Post by blueskiessmiling on Apr 26, 2016 14:17:02 GMT -5
For DD's newborn pics, we used a professional photographer who had her own studio space. We paid $400 for the session, which included a digital album we were given a copyright release to. So, we could print anything we wanted ourselves (I used Shutterfly). During this year, though, I bought a membership to the Target portrait club. While our professional pictures were awesome, I just can't see shelling out that kind of money again. Plus, I feel like my kid is old enough now that I don't really need a photographer with a bunch of cute headbands and muslin wraps. I'm not sure if the Target portrait studios are consistent in different locations, but they do a great job here (the one and only pic I've posted of my DD on here was done there).
I see a lot of people booking sessions for the first birthday and I have so many questions. We always took all of our pictures ourselves, maternity, newborn and through out the year and I am debating if I should book a session for her first bday.
My main problem is the price, I can't really get on with spending $300+ on this, and then have to buy overpriced prints.
So tell me more about your process:
How did you select your photographer?
Are you doing them at home, at their studio, in an outdoor location?
If you are willing to share, how much will it cost? Are you using a Groupon or discount of some kind?
We are going to be using the same photographer who did DD's newborn photo session. She is charging us $250 for 1year photo shoot and her birthday party. We don't have to order prints through her, and we get all of the image on a disk with print rights. Our photographer has an in home studio that we will be going to her for and taking the dog since DH wants him to be in some pictures with the baby.
**Edited to add that our photographer has a 1st year package that we didn't know about at the time (DH found her from a friend) But her package is $1000, it includes Maternity, Newborn, 3, 6, 9 months 1 year and a cake smash session. You get all of the digital images with rights on a disk and location can be at her in home studio or wherever you would like. Next time around we will most likely be doing this. While it is a lot of money, we paid 450 for maternity pictures (DH got a groupon) and I'm not in love with them at all. we were told we would be outside and we were in a studio. I felt like I was back in school with the poses that we were forced to do. For that 450 we only got 1 image and if we wanted more we had to pay for them separately.
Post by jillywilly on Apr 26, 2016 14:31:04 GMT -5
We did newborn photos because they were "gifted" to us at our baby shower, but still had to pay a few hundred dollars for the print rights. Also, how are you all finding such cheap photographers? I looked around six months because it was also my dad's 60th birthday, so he wanted pictures of the whole family, everyone had probably $200-$400 sitting fee, and then crazy expensive prints/digital rights - we would have wound up spending at least $1000. That's crazy. So we wound up doing a portrait studio, which cost I think around $500, but we got a ton of prints and digital files that way. They may not be as "artsy" as a professional photographer, but they got the job done, IMO.
I think we're skipping "official" one year photos, because I know H won't get on board with spending a few hundred dollars on some pictures right now. Plus, we won't do the cake smash until his actual birthday, so I figure we'll just take our own pictures, and they'll still be super cute, because who doesn't love a baby smashing some cake?
My friend from college does photography on the side, and she only charges $50 for the session and we get the rights to the pictures, and she puts them on a flash drive for us. They are not always the best, but for the price, I can justify doing them more often. We'll get S's 1 year pics sometime in May and then get some family shots in as well.
I want to do something like these for her 1yr. So outdoors and casual. My mom already picked up 2 outfit options but they won't be in town until June 8th so we will just do her bday pics 1 week after her bday.
H doesn't know it yet but he'll be the photographer. He takes really great photos. If not we have a friend in town at the end of June that is a photographer so maybe I can talk him into a 2nd round
We did newborn photos because they were "gifted" to us at our baby shower, but still had to pay a few hundred dollars for the print rights. Also, how are you all finding such cheap photographers? I looked around six months because it was also my dad's 60th birthday, so he wanted pictures of the whole family, everyone had probably $200-$400 sitting fee, and then crazy expensive prints/digital rights - we would have wound up spending at least $1000. That's crazy. So we wound up doing a portrait studio, which cost I think around $500, but we got a ton of prints and digital files that way. They may not be as "artsy" as a professional photographer, but they got the job done, IMO.
I think we're skipping "official" one year photos, because I know H won't get on board with spending a few hundred dollars on some pictures right now. Plus, we won't do the cake smash until his actual birthday, so I figure we'll just take our own pictures, and they'll still be super cute, because who doesn't love a baby smashing some cake?
If you are buy a local university that has a photography department that might be a good place to look as well (Students=wanting to build their portfolio= cheap/free pictures). We used a friend for DD's baby naming and they were horrible. Her and another friend are trying to start a business but the quality of the pictures just sucked. half of them no one was looking in the pictures and she didn't tell people to look at her either. So we got what we paid for.
