I was going to write a long, drawn-out, SEO-boosting post on this topic, but I decided instead to keep it short and sweet so that it really sticks! When you ask people with children what the best day of their life has been thus far, they will inevitably give you one of the following responses:
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The day I married my husband/wife.
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The day my child was born.
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It’s a tie between 1 & 2!
And if you had a wedding, you most likely hired a photographer to capture your special day. You were willing to spend a pretty penny because you knew that it was a defining day in your life that would fly by in the blink of an eye, and you wanted to have a way to look back and remember everything — from the big moments to the little details. And that was worth the money to you.
It WILL BE the same for the birth of your child.
Let me say it louder for the people in the back:
It will be the same for the birth of your child!
So why is birth photography so expensive?? Because birth is just like a wedding except:
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You won’t be able to tell me the date of your wedding. Instead of putting it in my calendar as a Saturday wedding day, I block off 4 weeks in my calendar and keep the phone by my side the whole time. I will plan to have a babysitter ready to watch my young kids for an unknown amount of time, day OR night, on any day of the week, with very short notice. We sometimes will miss out on special events (soccer games, birthdays, holidays) with our families. We have to pre-arrange childcare (which is not cheap) weeks in advance.
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You won’t be able to tell me how long the wedding will be. Instead of planning for an 6-8 hour wedding, I have no idea how long I will be there, but will plan on being away from my family for 10-30 hours…or more!
So that, in a nutshell, is why birth photography is so “expensive,” although I could argue that it is actually way underpriced when you consider how similar it is to wedding photography, and yet even more challenging (being on call 24/7 for a birth, unpredictable birth lengths, challenging lighting conditions). At the very least, it should clarify why birth photography is not priced in the same ballpark as portrait sessions!
If you’re interested in seeing a recent birth session, check out the Birth of Killian, and if you’re interested in finding out more about birth photography or booking your due date, send me a quick note and we can chat!
This is amazing and congrats by the way. I had no idea birth photography was a thing but this is beautiful!
Thank you Nate!
I honestly can’t get enough of your gorgeous photographs…Yes the photos are expensive but they’re soooo worth it.
Thank you so much Chad!
I can’t imagine anyone asking why this sort of photography would be expensive. You get what you pay for, and it’s a huge life experience!
If I had to guess, it’s because people are used to paying for portrait sessions, which are cheaper. So they assume birth is the same…when really behind the scenes it’s much, much different!
I personally think that you get what you pay for when it comes to photography. You want someone who has a good eye, great editing and will provide the perfect memories of your special moment.
Yeah, you’re right. To be honest when my kids was born, that was the most precious events in our life and the money that we spend to them is all worth-it because the joy that they can give to us is too much.
You are so sweet, I love how you think about this!
Your child is the most precious thing in the world, so the money you spend to them is nothing compared to the joy they give you.
That’s so very true!
Birth photography has become an important trend now and I really love the idea to capture this important day. When the child looks at it next time, he or she will feel so much gratitude for their parents who have gone through so much.
That’s the hope! I love the idea that my client’s children will be able to see the very moment they came into the world!
I think that birth photography is one of the most gorgeous kinds! It’s a once-in-a-lifetime moment that you have to capture!!
Thank you Ashley, I couldn’t agree more!
No matter the cost this is once in lifetime photos! I really wish this would have been a thing when I had my 3!
Me too Jill, me too! 🙁
You’ve definitely raised an interesting point in this post. It’s not something I’d have thought of before, but I never knew it was so expensive!
I think it surprises people because they don’t really think about how much time and effort is involved. That’s why I like to compare it to photographing a wedding, because they are very similar and yet birth photography is more challenging in many ways!
Wow, yes! This is what people really don’t understand about newborn photography, like the fresh birth newborn is that.. it’s like being on call! It’s tough! But it’s rewarding! i’m so glad you shared this!
Beautiful work. I knew this was a thing but you explained it well???.
I agree, the birth of your child is one of the most important day and you want it beautifully captured as taking photos would be the last thing on your mind.
You made a very right point. This is so important part of being a mother. and also a delicate part. Because we don’t know who will survive. But thank god for making everyone safe in this picture.
I never realized the cost but these are fair points that you have brought up. It’s still so worth it in my opinion though.
Love how easy it was for you to prove your point of why hiring a professional to capture one of the most important moments of life is not cheap.
XO, MJ
https://www.lush-fab-glam.com
Those are definitely some great points I’ve never thought of. It is very much an on-demand position to have.