Is Newborn Photography worth it?

San Antonio Newborn Photography

I think one of the hardest things to decide when considering booking a newborn photography session is whether it’s actually worth the price. After all, professional photography isn’t always cheap. In fact, it’s rarely cheap! Any artist who is worth their weight will likely have prices that reflect the extensive education, training, expertise, and time and attention that they provide for each of their clients. And sometimes that number can be just enough to make you question whether what you receive is actually worth it.

There’s a saying I’ve heard that I think is nearly always true:

Cheap photography isn’t good, and good photography isn’t cheap.

It’s no secret that GOOD professional photography sessions are an investment. An investment meaning: they cost more than you’d typically spend on any given day, say, going grocery shopping, going out to eat, or filling up your gas tank.  But investments are not the same thing as spending.  Investments are something that cost you money NOW, but whose value only grows more and more over the years. Or something that you put “X” amount of dollars into now, only to be worth a thousand times that down the road.

Just the other day, we got a mailer for the monthly sales at our local big box/warehouse store.  And in it, they had a bunch of the newest, high-tech TVs “on sale” for $1200, $3000, $4500.  Even, (get this): $8999.  (Someone actually sells a nine thousand dollar television set. I didn’t even know TV prices went that high!)

But is that $9K TV an investment? In my opinion, no. Will that television set have more value to you in 5 years? 10 years? I doubt it. In fact, it’ll probably be obsolete. Ouch.  

Now, most of us aren’t dropping a couple thousand dollars on tv sets, so what’s my point? 

It’s simple. 

When it comes to deciding whether or not to invest in something that’s important to you now (but costs more than you’re used to spending on any given day, or more than your budget normally allows), ask yourself: Will this thing become even more important to me in 5 years? in 10 years?  What about 50 years?  Will its value to me become even greater as the years go on?

And I think you guessed it:  When it comes to portraits of our loved ones, the answer is always, Yes, yes, and YES. 

Now, I get it. I’m a professional portrait photographer, and I LOVE to make a living doing what I love. I want all the families in San Antonio to hire me to photograph their newborns!  

But yes, professional portrait sessions cost money. They’re an investment.  But the best investments only become more valuable and more precious over time. 

And portraits of your baby when they are brand new to this world do exactly that.

The newborn stage is so incredibly fleeting.  It might last only a few weeks, or a month.  Then your baby begins to change so quickly, that newborn-ness is only a memory. And I’m not just saying that as a newborn photographer. I’m saying that as a mom. Because I’ve experienced it.

But that’s where photographs come in.  

If you aren’t someone really cares about beautiful photos, or can’t see any difference between a picture taken on your phone and one created by a professional photographer, then no, a newborn portrait session probably is not worth it to you!  (And yes, I believe this is true for some people- And that’s ok!)

But if you often say things like, “Oh, I LOVE this photo of my son!” Or “That is the most beautiful picture of you….”

If you love and appreciate a beautiful photo, especially of the people you love…

If you want to remember everything about your newborn…

If you want to look at a beautiful piece of art showing that precious tiny face you adore…

Then YES. Newborn photography is definitely worth it.  And five years from now, ten years from now- the money spent at that time won’t be important to you. But those irreplaceable memories will.

Because I believe in what I do and how valuable it is in our lives, I make sure to make my sessions as attainable as possible. I encourage expectant parents to book their newborn’s session months in advance, and I offer complimentary payment plans for all of my sessions. You are welcome to break up your session fee into as many payments as you need to be able to work it into your family’s budget. For more information, or if you have any questions about using a payment plan to book a session, please reach out here!