Baby Shots - What Not To Do

Baby Shots - The Bad Kind

Parents love to save time. I have three kids, so I totally get it. To save time parents frequently coordinate doctor appointments with other appointments…. like perhaps a smash cake photoshoot?

Nothing, and I mean nothing, derails a smash cake shoot like a baby that’s running a fever from an immunization. Except, perhaps, for a baby that no longer trusts strangers because the last guy just jammed them with a bunch of needles.

Now before you blame the parents, they aren’t doctors and they don’t think about the mini-fevers that shots can sometime bring on. Nor are they photographers who have to work with a baby who now has severe trust issues with a side of needle-related PTSD. In fact if you haven’t covered this topic with your clients in advance then the fault lies squarely with you. Part of your job as a professional is to educate your clients on what they can do to help you get the best possible photos of their baby. When you do this you will be bringing up topics that perhaps they didn’t think of, like “no shots the day of the photoshoot”. You will also convey that you are an experienced professional and that this isn’t your first rodeo.

Big problems are made up of little fixes. Put together a check-off form so that you know you’ve covered all of the little details (like shots) in the portrait consultation. You’ll have a better a shoot, a happier client, better pictures, and thus a better sale.

- Clare

Images provided by Troutman Photography