Post by beersandweirs on Apr 26, 2016 14:44:51 GMT -5
We are going to use the same photographer we used for our wedding because we loved her. We will likely do outside shots, because we enjoy those most. Her fee is $250 and we get all rights to the pictures, so we can get prints from wherever. I think we are going to do it closer to her actual 1st birthday, probably late May/early June.
Post by mrsmonogrammed on Apr 26, 2016 14:57:33 GMT -5
Luckily we have a family friend/aunt who is a professional photographer. She's taken all of our photos (announcement, maternity, NB, 3m, 6m, 9m) and will take her 1yr/smash cake photos. We're going back to the spot we took our maternity pictures at. It's an outdoor park by a river. DD will have 1-2 outfits and then her cake photos. She generally gives between 30-40 edited photos per session.
I'm planning on using some of her cake pics for her thank you cards and will hopefully have some of the other outfit pics up for her party....luckily we already took some lemonade theme ones a few weeks ago for her invitations so I can use those too:)
I will give her $150 cash because she will just rip up checks from us:(
Post by 3dimesdown on Apr 26, 2016 15:22:33 GMT -5
We met our photographer through a friend, she's great and we've become friends as well.
We'll probably try to do an outdoor location, but as early in the morning as possible because it'll be hot as balls at the end of June and I don't want our pictures to be a sweaty mess.
Here's one of her outfits:
And she'll probably also do a sunsuit. Still debating on if I want to splurge on the BBC set.
We paid like $300 for a newborn session that included a bunch of prints to see if we liked her, then $750ish? for a grow up plan that has 3 sessions that all include a bunch of prints.
Post by sugarkissed on Apr 26, 2016 15:27:24 GMT -5
I'm taking my own photos of B. I'm going to try to get a few cute shots of her outside if we get some nice weather. After she loses patience 30 seconds in, I'll bring out a cake, swap her outfit for a tutu and turn it into a cake smash.
I have also done a couple 1 year old shoots/cake smash sessions for other people. I typically charge $100 for the same idea... a few posed shots followed by a cake smash and digital copies of the photos.
ETA AW of DD1 at 1 year. I can't believe that I'm already planning another photoshoot like this!
We did studio photos of DS1 at about 14 months. They were stunning but $$! For DD I found a local photographer who did pics on the beach (at same age) - they are amazing and so reasonable. I'll use her again for F but not until our Spring.
I think I'm just going to take G's 1 year photos on my own. I think the photos I take are great quality but part of me thinks I'll regret not doing professional ones. I'm super torn. Some will be outdoors, some in her room and around the house. I think I'll do some in the same spots we did her newborn pictures to have comparison pictures. I'll probably do different pictures every day for like a week LOL.
We paid $500 for maternity, newborn, 6 months, and 1 yr photos. Our friend who did our engagement photos and wedding photos does them and she's incredible. We get all of the digital rights to our photos & we usually get 30+ images.
I think I'm just going to take G's 1 year photos on my own. I think the photos I take are great quality but part of me thinks I'll regret not doing professional ones. I'm super torn. Some will be outdoors, some in her room and around the house. I think I'll do some in the same spots we did her newborn pictures to have comparison pictures. I'll probably do different pictures every day for like a week LOL.
We didn't do professional 1 year photos of LBB and I have no regrets so we're not doing any for BH.
We do yearly professional family photos though, so we have professional pics of the kids when they're one.
I've shared this before, but we have a local studio that has a package for the first year. We paid $30 to buy in, and then we get free sessions each month and only pay for the prints at a reduced price. It was too much to go every month, but we have gone every three months, and will go for his one-year pictures. I did really want to get some pictures at one point as a family with Budders, been too self-conscious about my appearance. I need to put that behind me, and plan to have H and I get in a picture or two with V at the one year session, because we have no professional pictures of the family.
This is how I was feeling too. I bit the bullet and we had the taken yesterday. I don't have any yet but the ones he showed me I actually loved the way I look.
Post by heartofglass on Apr 26, 2016 19:14:30 GMT -5
I debating this myself...we had a small local photographer do A's newborn pictures, she did our family Christmas pictures (so technically 6mo) and Easter coincided with 9mo pictures. I use her because she's decent and cheap. I paid $150 for our newborn session then $80 for our subsequent "mini sessions" (20 minutes of pics outside and H and I can jump in the photos). She gives us a digital copy and the rights. I can't decide whether or not to book a 1 year session with her because I would only be able to do a studio session and I don't like her studio stuff. With the lighting in our area she only does outdoor pics in the evenings and I didn't like the last ones we got because A isn't smiling in any of them, he's ready for bed. So I'm thinking I may just try to do some myself...
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