child and child to teen. Yet, we’re not going to invest in custom children and family portraiture for every stage of life, unless you just have an unlimited bank account and wall-space for all those portraits, lol:) So…..today I’m going to give my personal opinion on the subject matter. If you’re like me, you cherish the photographs of your children and you want to be able to reflect on their lives, without missing a beat, and without breaking the bank.
Birth: 0 – 18 months {This is one of the hardest photo stages of all to me b/c one minute they’re a squishy newborn and the next they’re a baby and then they’re a little one. I definitely recommend newborn photos within the first 2 weeks of birth because how quickly that little squishy newborn turns into one tiny little baby & you can’t seem to remember how they looked as that newborn. Capturing your newborn in their ‘newborn’ state is probably the best investment of photography you will ever make. You’ll sit and wonder for the rest of your life how your newborn looked once you’re sitting and chatting with your 10 year old. And, without those images to reflect on, you won’t have anything to see for yourself, or to show your child how that looked at that very moment.}
Little One: 1-3 years old {Of course you don’t have to invest in a photographer for each of these years. Once you have little one in a photo from baby to sitting up, I’d then wait and have a session done once they’re 2 or 3 years old. Your sure to snap photos of your kiddo all the time, so you’ll have those shots that you’ll want to include in the photobook. But, for your wall, little ones take some really gorgeous photos between 2 and 3 years old. I still have a close up gallery-wrapped canvas of my daughter from age 2 in our home and it still melts every single person’s heart that walks through our door…not to mention mine every single day. Because what you’ll see at that age is that they have an innocent smile to capture with no more awkward sitting / posing required. This creates the most incredible work of art for your home. Even when your child is 5, 10, 15. Their eyes are the same. Yes, their hair, clothing & expressions may have changed, but those eyes reveal the soul to your child and this is why I sincerely recommend investing in a portrait at this age. I can’t tell you how warm it makes me feel everytime I look at my daughter’s portrait from this age.}
Age 5
and then about every other year or so.
Some of you reading this may think that I prefer babies, toddlers, preschoolers for photographs. That’s not true in terms of me taking pictures, but it is true in terms of when you’re starting a family & what images you’ll want to keep forever. How many times do you think a mom of a 16 year old thinks about that child as an infant. It’s a lot. And, being able to see those images makes everything warm in a home for the family.
Information on Custom Photography: http://www.professionalchildphotographer.com/information/
I love this photograph of my daughter. It was taken over a year ago and of course she’s changed dramatically from when this image was taken. However, I’m just now ordering a portrait for her wall of this shot because I haven’t seen this look AT ALL since she was 4. And I want to be reminded of it…daily.
Hope this helps!
Hugs:) A.
A.
