Babies change so much in their first year. In addition to newborn photos and 1-year-old or first birthday photos, many parents choose to have a photo session for their child dedicated to the time in-between. By the 6-month age, babies are much more awake and active than newborns. While still easily corralled than 1-year-olds who want to run around and get into EVERYTHING. A baby’s appearance changes quite a bit from newborn to 12 months. Having photos taken at mid-year will provide a nice transition when parents look back on these memories in years to come.

Because I know firsthand how mushy a parent’s brain can become in those first few months after having a kid, I’ve put together a handy 6-Step Checklist for planning your baby’s 6-month-old portraits. This checklist assumes that you’ve chosen your photographer already.

Are you ready? You can do this. I believe in you!

1. Schedule in Advance

Check with your photographer on their scheduling policies to see how far out you need to book. Some photographers require only a couple of weeks notice. I typically require 6 to 8 weeks notice because I’m usually booked that far ahead of time.

I only schedule a certain number of session per month so I can provide an exceptional level of quality for my clients. I’m pretty much a one-lady show, taking care of not only photography, but the scheduling and administrative work, photo editing, and product ordering. If I were to cram in a ton of sessions every week on top of all of that other stuff, I’d barely have time to sleep, and my work would suffer for it.

If you haven’t had your newborn’s photos taken yet, make yourself a reminder to ask about getting on the books for the 6-month photos during the shoot, and be sure to follow up on any deposit your photographer requires.

2. Aim for the Sweet Spot Between Sitting and Crawling

There is a somewhat narrow window of time between the point where your baby can hold themselves up in a sitting position and when they start crawling everywhere. Ideally, you’re baby should be pretty steady sitting on his or her own, but not very mobile just yet. This allows for maximum interaction with toys and props placed in front of them without worrying about them taking off after something on the other side of the room that distracts them.

For many parents this means that their baby’s 6-month-old photos are really more like 7, or even closer to 8-month-old photos. Parents should monitor their baby’s progress and keep their photographer informed. It may be preferable to move the appointment back by a couple of weeks if it looks like their baby may not quite be able to sit up without help. Even a difference of 2 months is close enough to the mid-year mark for most people. It’s more about getting great photos than being precise. Sorry, OCD Moms and Dads. 🙂

3. Get Inspired

Browse through your photographer’s portfolio of baby pictures and get a good idea of what you like and don’t like out of their 6-month-old session examples. If you find something you love, bookmark it or Pin it, and share the list or board with your photographer. The same goes for examples you might find elsewhere online. A few weeks before your session, your photographer should contact you to discuss what specific types of shots you want to have taken. I have a personal consultation with all of my clients prior to the shoot date to go over all the details from style of clothing to the mood of the photo session.

Keep in mind that not everything may be possible to recreate for your session. A great prop or furniture piece in one baby’s set may belong to the parents and not the photographer. A cute pose with the family pets may not be practical if you have 4 dogs. And some homes just don’t lend themselves to indoor photography (more on location below). Be sure to ask your photographer about any specific looks or shots you want to emulate, or particular props or furniture that you’re interested in working with BEFORE you arrive for your baby’s session.

A good photographer will be able to recreate the mood and the feel from another photo, even if the details aren’t the same. They’ll also be able to work with your baby and the items you bring to take unique, one-of-a-kind shots even if you are using similar backgrounds or commonly used props or furniture pieces.

4. Make a List of Toys, Props, and Clothes to Bring

Once you get an idea for the looks you want in your son or daughter’s photos, start making a list of toys, props, and outfits that are favorite or meaningful items, and/or will look good in photos. Favorite toys or stuffed animals are common props, as are outfits of uber-cuteness but extreme baby impracticality (I know you’ve got a few, don’t lie). Some parents even bring larger items such as small furniture pieces, if there is a particular concept they’re working towards (for example, a record player for the son of a musician). Your photographer can give you some pointers on this, but often items or clothes with blocks of solid color look the best in photos. Don’t shy away from an item with a lot of detail if it’s important or a favorite of you or your baby, though.

Keep a list handy on your phone or fridge, for whenever you come across something at home that you think would be good to bring. Then refer to your list and pack it all up the night before the shoot.

5. Location, Location, Location

As you find examples of baby pictures you like, and the looks you want to go for, you should be considering where you want to have your 6-month-old’s photos taken. This is dependent upon what your photographer offers. With me, your basic choices are between photos taken in a studio, photos taken outdoors at my studio location, and photos taken on-location somewhere specific, such as in your home or at a park. Other photographers may not have a studio, and only offer in-home or on-location sessions, while other’s may not travel outside of a certain area. Be sure to check their specific travel policies, as some photographers may charge mileage for any non-studio sessions.

If you’re considering outdoor photos, take the season into account. While the natural light can look great, summer temperatures, especially here in Texas, can be rough on little bodies. Be sure to plan to bring lots of water, and if possible try to plan for nearby breaks in an air-conditioned building. My studio has a yard with tall bushes, so I’m able to get the green outdoorsy look with natural sunlight, and be able to step back inside the cool studio whenever we like. This also means I can do studio photos and outdoor photos within the same session without extra travel. Colder temperatures (whatever those are…) require the same amount of planning, with extra layers and warm comfort breaks.

With any complete outdoor session, you’ll probably only have one outfit to work with unless there’s a convenient place to change your baby’s clothes. And as with any outdoor plans, you may have to reschedule if inclement weather comes rolling in.

In-home photography can be less stressful or distracting for your baby, and can allow for easy incorporation of pets or family members, but not every home is a good candidate for a photo session. Homes best suited for in-home photography have lots of windows that let in natural light, open floor plans, and tall ceilings. Be sure to talk at length with your photographer about the spaces you’d like to use for the session; they may ask you to send over some pictures of your home to help them plan ahead.

Studio sessions provide a nice compromise, often offering up different backgrounds and lighting options to work with a variety of shots. For example, my studio has different colored and textured backgrounds and a number of light stands that can be repositioned and programmed to provide brighter or softer light depending on the mood and scene I’m working towards. I also have a curtained window that lets in plenty of natural light, and numerous interesting furniture pieces for kids to sit, stand or play on.

6. Make it a Family Affair – Or Not

Sometimes a 6-month-old session is the perfect time to do a family session. Whereas newborn and 1-year-old sessions tend to be more baby-focused since they’re both essentially birthday photos, mid-year sessions can be more flexible in their intent. First-time parents often choose this session to take their first family portraits with their baby, since the little ones are more alert and awake and can mostly follow some basic commands to look at the camera. For the same reasons, this is a great session to bring in older siblings or family pets.

Note that some photographers may charge differently for family sessions than for just baby sessions. My sessions (for baby or family) include up to 4 family members, with additional photographed members starting at $50 a person.

For my clients, I provide a style guide for sessions that will include multiple family members. This guide helps parents figure out the best ways to choose coordinating, or at at least non-clashing or distracting outfits among all family members. Believe me, even if you’re not all dressed in identical lederhosen, wearing complementary colors and styles can go a long way in making your family look like a crisp, well-functioning unit, whether or not that may be the case!

So that’s it! Contact your photographer today if you need a session for your 6-month-old, and don’t pass up the opportunity to capture this moment in time with some professional photos. It may be cliche, but it’s true – those times are behind you before you know it.

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