As a Maryland baby photographer, I had to adapt during the last four years to provide my clients with the options necessary to capture their memories while keeping my business operating during the pandemic. And so outdoor newborn sessions were born and they are here to stay! This session was gifted to these sweet clients by a thoughtful friends of theirs. I was honored to have been chosen for such a special gift and had the best time photographing this family. Seriously, what is a better gift than a photo session?!

Timing is Everything… Or Not.

I am often asked when the ideal time for a newborn session is. The standard answer is up to 14 days old because something mysterious happens on day 15 of life and babies wake right up. They are no longer in that sleepy, newborn haze and that can be a little bit more challenging to photograph. I have even heard of photographers turning clients away because they didn’t want to photograph older newborns! I would never do that! This beautiful boy was outside the usual range but this is a perfect example of how its never too late to capture these early days.

I encourage clients to reach out to me during their second trimester because my schedule fills up and we want to try and aim for that two week window. We choose a session date based on your estimated due date, but we always adjust based on baby’s actual arrival. This isn’t always the case though! I have often photographed older newborns and love shooting baby milestone sessions as well. One perk of older babies is those sweet smiles that can sometimes make an appearance (see below!).

As a Maryland baby photographer, I absolutely love the sweetness of an outdoor newborn session. With beautiful locations around the DMV, these sessions may be less traditional than in-home sessions, but they are certainly just as emotive, precious, and timeless. Are you interested in learning more about outdoor newborn sessions? Check out some past sessions here, here, and here, or contact me today to chat!

Alexia Ballantine Photography is an award-winning portrait photographer serving Washington, DC, Maryland, and Northern Virginia. She specializes in all things maternity, baby, and family photography. Reach out today to inquire about your session!