3 Month Old Houston Baby Photographer

With little argument, most baby photographers will agree that 1 to 5 month old babies are at the most challenging stage to photograph. Because they aren’t yet sitting, there is a much shorter list of possible poses and set-ups that are developmentally appropriate, and while they are smiling and making eye contact, it is more challenging to coax out. Since my own baby was born 5 months ago, I’ve been photographing her each month in my Houston photography studio and I’ve gained even more experience working with this stage. Here are some of my tips and poses that I’ve found work well for these pre-sitters.

One Month Old

One month old babies (especially when they are late arrivals like my little girl!) have moved out of the super sleepy newborn stage and are much more alert. They are not yet smiling socially and they don’t have the muscle tone yet to do much than just lay there. I have had success with a traditional newborn session at this age, but it might take more work for baby to fall asleep and stay that way. I didn’t trying to get Laurel to sleep for her session since I wanted to document her new alertness.

Two Months Old

Oh my! What a change a month makes! Social smiles are much easier to get and babies at this age are beginning to push around on their legs as they start learning to roll. Most babies aren’t able to hold their head and shoulders up high enough to be photographed on their tummy yet, but because of their improved neck control, they can turn their heads in different directions to look at the camera, making angles more interesting.

Three Months Old

Its tummy time, time! Not all babies will be quite ready for tummy portraits yet at 3 months exactly, so if you are planning a 3 month session, I recommend waiting until they have reach that milestone. Ideally, babies should be able to raise up on to their elbows and hold their head and chest high for 3-4 minutes at a time. Both your pediatrician and I will thank you for practicing tummy time several times a day will help them build those muscles. Babies at this age are also starting to grab at their toes, which I love photographing.

Four Months Old

If your baby isn’t ready for tummy time portraits at 3 months, they definitely will be now. Babies at this age are showing more and more personality in their portraits and will definitely show off their individual quirks, like Laurel sticking out her tongue, which she does all the time these days. They stick everything in their mouths (hello teething!), which can be cute sometimes and sometimes makes is challenging to see their sweet faces.

Babies change so much in their first few months, and milestone sessions are the perfect way to document each new accomplishment. You can see more examples of our baby sessions in our portfolio.

We offer your choice of a Signature Session or a Little Ones Session to capture each stage of your child’s life. Signature sessions are our standard offering that includes about an hour of session time and your choice of a fine art collection. Little Ones Sessions are shorter, all-inclusive sessions that offer a more economically option for parents. All baby photography sessions include the use of our studio wardrobe and styling so you don’t need to worry about finding the perfect outfits for you and your baby for your portrait session.

Our studio currently booking sessions for the remainder of 2017 and into 2018. We would love to work alongside of you to document your baby at each stage of their development, from newborns to their 1st birthday and beyond. We work with families across the Houston area of create timeless and simple portraits of their child, as well as beautiful artwork to adorn their home.

Fresh Light Photography specializes in newborn, maternity, baby, family, and child photography in Houston, including the Heights, West University Place, River Oaks, and The Woodlands.