It is a true honor to announce that I have been certified in Newborn Photography Safety by the American Association of Newborn Photography Safety. The very first in all of Wyoming, in fact! Because the safety of your most precious and treasured gift is my top priority. You can read my feature over on their blog by clicking HERE. With the bulk of my work being primarily newborns, I knew without any doubts that this certification was a must. As the photography industry continues its rapid rise, I feel that the importance of this training and certification is greater than ever.
Under no circumstance should a baby be put in an unsafe situation for the sake of a photo. I can’t count the amount of times I have seen a Facebook post where there are babies on train tracks or little beds in the shoreline, etc. While, as a photographer, I understand the desire to capture the “perfect shot”, I cannot justify putting a innocent baby at risk to do so. If you are in the market for a newborn photographer, I urge you to ask the following questions to your prospective photographer:
- Are you trained and certified in newborn photography safety? If so, by which organization?
- How do you handle achieving poses that require the baby to be in buckets and/or bowls and other props?
- How often do you wash your props, backdrops, wraps, etc?
- Do you work with composites?
- Do you use an assistant?
In addition to these, if you have any other questions, don’t hesitate to discuss them with the photographer. Ask them to walk you through their safety practices. Never be afraid to speak on behalf of your child and if you don’t trust that they 100% know what to do to keep your baby safe, please continue your search. Also, be sure to reach out to your photographer if your baby has any issues at all, such as broken clavicle, infant hip dysplasia, or anything else that may affect how your photographer should handle your baby.
